These pictures vividly depict the frantic haste in which rescue efforts had to be pushed when the British-India Line s. Sirdhana ran into a mine in Singapore Harbour on November 13.
Over 100 native passengers lost their lives as the ship sank rapidly after the explosions.
The picture (top left) shows how crowded the Uifeboats were while (top right) one Lifeboat is shown canted at a perilous angle on being dropped to the sea.
The picture (bottom left) shows a general se the boats, and (bottom right), the ery crowded boats pulling away.
A British officer's gallantry saved hundreds of deck passengers cooped behind the grilles which he shot open to free them.
Capt. J. W. M. Hipkin, the master, was subsequently found negligent and had his certificate suspended for failing to take proper note of directions given for traversing the harbour mine field.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.