RESCUE AT SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18296, 12 January 1923, Page 7

RESCUE AT SEA.

ITALIAN CREW SAVED; CARGO OF GRAIN SHIFTS. FINE- BRITISH SEAMANSHIP. When the White Star liner Pittsburgh, . which was making her initial run on the new service inaugurated between Bremen and Philadelphia, called at Southampton recently she had on board forty-five members of the crew, of the Italian steamer Monte Grappa, which. Bank in the Atlantic. These men, who were saved by the pluck and bravery of the Pittsburgh's officers and boat crews, who put out in a heavy sea, were extremely : grateful for the many kindnesses they received and had told their story to Mr. J. W. Hagen, the Pittsburgh's purser, who in a statement made passed on the narrative of the rescue. ".;'■.. Mr. Hagen said :—" The steamship Monte Grappa, Which we found in a' sinking condition, was a new ship of 7434 tons gross, . owned by the' Nayigazion*! Libera-Triestina Company, .of Trieste, and was under the command of Captain Stephano Bartoli. She was bound from Montreal to Venice with a cargo of S2OO tons of grain, having sailed from, tho Canadian port on the morning of Nov em-. . ber 5. She apparently made good time until she ran into a very heavy southerly gale on November 12, when-for the-'en-tire day and the following 24 hours she was labouring in a tremendous cross sea.. • "A 4 o'clock in the morning the 'shifting boards' utilised for keeping the grain in position were carried away as a result of the heavy rolling, and this incident was immediately followed by the vessel taking a serious list to port owing to the dumping of her cargo. With tue passing of time this list increased until the port rail was submerged below the water, and tho ship was practically on her beam ends. The starboard ballast? tanks were. filled in the hope of righting the vessel, but their capacity being only 500 tons, this had no effect upon, the vessel's stability. The two port boilers were then pumped out, but thjß Monte Grappa still retained her a dangerous list. As a last resource the crew endeavoured to- shift said jettison cargo, hut under the awful conditions little could be accomplished. Waist-deep in Water.:.'-. '.'Owing to the terrific straining and working of the ship the decks started and water made its way to the stokehold said engine room, where the firemen eventually worked Wftist-deep in water : and I were lashed to stanchions'to enable them to keep their position. During., the gale both the port lifeboats were carried away,' and owing to the heavy list it was impossible to use the star hoard boats. * "Under these terrible : ; conditions,- and fearing lest his ship might founder any minute, leaving them without a chance of. ' escape, Captain Bartoli instructed' bis wireless operator to send out an- S.O.fcJ signal at 7 a.m. This message was picked up by the Pittsburgh, and Captain . Thomas Jones, her commander, ; immediately plotted his position and found he was some 185 miles to the north-west of the distressed vessel. He , wirelessed to Captain Bartoli the* he was proceeding to his assistance at 16 knots, and throughout the day the two ships kept one another, informed of their varying posi- ; tions. ; - ■--■:■■ X -_: ; -■'■'■ '■'■;.-'-■ .•■;'.'..-' '; ;v. %

.; Boats launched in Rough Seas/-; "At 8.20. p.m. a rocket was sighted, and the Pittsburgh found she had tho Monte Grappa slightly on the starboard bow and raced toward "her.: .On the Pittsburgh everything' had been prepared, the two boats being in readiness for lower- , ing. '.'.■ At 8.59 p.m. the first boat, ; .in charge of Mr. J. Law, the fourth officer, was lowered into a rough sea and made her way laboriously toward the doomed vessel. The Monte Grappa's lights' could; be seen, and it seemed hardly credible that she could keep afloat in such a condition. "At 9.3o'JKmi, tho second boat, under Mr. W. W. Pearson, the fifth officer, was lowered and got away smartly,; and Captain .Jones manoeuvred the Pittsburgh to the leeward; of the sinking vessel. After the, lapse of a considerable period of time No. 1 boat was discerned heading for the Pittsburgh, .•: and when •it came it; had 20 members'.'. of the Monte. .Grappa's crew, worn ; out by fatigue and anxiety and on the verge of ; collapse. No. 1? was followed shortly afterwards by ; No. 2 boat, which contained 22 more of the v distressed crew. > r The cap- 1 tain, mate, and chief engineer still remained en . the ill-fated vessel; however, and they were ; taken off by Mr. - law's boat,; which made a second trip. After three hours the Pittsburgh /resumed her voyage." . -