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- - I lDEADLY FOES. -

■— ■ —I TAUBE'S FUTILE RAID.…

.DERIDING THE KING'S UNIFORM.…

SOLDIER SHOT AT CHEUSFORB.I

PRIZE FOR THORDIS. I

COLD BEPLAGED BY PEAS. I

DUTCH STEAMER MINED. I

" ILADY ST. DAVID'S 1

RUMANIA DEFIES GERMANY.

MEDAL FOR PLUCKY ENGINEER.…

-SHIPS SUNK WITHOUT WARNING.…

INDEMNITY BILL PASSED.

FATAL CRUISER COLLISION.

STRASBURC'S RACE FOR SAFETY.…

- - - - - - - -UNDER FALS1…

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UNDER FALS1 FLAG. Evidence at the Inquest FALABA S CHIEF OFFICER S STORY. I I Steam Drifter's Effort to Ram Submarine. (By Our Own Reporter.) At the inquest at Milford to-day on the bodies of eight people drowned by the sinking of the Falaba on Sunday, a ver- dict of death due to exposure following the sinking of the vessel by a German submarine was returned. The inquest on eight victims of the Falaba tragedy was conducted by the Pembrokshire Coroner, Mr. H. G. Price, at the County Sessions House, Milford Haven to-day. So far only eight bodies have been re- covered, among them being that of a male passenger, about 27 years 01 age, which up to this morning remained unidentified. Those upon whom inquests were held were Captain Frederick J. Davies, Thomas Evans, J. Dawson, Leslie Blakony, Walter Ernest Wallace, Frank Ellison, John I Meyer and another. Mr. W. H. Bryant, solicitor, Pembroke, represented the Admiralty, and Mr. R T.' P. Williams, Haverfordwest., was for the I owners of the Falaba, and Lieut. Cres- pigW» who is in charge of the mine- sweepers at Milford, and Chief Inspector Morgan were also present on behalf of the Admiralty. The Coroner, in opening, stated that the Falaba lesft Liverpool on Saturday after- noon for West Africa. All seemed to have gone well until about mid-day on Sunday, when what ultimately proved to be a Ger- mau submarine was sighted somewhere about 55 miles south-west of the Smalls. Some sort of a warning was apparently givej), but before the pople were able to get clear of the ship a torpedo was fired, with the result that these eight people, and a good many others, lost their lives. After hearing the evidence he did not think the jury would have any difficulty in arriving at the cause of their deaths. Owners' Sympathy. I Mr. R. T. P. Williams, on behalf of Messrs. Elder Dempster and Co., ex- pressed deep sympathy with the families of those who had lost their lives, and with the survivors, who must have gone through a trying and distressing time. On behalf of the Admiralty, Mr. Bryant said he wished to associate himself with the statements, and express the Admi- ralty's deep sympathy in the case. I Chief Officer's Story. Captain Walter Cameron Baxter, chief officer of the Falaba, gave a graphic narra- tive in the course of his evidence. He said the ship left Liverpool on Satur- day afternoon for the West Coast of Africa. She was a ship of 3,011 tons regis- ter. The crew was roughly 100, and there were 150 passengers. The cargo was a general one, consisting chiefly of Govern- ment stores. All went well until 11.40 on Sunday. About that time witness and the third officer were on watch. His colleague first sighted the submarine three miles away, two points above the starboard beam. She was flying a flag which we ob- served to be the white ensign, but she afterwards hauled it down. The captain put on full speed ahead and altered his course. At the skime time the crew were ordered to stand by the boats. The sub- marine was 4holit a quarter of an hour overhauling us. She was a boat of 16 to IS knots, and we were only 13 knots. When we became suspicious of the nationality of the craft our wireless operator sent out a message that a submarine flying the white ensign was following the ship. We were at this point 40 to 50 miles south-west of the Smalls. We stopped immediately, and made to aba-ndcn the ship, and it was now that the submarine hoisted the German Hag. Stop and abandon ship was her signal. We were quite close to her at tbis time." The Coroner: Did you obey the signal ? —No, not for a time. The Coroner: Then she put up another signal Stop or I will fire into "ou H:- Yes. Witness added: "The captain a.sked for my advice, and I sa.id, Y CR, eing there are many passengers on board. We stand no chance." Then the liner was stopped. We got out all the boats." continued witn, and the submarine did not speak to us afterwards. Five boats were ent out before we were torpedoed, each of whieh was capable of holding 50 or GO passengers. The first boat capsized, and two otbeT boah, were got away with all possible speed. Everything that would float was thrown overboard." No Warning Given. I Witness was at this point questioned by the Coroner as to the circumstances of the sinking of the first lifeboat, and was understood to reply it was caused by some passengers jumping into it. The sub- marine, he continued, steamed from the port to the starboard quarter, and getting into position fired the torpedo. The Coroner: Did she give you any warn- ing that she was about to torpedo you? Witness: None whatever. After the ship was actually torpedoed there were