RESCUE IN MID-OCEAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17145, 26 April 1919, Page 10

RESCUE IN MID-OCEAN.

I^—-, —. ' DOOMED STEAMER'S CREW. The steamer Dongarra, which' arrived at Sydney, from New York, via Panama, recently, was instrumental in saving the lives of the who!© crew of an American steamer in the Atlantic while on her way ; to New York to load for Australia. On the voyage from the Azores to New York, tho Dongarra experienced heavy I weather, soda high sea was still running on February if, when a rrireless call for help was picked up. The S.O.S. message • came from the new American steamer Acomma. On arrival at the scene the Dongarra found that the American steamer, which was bound from New York to Brest, had been badly damaged by the heavy seas. Her rudder had been .carried away, arid as it was then impossible to steer the vessel, she was at the mercy of the waves, which poured over her, flooding the engineroom and extinguishing tho fires. The water also found its way into the holds, and by the time the Dongarra hove in sight she had settled down in the water, and her decks wero awash. •• The captain and his wife, together with the whole of the members of the crew, numbering about 60 men, were all huddled up on the only dry portion of the vessel. On the approach of the Dongarra portion of the distressed crew took to their / own boats, and pulled across to the rescuing steamer. , They were taken on board the Dongarra, and members of the crew of the latter vessel returned to the sinking steamer in the same boats, and brought back the remainder. Everyone was safely transferred to the Dongarra, and the rescuers did not overlook a pet dog which was on board. The ■ Dongirra sent out wireless warnings to other vessels regarding the danger to navigation which the derelict represented. She then proceeded on her way to New York, where she landed the rescued captain and crew.