London, Nov. 22.
HE Italian steamer Fianona, 6,660 tons, struck a mine ai the south-east coast of England last night.
The vessel was badly holed but was still afloat this morning. Tugs are trying to tow the steamer into port.
About thirteen British passengers on board were injured when the crack Japanese liner Terukuni Maru, belonging to the N.Y.K. was sunk after striking a mine off the east coast of England yesterday while bound from Japan to England. All the 208 persons on board, comprising 28 passengers and a crew of 180, were rescued. The ship remained afloat a long time after the explosion, which caused volumes of water to rise high into the air. This was plainly visible from shore, whence a lifeboat and other craft immediately put out to the rescue.
Japanese Embassy officials, on being informed of the mishap, immediately hurried to the scene.
Other vessels lost late yesterday included the British trawler Thomas Hankins, which was Sunk by a U-boat off north-west Ireland, and the Mastiff (520 tons), which struck a mine off the east coast. The crew of twelve of the Thomas Hankins were rescued by another trawler and landed after rowing for twelve hours in an open boat, but of the Mastiffs crew one died of injuries, five are missing, and three others are badly injured. The British trawler Delphine (250 tons) is reported to have been sunk today. The crew of thirteen men was rescued.
The opinion that it could not have been a surface mine that sank his ship, was expressed by Capt. Bunjiro Metukura, master of the Terukuni Maru, in a vivid description to Reuter today of how the 11,930-ton vessel met her end, The captain, whose home is in North China, said he had five special look-outs on duty.
'The liner, Captain Matukura stated, arrived in' the Downs on Sunday morning and, after having undergone contraband control, received her clearance papers of Monday ater-noon, when, she was given a special signal to fly at her masthead and was informed by the, British naval authorities that" the' "northbound route was now clear,"
'The captain' waited for daylight, and left the Downs at 830 o'clock in the morning. In following routine instructions, the ship struck a mine. The vessel shivered and jumped into the air, causing head injuries to several passengers and members of the crew.
Eight boats were immeüzately lowered, containing all the 208 persons on board, and these were towed to shore by several British mine-sweepers which rushed to the rescue Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.