Dramatic Story By The Captain

Captain Charles Edward Irving. "I was the captain of the “Maloja.” She belonged to the P. and O. Company. They left Gravesend at three o’clock on Saturday. We received our instructions, and followed them exactly. We passed Dover at 10.15. About ten minutes later, when to the west of Dover, there was a tremendous explosion in the aft end of the ship. I was looking ahead and the Chief Officer happened to be looking aft and he said “A mine!” I looked aft and saw boats and davits going up in the air. The poop was blown up. I ordered the engines to be stopped, the hands piped to stations and I then ordered the engines to be reversed to stop the “way” of the ship to enable the boats to be lowered. Everybody in the ship was at their stations within one minute of the signal being sounded. I may tell you before the explosion at six o’clock in the morning all the boats were put out and made ready for immediate use with provisions. There were eighteen boats on the davit. There were eighteen boats on the boat-decks with all their lashings taken off, and all ready to float in the event of the ship being sunk.

Before the ship arrived in the Downs there was ample boat accommodation for some 1,200 people. The total number of lives on board were 441 as near as I could estimate. In addition to having the boats ready, I had all the main scuttles closed with their dead lights (a steel plate) and all water tight doors closed on the main deck. In fact, every possible precaution was taken after receiving the Admiralty instructions to enter the channel.

After the people went to their stations the ship started to list slightly. At first all the passengers were in the boats and the men ready to lower away immediately the ship stopped. I had put the helm hard a port to head inshore. When I considered that the ship was losing headway. I rang the telegraph to stop the engines, and was standing by to give the order to lower away the boats but the ship to my dismay, only stopped what appears to be a few seconds and then rapidly began to pick up sternway. I at once went round to the telegraph and rang it to stop but the dial indicator in the engine room showed the ship going full speed astern. I saw that the crew were anxious to lower away the boats, and I gave the order on the port side not to lower the boats as the ship had too much sternway on her. At this time the ship was listing heavily. I went to the engine room telephone, I could get no reply, I then dispatched three members of the crew to go as quickly as possible to the engine room to tell them to stop engines, at the same time telling the Chief Officer that I could not get the engines to stop. He went with all haste to the engine room to endeavour to have this carried out, but came back and reported to me that the engine room was filling with water, I then saw that it was more or less a forlorn hope of getting the boats away as the ship has eight or nine knots of sternway on her.

Whilst this was going on the ship was listing about 60-70 degrees. I then told the officers to do the best to get the boats away and man the rafts, which they were already doing. I should like to add that before overnight all the passengers were practiced by myself and staff in the use of lifebelts. Every passenger in the ship was told wherever they went in the ship – their meals, their cabin or on deck – that they were to carry a lifebelt with them, however inconvenient it was and that at the time of the disaster, I think I’m right in saying that everyone on the ship had a lifebelt on. I attribute to these precautions the fact of so many lives being saved under the most awkward conditions. Continuing his story, witness said; at this stage it was a case of everyone saving himself. Everybody appeared to me to be assisting each other, and from the time that the explosion took place, till I landed at Dover I never heard a shriek from children or women, firemen or Lascars or anybody. The officers got some of the boats away from the starboard side but I did not see this done owing to the list of the ship, as I was on the port side of the bridge. But, with the ship going astern it was a most marvelous thing they got boats away at all. By this time the ship was representing the picture that the “Daily Mail” produced of the sinking of the “Blutcher”. Her masts were horizontal with the water, and the crows-nest on the foremast was touching the water I saw those people who were not in boats or rafts jump into the water. I walked down the port side of the ship and also got into the water, there being nothing more to be done. The vessel sunk within five or six minutes after that. I was told the vessel was afloat for twenty-five minutes. I cannot vouch for the time as I did not see the clock. Everything possible was done to save life, every man was well drilled and at his post within one minute and everyone was calm. I think a great number of the lives of the natives were lost in the explosion itself as their quarters being aft. There were Lascars in the engine rooms and deck departments and about 65 native pursers."