The sun., 1916-10-20
ALAUNIA HITS
MINE, SINKS; 4 LOST
Big Cunarder Valued at ST.
100000. Goes Down in
English Channel.
$50 PASSENGERS LANDED
Captain and 1853 Members of
Crew Are Saved by a
Trawler.
$50 PASSENGERS LANDED

LoNpoN. Oct. 19-The big Cunard
liner Alaunia struck n mine in the Eng
lish Channe! this morning and was sunk
All the passengers. tS;rty of them Amer
leans. had been landed at Falmouth on
Tuesday and the ship was on her way
from Falmouth to London. Only -four OF
the crew are missing. Capt. II. VI.
BENSON and 163 sailors have been
by a awlcr
The value OF the ship and cargo con-
bined is estimated NJ $1,000. 900 at least.
Tho Alaunia carried nearly 10000 tons
of war supplies. a capacity cargo. valued
at 5000. 900. All these supplies went
down with her. She was going to Lon
don to unload when she struck the mine.
When the Alaunia sailed from New
York on October : she carried 1sj cabin
and IS steerage passengers. The ship
just escaped the German submarine
U-53. which sank Ave ships of Nam
tucket light the day after the Cunarder
sailed. She was equipped with a ~
inch naval u mounted aft as a protec-
ton against submarine attack.
ship Kept Anoat some Time.
Apparently the Alaunia did not sink
Immediately, but remained afioat some
time after she struck the mine. which
would account for the large number Of
her crew rescued.
TIL message sent by the Cunard Linz
to its New York offices announcing the
sinking follows:
"Alaunia struck mine In English Chan
mel this morning. SUM during forenoon.
Capt. Benson and majority OF crew
saved. Several missing"
The Alaunla was one of the newest OF
the Cunard ships Of the second class.
She was built only three years ago for
the Canadian trade and measured Ia
900 tons gross. She was the seventh
vessel owned or chartered by the Cunard
Line sunk since the beginning cf the
war. The others are the l.usitania,
Frarconia. Pennsylvania. Quebra, st.
Cecilia and Dunsley.
How the Alaunia came to strike the
mine has not been announced. 1t was
supposed that after her arrival at Fall
mouth n the discharge OF her pas
she had eluded peril.
Blame for Disaster UnAxed.
II Il. not known whether an English
mine may have got loose and bumped
into her or whether her pilot was un-
! familiar with the safe route trough the
Channel and may have stecred her into
al English mine field.
In the Alaunia's cargo were 116, 900
bushels Of wheat. 1900 sacks of flour.
56l cases OF rubber goods. l.3+7 packages
Of zinc oxide. thorium nitrate. 556
bundles OF steel. <?4 barrels OF lubricat-
ing oil. ~ cases OF drop forgings. one
automobile. five cases Of motor car parts.
..- - .l.,, rlaal caAla M hAr.
rels of phosphate ammonI1 n a large
quantity Of copper. There was no Gov
ernment cargo in the lot.
She carried a crew Of $50. and among
her officers were CHIEF Engineer A.
Howatt. Surgeon W. Stuart-Snell. Chief
Steward Thomas Dickinson, chief Of
fcer X. Nicholas. Purser W. VI. Rams
den and Assistant Purser e. Hallam.
4. y. Navy OMcinIs Nystined.
WAsurxoroS oct. lo.-Charts COM
piled by the navy photographic ONCE
from announcements OF the British Ad-
miralty showing the latest mined areas
reveal q numbe OF extensive fields where
mines have been sown leaving only a
tortuous channel. the curse OF which
10 known only to Admiralty officers.
from Falmouth TO London. Warnings
Of these areas have been given 10 a
iners, advising them TO obtain special
pilots from the Admiralty service TO in
sure safe navigation.
With these precautions to safeguard
shipping navy officials here find II dim
cult to understand how the Alaunia
could nave been sunk except by a mine
which had broken from anchorage or
one dropped by an enemy mine layer.
The United States and Great Britain
perfected an agreement at the beginning
~ the wal whereby the areas OF mine
fields would be TO mariners
and other precautions taken TO protect
shipping. In order TO Keep the channels
open 10 navigation Admiralty vessels
constantly are employed In sweeping OPP
e~rations both along the coasts and at
the entrance OF commercial ports.