The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-02-28
Empress of Fort William. Res
cue Ship Meets Similar Fate
and Sinks Quickly
al BODIES ARE WASHED
ASHORE BY MIDNIGHT
Explosion of Fast P. and O.
Lin er Sha kes Town
India High Cou,ts Justice
Among Passengers

t.ondcn, Feb. 27.--TIs, Pcnir-
sular and Oriental liner Maloia.
ono of the largest and finest of the
Far last service, struck a mine or
was tropedced in the struts OF
Dover at il;3D O'Clock this n:orn-
ing ana sank within ten minutes.
1t is known that i47 persons were
He'd or drowned of whom II.
were LasCar members of the
crew.
Nearby the Maloja at the time
OF the accident was the steamship
Impress Of Fort William. She
hurried to tho assistance of the
stricken Naloja, met u similar fate
and sank i'm half an hour
IL was day OF casualties mt
sta. Three other steamships were
lost, making a total of FIVE.
The British mail steamer Neck
lcnburg, of the iceland Line.
struck : mine on voyage from
Tilbury to- Flushing and went TO
tho bottom
Officials of the ilnc say that
tho passengers and crew were
saved.
Tho steamship Bright. accord
ing tn Official reports has been =
stink. The same report says that
seventeen survivors have been
landed. but fails to mention the
fate of the others,
The British steamship Sueyicr,
from New York to Hnvre. has
been abandoned at sea. The MEM
hers of the crew arc reported to
have been taken of by another
steamship.
BY far the most serious was this
double disaster which befeli the Ma
LOLA and the Empress of Fort VIII
liam. The Maloja was on her way
from London to Bombay. She had
aboard approximately $50 passengers
and IA crew OF 200, mostly I4ascars
In the first cabin were twenty six
men. twenty-three women and seven
Among the passengers WIS
Justice OIdheld of the India High
Courts. His fate Is unknown.
No Amcricnns Known On Board
So far as known there were nc
on board.
Up to midnight the bodies recov-
cred include eighteen men, eleven wo-
men and four children. This wouif
indicate that the casualties among the
was large. In addition
found Among the dead is Mrs. Nc
Leod, wife of General Mcleod.
The MaIoja vas two miles off Dover
MS morning, steaming through a rough
sea, when. without warning, there wa.
a terrific explosion. 1t was so violent
hat houses along the water front OF
Dover We're shaken and hundreds oi
windows broken. A great part OF the
stern OF the ship was torn away. She
was flooded instantly and began Il
sink.
Before the Maloja sank she turned
over. and for a second OF
two her keel was visible. Then q
second explosion. probably from hel
boilers, occurred while the vessel wa.
under water. and she righted herself
her masts became visible for an in.
slant. and she went to the bottom.
Captain Irving was on the bridge nj
the moment the first explosion &C.
CURED. He directed the lowering oil
the boats and called on everyone to
keep calm.
The best OF order prevailed. An
ticipating an accident. the boats had
already been swung out. So badly did
the stricken liner list. however, thai
few Of them could be launched, and
In addition. the heavy sea made this
work of rescue difficult.
The scene on deck was not a pleas
ant one. Many of the passengers. in.
Guiding several children. had beer
blown to pieces by the explosion
There was no sign OF a panic, how.
ever. The Lascar crew behaved mag.
The majority Of the people saved
were on the RATS which the ship car
ried.
The Empress Of Fort william. out
ward bound from Montreal to th(
Clyde, was within three miles Of thu
Majola when the accident occurred Il
the latter. Before she could reach
the liner the Maioja had gone down.
Speeding Rescue Ship Victim.
The Empress, bent upon rescuin1
the survivors. struck a mine or wal
within a short distance o!
the spot where the Maloja went down
Meantime small boats had put ct,
from Dover From the two steamers
more than 400 persons were either
dead or struggling in the water. JUS
Row many of them were saved II u
to tell. An official state.
ment tonight. however. declares tina,
a majority were rescued.
Captain w. d. Shepherd, Of the EN-.
press. on landing AT Deal. tonight, told
The following story.
I'VE were proceeding to, Dover. TIL
timer, owing to her superior speed. has
the Empress. and sCunz ~
we'll ahead. When we were reachin1
Dover, saw the liner head tor IN
harbor gates. Hhe was weif doNn N
the stern. and ! could - that 0oe'
4 y