STEAMER WRECKED

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 55, 28 November 1929, Page 11

STEAMER WRECKED

DRIVEN ON ROCKS NEAR MILFORD HAVEN EIGHT LIVES LOST GALLANT RESCUES BY LIFEBOAT The steamer Molesey was driven on rocks near Milford Haven and wrecked with the loss of eight lives. A lifeboat reached the vessel at dawn, after a gallant struggle with terrific seas throughout the night, and rescued the survivors. (British Official Wireless,) Rugby, November 26. Storms at sea last night caused damage to shipping, and wireless listeners heard SOS broadcasts requesting ships in the vicinity to signal to the steamship Molesey, of 3800 tons, which was ashore and breaking up near Wooltack Point, outside Milford Haven. Efforts from the land to rescue the crew were unavailing, as the ship was just out of range of rockets. A lifeboat was launched at 8 o’clock yesterday evening, and struggled with terrific seas throughout the night, reaching the ship at dawn. Then only with great difficulty were the twentyeight survivors taken off. One had a fractured leg. Seven members of the crew and the wife of the chief officer lost their lives. Millions of listeners last night heard an appeal broadcast from the London wireless stations asking any ship in the vicinity of Wooltack Point to send if possible radio or visual signals to the Molesey, which was ashore and breaking up. It was, however, a lifeboat from the village of Angle, near Milford Haven, which eventually rescued those aboard.

Thrilling Story by Boatswain. The boatswain of the Molesey, named Ludgate, gave a thrilling account of the ship’s ordeal. He said that a gale was blowing as the ship rounded the Pembrokeshire coast and in the midst of it something seemed to go wrong with the steering gear. When the ship struck the rocks with terrific force two of the lifeboats were washed away. There was no shelter at all, and the waves came crashing down upon the vessel. Then the bridge was swept away by the pounding sea. Three of the men jumped overboard and tried to reach the shore, but the terrible waves were too much for them, and they were seen no more. The wireless operator and one of the mates were washed overboard some time afterwards. The vessel was sinking as the lifeboat approached. Among the rescued were two stowaways. They did not come out of their hiding-place until the vessel had struck the rocks. A small schooner was also wrecked near Milford Haven last night. The crew were saved. HEAVY SEAS DELAY RESCUE (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) London, November 26. At the height of yesterday’s gale the steamer Molesey, voyaging from Liverpool to Cardiff, sent out an SOS that she was being driven on to the rocks outside Milford Haven. She struck a few minutes later, and the wireless was rendered useless. Tremendous seas broke over the wreck all night long, preventing the rocket lines from carrying and lifeboats aiding until 8 o’clock in the morning, when 31, including Captain Huntley, two women and two stowaways, were rescued. The chief officer’s wife, the wireless operator, the third engineer, and five of the crew either died of exposure or were washed overboard. The steamer is a total wreck. WIRELESS OPERATOR’S DEVOTION TO DUTY WASHED OVERBOARD IN CABIN London, November 26. The Molesey’s survivors told an epic story of the devotion to duty of the wireless officer, E. King, who sent out appeals for assistance as the steamer was driven towards the shore. Mountainous seas swept the vessel as she struck, and the wireless cabin on the top deck rocked and started splitting. King continued calmly sending out messages and was actually appealing again for help when a huge wave swept the cabin overboard with King inside. The chief officer’s wife, Mrs. Stock, was washed overboard soon afterwards. The crew heroically refused to leave their posts, and the survivors waited for eighteen hours, expecting the vessel to break up at any moment.