LINER SINKING.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10743, 14 November 1928, Page 5

LINER SINKING.

THREE HUNDRED MILES FROM ! SHORE. SHIP ABANDONED IN ROUGH SEA. . ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY PASSENGERS AND 210 CREW, DRAMATIC RACE TO RESCUE. ■SEVEN--VESSELS- • SPEEDING-TO - SCENE. • United Press Assn, by El. Tel. OopyxJgh) (Australian Press Assn.J NEW YORK, No*. 12.

The Lamport Holt liner Vestris is sinking 300 miles off " Hampton Roads. Passengers numbering 150, and a crew of 210 abandoned the ship at 1.25 p.m, on Monday. Tho first assistance is expected at 5 p.m. The sea is rough,. Among tho passengers is. Mr. W. W. Davies, formerly American correspondent to the Australian Press Association, and now a representative of L’Anacion, Buenos Aires. Within a few minutes after the first distress call was received there a dramatic race to reach the stricken ship. Seven vessels were speeding towards the spot within an hour, including tho United States warship, Wyoming. . A coastguard destroyer, the Davis, was nearest the scene, but was almost 100 miles away at 1 o’clock, and with fires under forced draught could not arrive for three hours at the earliest, and probably later. No other vessel would possibly reach the spot before 5 or 6 o’clock, indicating that the passengers arid crew must occupy the ship in what messages describe a a “a moderately rough sea” for several hours before there is hope of rescue. Later advices, however, indicate that the Japanese steamship, Ohio Maru, is nearer than the destroyer Davis, and is likely to reach the vicinity by 4 o’clock. It also transpires that the Vestris has gradually settled over to starboard until tho angle is so great that it was only with difficulty that the passengers, mustered on the deck and in the cabins, wearing life preservers, could maintain a, footing. Information received at coastguard headquarters indicates that the accident 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 p.m., and lasted for 35 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. FRANTIC APPEALS FDR HELP.

The wireless operator of the Vestris sent an S.ChS. shortly after 10 o’clock in the morning, and continued frantic appeals for help for over three hours. The last message, received at 1.35 p.m., bearing Captain Carey’s signature, read: “We are now abandoning the ship. We are taking to the lifeboats.” . Further word stated that the passengers were firlt 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 his post, despite the fact that towards the end the vessel was likely to sink at any minute, but no word has yet been received as to the cause of "the disaster. Tlie vessel was bound for Buenos Aires from New York. RESCUE STEAMER DELAYED BY ROUGH WEATHER BOATS MAY BE DIVIDED IN DARKNESS United Press Assn, by El. Tel. CopyriErbi <-l.urtralia.n Press Association.) NEW YORK. Nov. 12The last message was received from the Vestris 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 great danger, the ship lying on its side with the deck awash as the passengers left. Nothing was said indicating the cause of the disaster. Apparently there had been no collision. •-*!•*The-.,theory-?.thaU the due to the cargo shifting is supported by the fact that the. week-end storm would have caused considerable tossing. . Reports indicate that the conditions are serious as rescue steamers are delayed by rough weather. The coastguard destroyer Davis is expected to be the first to reach the scene, at about 5 p.m. The Weather Bureau reports that it is not stormy to-day, but it is believed hat the waves are running high from the severe blow on Sunday. It is feared that the 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.

UNCONFIRMED REPORT OF RESCUE. MESSAGE RECEIVED WITH RESERVE SCHOONER REPORTED TO HAVE ALSO FOUNDERED. (TnltoU Pros a Assn, by EJ. Tel. Copyright (Australian Press Assn) (Received Nov. 13, 0.0 p.m.) NEW YORK, Nov. 12. The New York police headquarters have reported that- they have received a radio advising that the Ohio Maru arrived at the position, but found no trace of the Yestris dr survivors. The steamer Porto Rico reported to the Radio Marine Corporation that it arrived at the position Where ■ dho Vestric foundered, but could locate neither the hulk nor the lifeboats. Soon after the Lamport Holt Company announced that an unconfirmed message stated that the Ohio Maru rescued all the passengers and crew, but the message is received with reserve due to the extreme difficulty of rescuing the passengers in a rough sea. The message stated it was also reported that the schooner Jacob Hook foundered East of Cape Hatteras with a loss of eighteen men.

NO TRACE OF PASSENGERS OR CREW. HEAVY, RAINY WEATHER. Dnlted Press Assn, by El. TeJ. Copyright •Australian Press Association.) (Received Nov. 13, 7.20 p.in.i NEW YORK', Nov. 12. Further messages received directly from the Ohio Maru and the Portorico indicate that the vessels had been searching vainly for some time, finding no trace of survivors in the heavy, rainy weather. . The ships advised that 'they will continue the search, but earlier reports are now given slight credence. It is interesting to note that the sole Australian passenger, Mr. Davies, nearly- decided nor to;Lake tlie .ship when the vessel sailed on Saturday.In view of Mr. Hoover’s trip to South America on November 19,-.Mr. W. W Davies was on the- point of cancelling his passage on the Vestris in ordor to accompany the presidentelect ak journalist, but, due to the ' (Contd. at Foot of Next Column.)