TOE BRITANNIC CRIME.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 16824, 27 November 1916, Page 7

TOE BRITANNIC CRIME.

THE FINAL SCENES,

LONDON, November 24. The Daily Chronicle's Athens correspondent states that Matron Dowse, of the Britannic, states that the explosion took place at breakfast time. Those aboard had no idea that there was any danger of sinking, and all lined up on deck quietly. A few of the staff who were sick were carried up and got away safely. All the nursing sisters who were saved abandoned their medals and belongings, and were two hours in the boats. The disaster occurred near land, in a smooth sea, but many are suffering from strain and are distracted. Two hundred men remaining on the decks were ordered to break their ranks and advised to'jump into the water. Instead, they went on to the uppev decks and threw rafts' overboard- Meanwhile a shocking tragedy occurred about the propellers on the water level, several. boats and rafts ..being drawn into the whirlpool. It was an awful sight to sec so mauy poor fellows struggle against the inevitable. When they saw a boat was doomed to encounter the propeller .blades- most tried to escape by jumping into the water. The screws caught the boats with a ripping and smashing sound, flung the humans into the air, and cut and mutilated a hundred. The Britannic went down with a slow and gradual movement. Probably the engines shifted to starboard as the vessel lurched to starboard before going down. As each greafc funnel touched the water it ripped off like a piece of brown paper and fell to port.