four boats which did Dot gpt away. The Coroner- 1 suppose the submarine oould see them herself? Witnefw: I could iii)f. r. There was no number en the submarine, which could hardly be detected as she was similar in colour to the water. Beyond these two signals, "Ahandon ship Hand" Stol-) 01 I fire," did you re- ceive any coiiiiii uriicatiort'N, one. The chief officer, continuing, said the crewr ot the submarine came up on deck, and many of theiii were dressed in khaki. They made no attempt at rescue. The first: lifeboat passed quite close to them. The submarine went a.way almost at once. Witness was supervising the launching of the boats. I was putting the last forty persons into a boat," he said, when the explosion of the torpedo blew us to pieces. I remained on board until the liner sank ten minutes after she was torpedoed." r Captain's Last Act. I Ihe Coroner: When did you last see the captain?—He brought a ladv along to me and said she was the last lady, and asked me to put her in the gig. I never saw him after that. Where did the torpedo strike the ship? Right opposite the wireless room. j J Was there an explosion?—Yes. a terrible l explosion? Witness stated that he was in the water for about two hours before being picked up. Most of the crew were Englishmen. The Coroner: flow long from the time you stopped the ship did they firer-About; live minutes. Replying to Mr. Bryant, witness said that the submarine was about 150 yards away from the laluba when she fired. I suppose it was quite clear to the sub- marine that all the passengers and crew had not left? Witness added that it was rather choppy, but the weather was very clear. Passengers Killed. Did the torpedo actuallv kill some of the passengers?—I should think it did. Had the submarine any guns? They had two on deck, one forward and one aft. Can you say what colour was the sub- marine.-—It. was about the same colour as the water. Itvery hard 10 identify her? Did she submerge after she fired?—I was too bilsy to notice, but I think she did. Were the guns manned?—There were (about. 14 men on deck altogether. There wore none -at the guns when thev came up. Coroner: Are yoti sure that these men on the submarine were in khaki, and not in yellow oilskins ?-They were not in yellow oilskins. i Sergeant Ireharne produced a letter on the body of J. Dawson, pointing to his identity. On the body of Corpl. Wallace wa.s also found a document proving to his identity. On the other unidentified man was £,10 in gold, a gold pin of a horse-shoe shape, a silver match-box, and a small silk lianderchiei. Witness added that he took some of the passengers and crew to have a look at him. but thev failed to identify him. Chased the Pirate. (.aptain George Wright, of the Lowestoft steam drifter Eileen Emma, who Went to the rescue of the passengers and crew, said when he first sighted the Falaba and the submarine they were ¡¡Í.'t or seven miles apart. Coroner: "i ou must have seen the 611 b- marine before the Falaba. saw her?—Yes, I saw the ~ubmarin > sonip time before that. I s a-i t. e cotnung tower of the snh- I marine half a mile a head of IlS. and we chased her. She wa: then going in a south-easterly direction. Sank in Ten Minutes. When the submarine torpedoed the ¡ Falaba, Captain Wright continued, the Eileen Emma wa-s 3(11) yards away, and the steamer 6an i about ten miI\Uk.'S'1 A,? soon &s she nred the torped) the gu!?- marine proceeded to the south-east. She remained near the scene until the Falaba sank, and then raced south-west. Did yoi go up to the steamer?— Y es, and picked up as many people as we could. How many did you pick up?—About 50 out of the water, and we took up the rest from the boate, including the cap- tain. Out of these, six others died on board the Eileen Emma. Witness added there was a choppy sea but at the spot the, water was pretty smooth, as there was oil over it. Replying to Mr. Bryant, witness said! that the disaster happened about ouei o clock. He noticed that the submarine flew flags, but he could not ascertain them. Mr. Bryant: Did the (submarine make any effort at all to rescue any of the pas. sengers?—N o, sir Witness added that the submarine carried gUM, but they were not manned About, an hour after the disaster four other drifters arrive], the Whenlock, George baker, Orient H., and Emulate. and Eni'llitte. Replyng to a juryman, witness said they did not see. any Government patrol boats. He came up to the destroyers ¡ about 3f miles away. Heard Reports. I ( Dennis Randal.son, skipper of the When lock t said that they thought they heard reports, and after coming on deck isaw the steamer about six or seven miles away. They went towards her. When within half a mite of her they saw the small boatB. They picked up eight persons, two of whom died afterv arda. (Continued on page Five).

I BATTLE ON THE ICE

-'-.._-,-.--,-I COMEDIENNE'S…

tyilSSSKG UNICti SOLDIERS.I

HEATH MAYOR At-,10 COUNTY…

BOMBS ? BRITISH WARSHIP. I…

KAISER'S COUSINS REGAIN HEALTH.…

WOMEN TRAMWAY CONDUCTORS.…

GERMAN RAILWAY WRECKERS.I

VENEZELOS AND NEUTRALITY.I

LONG STRUGGLE. I

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