A SINISTER COINCIDENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16566, 2 June 1914, Page 7

A SINISTER COINCIDENCE.

NEW ZEALANDER’S EXPERIENCE.

A message in the “ Lyttelton Times ” yosterday said:— “The Storstad’s sister ship, tho collier Helvetia, was sunk by tho Empress of Britain at the same spot on the St Lawrence in July, 1912.”

Mr E. Rooney, of Papanui, visited the office of the “Lyttelton Times ” yesterday afternoon and informed a reporter that lie was a passenger on tho Empress of Britain when she ran into the collier Helvetia. Tho Empress of Britain was steaming out lor Liverpool, and at 4.30 p.m. speed was slackened because of tho dense fog. A few minutes later there was a crash, and the vessel shook from end to encl. The crash caused a mild panic on board, but no ono was hurt. The collier seemed in a bad way, and without moving the Empress took her crow. This done, engines were reversed, and when the Empress drew back the collier sank like a stone. The liner returned to Quebec, where the damages were repaired.

W. R. BLOOMFIELD. [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, June 1

At the Supreme Court reference was made by Bench and bar to the death of Mr W. R. Bloomfield.

Mr Justice Cooper said that Mr Bloomfield, was a very old friend of his. Mr Bloomfield had earned the respect and affection of all with whom lie came in contact- He had the affection, goodwill and respect of all members of the community, had taken his share of public work, and was an experienced, useful and leading officer in the- Territorial forces. A PREvT6uS~ACCiDENT. EMPRESS OF IRELAND STRIKES A ROCK. [From Our Correspondent.] DUNEDIN, June 1. A Dunedin gentleman and his wife shared, with close on 1500 other passengers, a memorable experience on the s.s. Empress of Ireland early in October, 1900, when crossing from Liverpool to Quebec. “ When we were rounding B'ather Point.” the gentleman says, “ the splendid vessel struck a rock and ripped her bottom on the port side. She immediately heeled over to a dangerous degree. Signals went up for assistance from Rimouski, and soon the Customs boat and another vessel arrived on the scene. We were all instructed to prepare our luggage for going ashore, hut the order was countermanded a little later, as it was thought that the ship could make Quebec without danger. We stayed all night on board and got into port the following day. The accident happened about 2.30 p.m. on a beautiful sunny day. Going up the river the coast is flat, with little rocky headlands running out. The locality is recognised as being dangerous. On the occasion to which I refer the skipper (not the last captain of the vessel),' it was stated, went too close in shore. Temporary repairs were effected at Halifax and complete repairs at Liverpool.”

£ METHODISTS’ . SYMPATHY. At the Christchurch Methodist Ministers’ Association yesterday morning, 23 members being present, the following resolutions were sympathetically carried:— “ That this meeting of the Christchurch Methodist Ministers’ Association expresses its deep regret at the news of the loss of life involved in the wreck of the s.s. Empress of Ireland in the Gulf of St Lawrence, and hereby commends to God’s sustaining grace all those to whom this wreck has brought a sore bereavement.” “ That this meeting has heard with great sorrow of the terrible loss of life involved in the wreck of the s.s. Empress of Ireland on the St Lawrence, including a number of Canadian' Salvationists. This meeting expresses its deep sympathy with the local members of the Salvation Army on the loss of their comrades, and prays that the bereavement may be sanctified by the consolations of the Holy Spirit to the wider extension of the Kingdom of Christ.”

s.o.s. RESCUES AND WIRELESS. THE CALL TO ALL NATIONS. Wireless telegraphy has a glorious record of lives saved during the few brief years in which it has been used at sea. A stricken ship can send _out a call which spreads in all directions and every vessel within hearing distance and carrying wireless apparatus is instantly summoned to her aid. Only a few years ago a vessel might meet with disaster, and others, utterly ignorant of any mishap, might pass within a few miles. _ But now the occurrence of the marine disaster results very differently. Every ship within wireless hail turns towards the scene of the catastrophe; and already the popular mind has accustomed itself to the picture of a fleet of vessels .succouring their unfortunate sister. That was actually the case when, on October 10c 1913, the big liner Yolturno called for aid. She was burning in mid-Atlantic; and her chattering cry of “5.0.5.” startling the ears of listening operators, brought ten ships at full speed to her aid. Three _ dots, three dashes, three dots—that is the “Morse” for 5.0.5., and tho most potent combination of sounds to the marine _ telegraphist. To all nations it sounds alike. _ whether it is interpreted in the official word's, or in the more liberal “Save Our Souls,” whether the bearer is French, Russian, or Italian. The whole world knows the call, and many nations clustered round the Yolturno. Over five hundred lives wero saved by the wireless on that occasion. Rescues effected as the result of the wireless summons include tlie following :

1903—5.5. Kroonland, broke 'down in the Atlantic; saved all on board. 1909—5.5. Slavonia, stranded off the Azores; saved 410. 1909—5.5. Republic, collided- January 22 with s.s. Florida, 170 miles east of New York; s.s. Baltic rescued nearly all on board. 1911— S.S. Delhi, ashore off north coast of Africa; warships and other vessels rescued nearly all on board. 1912 S.S. Titanic, wrecked April 15, by striking an iceberg. Olympic Carpatliia and other _ vessels summoned. About 1500 lives were lost but 703 were rescued. 1912 S.S. Oravia, struck a rock off the Falkland Islands; saved all on board. 1913 S.S. Voltuvno, burned in midAtlantic, October 10; saved 521. In 1904 it was ordered that the letters C.Q.D., sent by the dot-and-dash code, should be the recognised appeal for help by a vessel in distress. Later, this was altered to 5.0.5., the signal now in use. These letters were selected simply on account of the ease with which they , can be sent and identified, even in the most exciting circumstances.

It is not always in fire or wi’eck that wireless proves its value. In April, 1910, the Allan liner Carthaginian, hound from Liverpool to St John’s, Newfoundland, was disabled at sea, owing to the fracturing of a piston-rod. By means of wireless telegraphy she was able to inform the Hesperian, of the same lino, of her mishap. Tlie Hesperian at once went to her assis

tance, and towed her, with eight hundred emigrants on board, to the Clyde. Before the days of wireless telegraphy thp Carthaginian would have drifted about in a hopeless condition until some ship had sighted her and towed her home at the cost of a heavy salvage. Every British, and nearly every foreign warship, now carries the wireless telegraph, and its uso in the mercantile marine is spreading very rapidly. Its uso in commerce is already enormous, and passengers at sea on big liners may ho kept supplied with the current news almost as if thev were ashore. But it is for safety’s sake that merchant ships have adopted the wonderful invention, and it is in times of disaster that its real value becomes apparent.