FIGHT FOR LIFE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16874, 11 February 1929, Page 7

FIGHT FOR LIFE

ATLANTIC EPIC LEAPS FROM SINKING SHIP Jan. 26. Captain Gui3eppe Faurloro, of the foundered Italian steamer Florida (2500 tons), who has arrived with the 32 members of his crew, aboard the rescuing liner America, related an amazing story of the fight for life during, the last hours of his doomed ship. "They left Pensacola, Florida, on January 10 for Naples, he saidj with, a general cargo and a big deckload of lumber. During boisterous weather in the following week, in the Gulf of Mexico, they lost a man overboard. "At midnight tin .Saturday,*' tfce* captain said, "I found that we had lost control of the ship, which did not answer the wheel. The pftiet, en-, gineer reported that the rudder chains had broken. ... _•

ALL IN VAIN "On Tuesday it was evident that everything we were doing was in vain, so we sent out an S.O.S. • "Violent seas swept away the bridge, chartroonv several lifeboats", and part of the deck load, the ship listing to the starboard, right down , to the gunwales. On Wednesday, we were in continuous communicatioit with the America, but I could not give her our exact position, ■ > "At 6 o'clock that evening we. sighted the America. My .crew were. < : all i,n lifeboats. Our lights were all extinguished, and it was a magnificent manoeuvre for the America to come alongside. I had no rockets, and I r could do nothing to help, as a lifeboat, manned by volunteers, approach- • ed. They came to the lee side of fee ship just in time, and threw a line aboard. , • ~ _ "The chief engineer and I were the last to leave. We threw ourselves into the sea, for the line had parted, but were quickly picked up as I said a last good-bve to the sinking Florida."