New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-28
LOST
WHEN BRITISH
SHIP BLOWS UP
The Princess Irene De,
stroyed at SheerneSs
with All on Board.
[Rr Obi. 70 The Tribune ]

Sheerness, May 27.-The steamship
Princess Irene was blown to pieces
off here this morning, with loss OF
from 25O to 400 lives. She was new
liner of 5000 tons, launched for the
Canadian Pacific Railway Company at
Dumbarton, and had been taken over
by the Admiralty for use as mine
layer.
At L1:10 o'clock persons on shore
heard a deafening roar and saw the
hree-funneled ship disappear in
great sheet Of flame. which shot up
ward in vivid splash of color and
then died away, giving place to col
umn of smoke which hung over the
spot for about a quarter Of an hour
ut seemed quite solid, and stood up
like a huge gray monument over the
spot where the ship had been.' an eye
witness said.
A the smoke column broke into
plumes and slowly drifted away II was
seen that the ship had disappeared
a quantity of floating wreckage that
had been blown into tiny fragments.
Soon afterward fragments OF charred
wood and other wreckage began 10 ram
down. some even at Wigmore. nine
miles away. An officer who. seeing the
Aash and hearing the explosion
motored from Minister to Queens
borough TO see what assistance was
wanted, found debris showerlng on 'he
latter place as he entered II. :,
Soon after the explosion tailor IN
Sbeerness was rung up on the tele-
nbone bv his wife al Rainham, about
four miles away. She asked what was
the matter. as few moments after
She heard an explosion a boot, collar
and tic and a pound of butter fell into
her garden. ,., g..
In addition TO her crew, which Is
said 10 have numbered $50, there were
seventy-eight shipwrights on Doard the
steamer when the explosion occurred
1.-THE Daily Mail" says that, besides the
sbipwrights, there were one hundred
workmen from Chatham, which wouId
give a total of more than four nun
With the exception OF few bodies
mot a race of any of these men mas
heen seen. and il must be presumeI
that ali lost their lives. Two dockyard
emnloves George Fitzpatrick and JACK
Hodges. who had been members OF
working party on board the Princess
Irene. were returning TO the snip IN
government pinnace.
ave we're lying on cushions IN the
cabin" said Fitzpatrick, "when lhe eN-
plosion occurrt :. Hodges was shaken
onto the floor by the conclusion, ana
we both ran out 10 ascertain what had
hs,nsned hut the rain Of debris was
40 thick that we were compelled to
seek shelter in the cabin. When We
were able 10 emerge again there was
no sign of the Princess Irene.
The scene was extraordinary I'M
mediately after the accident. The ship
appeared 20 have been blown lnto
minute fragments. manv of which
seemed 10 hang burning IN the air. The
force Of the explosion was vertical and
a pail Of black and white smoke nov
cred high over the spot Tor some MN
utes and then began TO drltt away IN
almost a solid mass. There was little
or no disturbance OF the wate-, but
the surface was quickly covered by q
litter Of wreckage. This was SO small
that il was just as If one had empued
q box Of matches into a bath, and Il
was a difficult matter to drive our boat
through IT,
I'VE saw nothing Of the men who
had been on the ship, and the largest
pieces OF her which we noticed were
part OF mast dipping through the
waves and part of her hull"
Shipping in the neighborhood suf'
fered extensively both from concussion
and debris, and numerous casualties to
members Of their crews are Leported.