The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-05-28
Only One Man. Out of Ships
Company of More Than
Four Hundred. Escapes
TURKS SCORE AGAIN
SINKING BATTLESIiIP
Majestic Is Torpedoed in Dsr-
danelles, While the Princess
Irene Seems to Have Been
Case of Suicide

LONDON, May XI.-IMe IFtnCGs,S
Irene, British auxiliary steam.
ship, was literally blown I'M
atoms with AS men aboard i,-
she lay at anchor i'm sheerne ),
larbor this morning. The en-
plosion was apparently internal.
Its origin Is marked by complies.
mystery. So far as known only
one man the 425 has survived.
The admiralty statement issued
tonight. says that only three men
OF the vessels crew were aboard
at the time. Dispatches from tie
scene. however, state p0sitive4s
that all of the $50 men composing
the crew were ON the steamer. In
addition there were IS dock yard
men and 100 Chatham worker.
The disaster has Immediately re.
called the fate of the British batter
ship Bulwark khich was mystertcasly
blown up on November 26, at prac-
tically the identical spot in winch
rested the Princess Irene. with tna
loss of some 1876 officers and men,,
The destruction of the Bulwark was
never explained. There were ruTaora
at the time that a German subms rine
had slipped into Sheerness hsrbur
and launched torpedo at the war;
ship, subsequently stealing away with
more proba BILE, however. that the 1suI-
wark was blown up by an Internal
explosion-the inference being. Or
course, that a spy accompanied the
work
The Princess Irene, which is Cam
adam Pacific liner, requfsifioned by
the government, was lying at her
mornings seventy yards of Port Niee
toria at IL O'Clock this morning, her
decks crowded with busy workHlen.
The harbor was filed with vessels OF
all descriptions. Nothing OF an ex
traordiuary nature had occurred 70
arous suspicion
Terrific Explosion.
At a few minutes after II there Was
a terrific explosion. The neighborhood
was shaken for miles around. window-
being blown in and chimneys topplea
over 4 huge fame shot up from the
Irene's deck. II was followed b,
cloud of smoke and series of crack.
ling explosions Then followed deem
roar and the steamer was rent from
stem TO stern.
The air was filled with a perfect hail
storm of flying splnters. Volumes Of
smoke rolled ieisurely upward from the
spot where the Irene had been mooreds
For a few moments there was nothing
to mark the locality but dense cloud.
of dust, steam and smoke. Then the
atmospheer cleared
simply Meits Away.
The steamer had simply melted from
sight. On all sides pieces of the wrs sk -
age were falling. The water on which
the vessel had rested was in a turmoil,
For the moment sailors, deck hands
and all workers in the neighborhoods
stood apparently expecting secona
explosion.
The order to rescue any SURVIVORS
was quickly put in action from dozen
steamers In the vicinity One eys-
witness of the explosion said that
sub lieutenant aboard his steamer went
TO a small boat and found In it a man
living unconscious with great cash In
his head.
Kills Child Four Miles Away.
The explosion killed a four-ycar
old Girl foar miles from the s-fne
Ner.e OF the officers or men Of fn1
Irene were rescued. say the dis
patches from Sheerness, all OF them
having been blown to pieces. The
only ones to survive were three Mho
had gone ashore. No trace OF a ceeaa
laurch, which had been tied at the
steamers gangplank. and her crew
of live men, could be found.
Reports from surrounding toNng
show that the force OF the explosion
threw fragments Of charred Wreci<age
over an area of several miles, atld
brone windows in Sitt.ngbournc AMI
Fayersham The shock was eGen fels
at Southend, where the peopsa
thought tina. another Zeppelin had
arrived and was dropping bombs