SCHOONER'S DISTRESS

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 213, 9 September 1935, Page 7

SCHOONER'S DISTRESS

Seth Parker's Plight South of Honolulu. CREW WITHOUT FOOD. HONOLULU, September 8. The schooner Seth Parker is in distress 050 miles south-east of Honolulu, and sent a radio message at 9 p.m. that water was three feet deep in the hold. The electric pump had stopped and the water was rising. This report was received from the Hawaiian tunapackers, who are her new owners. Earlier the master, Captain Frank Eckman, had sent a radio message stating that the crew of 15 was without food, and the coastguard vessel Tiger sailed with a two weeks' supply. She was expected to reach the Seth Parker in three days and the two vessels would then proceed toward Honolulu. The Seth Parker, it will be recalled, was the schooner which occasioned delay to H.M.A.S. Australia, with the Duke of Gloucester on board, returning to England after his tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Western Samoa, for a whole week. Her owner, Phillips Lord, popular American radio entertainer, known as Seth Parker, radioed on February 9 that the vessel was sinking south of the Cook Islands group, and the Australia immediately steamed to her assistance. When the Australia had arrived, she was informed that assistance was not required, and the cruiser resumed her course, only to turn back upon reception of a second message requesting urgent help. She took off nine of the schooner's crew, and etood by until a United States naval tug arrived from American Samoa. The Australia arrived at Colon, Panama Canal, with no food reserves in stock. Thrilling details of the schooner's plight and of the "big grey battleship looming through the murky stormdrifts." were radioed to i American stations by the Seth Parker.