RACE WITH DEATH

Grey River Argus, 23 April 1925, Page 5

RACE WITH DEATH

ALL HANDS LOST JAP SHIP SINKS. .Received April 22 at 8.50 p.m.) VANCOUVER, April 21. The Raifuku Maru foundered off Halifax. An '’S.O.S.” called the Homeric, which witnessed the vessel sink inc from n distance. She reached the spot too late to save the whole crew. Forty-eight. out of sixty were lost. SI AV YORK, April 21. The toll of life through the sinking of the Japanese cargo steamer Raifuku Marti in the North Atlantic, 180 miles south and west of Sable Island, is the entire crew, consisting of JB. Two rescue ships were unable to render nmy aid owing to raging sen. A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY. (,Bun Caluej. NEW YORK, April 21. Ari amazing race with death was 10l lowed by a dozen wireless stations, whle the Japanese steamer, Raifuku Maru was en route from Philodelplua io Liverpool. Sho was laden with grain, and hen CARGO SHIFTED. lhe vessel listed thirty degress. All the lifeboats were smashed in a terrible storm, which swept the ship with blinding snow for two days. ’Now in great danger! Come quickly!" called the Japanese wireless operator, in describing their situation. The first signals had heardly ended, before the American liner Homeric, bound from New York to Europe, reported herself -oventy miles from the helpless yes s«*l. THREE HOURS APPEALING. For the next three hours, the Japanese sent stirring messages as to how the waves were washing right over the sinking ship, which was expected to founder any minute. Then he reported that smoke, was seen. THEY PREPARE lOR WORSE. The Homeric was sighted at noon, and the Japanese wirelessed: —“We cannot hold up more than five min- . utes. Our decks are awash. The men are getting lifebelts. They will cling to the wreckage when the ship sinks." Excitement ran high aboard the TT<»meric, the passengers lining the nuts, watching the. last throes of ili ( - FLiifuku through their glasses. proaching. NO HOPE. The master of the Homeric wirelessed at noon:—“Sighted steamer at 10.45. We were within three miles when sho disappeared. \Vv searched the scene carefully, but there were heavy seas and a high wind. Regret unable to save any lives. The steamer wirelessed; We arrived only in time to sec her sink. All hands were lost. Rescue was impossible in the heavy seas.