ATLANTIC SHIPWRECK

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 December 1934, Page 7

ATLANTIC SHIPWRECK

CAPTAIN’S WIRELESS NARRATIVE [BY CABLE—PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] NEW YORK, December 15. Captain J. G. P. Bissett, the master of the liner Ascania, has wirelessed to the “New York Times” a detailed account of the foundering of the British ship “Unsworth.” The foundering occurred in the North Atlantic on Friday. Captain Bissett puts the correct loss of life at seventy-two persons. Those drowned included sailors from the Belgian steamer Jean Jadot. Nine of the Unsworth’s crew were saved. Two of these are aboard the Jean Jadot, bound for Antwerp, and the remainder are on the Ascania, en route for Halifax. Captain Bissett said that he picked up the “5.0.5.” of the Unsworth at midnight on Thursday. He then steamed one hundred miles, arriving on the scene at seven in the morning. There were mountainous seas. He found the Jean Jadot trying to make a contact with the Unsworth with life lines. The Ascania also made like efforts, up till noon, but found it impossible in the high seas, which continued. Streams of oil put out from the Jean Jadot failed to calm the water. A lifeboat from the Jean Jadot reached the Unsworth after a terrific struggle, and it removed fourteen men, but when it was attempting to return to the Jean Jadot, the lifeboat capsized, drowning fourteen, including, two of the lifeboat’s crew. At 1.30 on Friday afternoon, the Ascania’ launched a lifeboat, which picked up the remainder of the crew but three of the men fell into the ocean, and were drowned, through over-eagerness to board the lifeboat and get off the Unsworth. Captain Bissett praised the volunteers from the Belgian vessel, Jean Jadot, and of his own vessel, for making the perilous lifeboat attempts. He said that the Ascania left the scene at 3.30 in the afternoon, when the Unsworth was in a sinking condition.

FURTHER DETAILS. [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] RUGBY, December 15. Further details of the Usworth wreck state that the steering gear had broken in a violent gale, and she had been taken in tow by the Jean Jadot, but, on Wednesday night, the towrope parted. The Usworth rigged temporary steering-gear, and proceeded towards Queenstown under the Jean Jadot’s escort, but yesterday morning she sent out distress calls, and the Ascania came to her help. High seas were running, and when the Ascania arrived, the Usworth was awash, with a bad list. While the Ascania stood to windward, to provide shelter, the Belgians launched a lifeboat and took off several of the Usworth’s crew, but on the return journey, the lifeboat was swamped, and ten of the Usworth’s seamen and two of the would-be rescuers were drowned. The Ascania then launched a lifeboat, and succeeded in taking off the remaining 18 members of the Usworth’s crew.