From Little Asia arrived the tiding that the Turkish torpedo boat Seham sunk off the entrance of the harbour of Beirut caused by the exploding of her steam boiler with as result 23 killed. On 30 April reported this newspaper that the accident occurred while she was escorting another vessel with on board the governor of Tripoli. Her own crew was complete killed and on board of the vessel were several people (officials and notables) wounded, with as total casualties 27 dead and 10 wounded. The Vlissingse Courant dated 27 April reported that the accident happened while entering the harbour. The Goesche Courant dated 28 April reported that she was lying in the roads of Beirut when the boiler exploded and the boat sunk. Two officers, 8 petty officers and the main part of the sailors and some authorities who were on board were killed, totally 23 men.(1)
Note
1. According to Conway’s All the world’s fighting ships 1860-1905 of the steel hulled Wasir-class torpedo boats with a turtle deck shaped fore ship built at the Germania yard between 1887-1892. Her sister ships were the Wasir, Fatih, Nustret, Shehab, Tarik and Pervin. With a displacement of 81 tons were her dimensions 128 x 15’9”x 8’6”. The crew numbered 18 men and the armament consisted of 2x1-3,7cm guns and 2-14” torpedo tubes. The two shaft triple expansion engines provided 1,300 ihp allowing a speed of 23 knots.
