PERILS OF THE SEA.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10450, 21 September 1901, Page 2

PERILS OF THE SEA.

THE WRECK 0F THE COBRA

59 Lives Lost.

How British Tars can Die.

Press Association— Telegraph— Copyright Received September 20, 10.50 p.m. LONDON, September 20. The Cobra was a sister ship- to the Viper, and had just been completed at the Elswick Works. Sue struck at 7 o'clock on Wednesday morning. The sea was terribly rough, and in a few minutes the vessel broke amidships. The whalcboat and dinghey were launched. Fifty crowded into the whaleboat, which swamped, drowning all. The chief enginoer of tho Cobra, nine blue-jackets, and two of Parsons' turbine fitters, in the dinghey, were picked up" after battling with the waves for ten hours. , , ■ , Besides a navigating party of 53, under . Lieutenant Thosworth Smith, there were a number of civilians and workmen aboard, also tho manager of tho Messrs Parsons' turbine works, and the engineering manager at Elswick a total of 71.. It is .feared that all , were drowned 1 1 excepting those in the dinghey. Lieutenant Smith stood- on tho bridge with folded arms, and went down with tho vessel. At the last moment the chief engineer, who stood beside him, dived, and was pioked up. A sailor clinging' to the dinghey, seeing it was full, fell back into the water, saying, "Never mind, mates; there's no room for me," and was drowned.