LINER WRECKED

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 November 1928, Page 7

LINER WRECKED

RUSH TO THE RESCUE 360 LIVES AT STAKE 1 (Australian Press Association.) (By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Recd. Nov. 13, 11 a.m.) NEW YORK, November 12. The Lamport Holt liner Vestris is sinking 300 miles off Hampton Roads. The passengers, numbering 150 and the crew, 210, abandoned the ship at 1.25 p.m. on Monday. The first assistance is expected at 5 p.m. The sea is rough. Among the passengers is W. W. Davies, formerly American correspondent for the Australian Press Association, now representative on “Lanacion,” Buenos Aires. Within a few minutes after the first distress call was received, there began a dramatic race to reach the stricken ship. Seven vessels were speeding towards the spot within an hour, including the United States warship Wyoming. The coastguard destroyer Davis was nearest to the serine, but was almost a hundred miles away at one o’clock, and with fires under forced draught cojuld not arrive for three hours at the earliest, and probably later. No other vessel could possibly reach the spot before five or six o’clock, indicating that the passengers and crew must occupy the ship in what the messages describe as a “moderately rough sea,” several hours before hope of rescue. LATER. Advices indicate that the Japanese steamship Ohio Marut is nearer than the destroyer Davis, and is likely to reach the vicinity by four o’clock. It' also transpires that the Vestris gradually settled over to starboard until the angle was so great it was only with difficulty that the passengers mustered on deck and in cabins, wearing life preservers, could maintain a footing.

WIRELESS MESSAGES. FRANTIC APPEALS FOR HELP. ’ (Recd. Nov. 13, 11.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, November 12. The wireless operator on the Vestris sent an S.O.S. shortly after ten o’clock this morning, and continued frantic appeals for help for over three hours. The last message received was at 1.35 bearing Captain Carey’s signature, and read: <f We are now abandoning the ship. We are taking to the lifeboats. Further word stated that the passengers were first sent to the lifeboats, while the captain and a skeleton, crew remained aboard the vessel until all hope was abandoned. A series of messages throughout the morning intimated that the wireless operator was holding to his post, despite the fact that towards the end the vessel was likely to sink at any minute, but no word has been received as to the cause of the disaster. ’, The vessel is bound to Buenos Aires from New York.

THE CARGO SHIFTS. (Received November 13, Noon). NEW YORK, November 12. Information received at the coastguard headquarters, indicates that the accident to the Vestris was probably caused by the cargo shifting. Major Inouye, Japanese Consul at Buenos Aires, was among the passengers. The abandonment of the vessel began at 12.50, and lasted thirty-five minutes, with seas running high as the small boats put out. The captain notified the destroyer Davis that just prior to leaving, the seas were washing over the decks. • SHIP-ABANDONED. NEW YORK, November 12. The last message received from the Vestris was at 1.25 p.m., when the operator announced he was joining the passengers and crew who were already in the boats. Previous messages told of the great danger. The ship was lying on its side, .with the decks awash as the passengers left. Nothing was said indicating the cause of the disaster. Apparently, there has been no collision. The theory that the trouble is due to shifting cargo is supported by the fact that the week-end storm would cause considerable tOSSing. , " Reports indicate that the conditions are serious. Rescue steamers are delayed by rough water. The Weather Bureau reports that it is not stormy to-day, but it is believed the waves are running high from the severe blow on Sunday. It is feared that small boats will be scattered by the time the rescue steamers arrive, and with darkness approaching, the outlook is not pleasant. A dozen steamers and numerous Government craft are racing to the scene.

A RUSSIAN CALAMITY. BUCHAREST, November 12. The Soviet steamer Kornoemore sprang a leak in the Black Sea and sank. Forty were drowned. Only one lifeboat was launched.