LOSS OF VESTRIS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17175, 4 February 1930, Page 7

LOSS OF VESTRIS

RADIO MAN'S EXPERIENCE TWICE WRECKED IN A MONTH (Spßcial to the Herald.) AUCKLAND, this day. Although he is only 10 years of age, Mr. C. Vercherc, wireless operator on the steamer Rio Dorado, which readied Auckland from Casablanca last night, has been shipwrecked twice. Both shipwrecks occurred over a year ago, and within a month of one another.

Mr. Vercherc was third operator on the liner Vestris which capsized during' stormy weather in the Atlantic on November 12, 1028, with the loss of 68 passengers and 411 members of the craw. A total ■of 215 passengers and crew was saved in the steamer's boats, which were picked up many hours afterwards by vessols which raced to the rescue in reply to S.O.S. messages. The Vestris left New York for Barbadoes and Buenos Aires on Novemmer 10 and almost immediately after the port was cleared she encountered severe stormy weather. On the following day she'began to list perceptibly and later the-Mst was very pronounced. Next 1 morning the liner had heeled over to-such an extent that S.O.S. messages were sent out. The Vestris was then over 300 miles from New York, and the nearest steamers were too far away to render immediate assistance. Although the storm still continued and the sea was rvcry rough, an effort was made to abandon the ship. By .that time the Vestris was nearly on her beam ends and only some of the lifeboats could be launched. The boats hanging in the davits on the lower side swung so far out over the sea that the passengers could not embark in them. ON DUTY TILL THE LAST The three wireless operators continued at their duties, and when Mr. Vercherc was not assisting at the wireless instrument he was carrying messages from the wireless room to the captain on the bridge. The engineers also stayed by their posts and kept up sufficient steam to generate electricity for the wireless operators' requirements. It was only .shortly before the final abandonment that the electricity failed and the wireless apparatus had to be switched 'over to the emergency batteries. Ten minutes later the Vestris had heeled over so far that the acid was leaking out of the top of the emergency batteries, which were of the wet kind. It was seen then that the end was near, and Mr. O'Laughlin, the chief wireless operator, told Mr. Vercherc to obtain three lifebelts. Having donned the belts, the three operators prepared to leave. Before the wireless set was rendered useless by the leaking batteries Mr. O'Laughlin despatched a message stating that the end was near, and they were joining the passengers and crew, who were already in the boats. The throe operators made for the high side of the sinking ship, and Mr. Vercherc, after being ordered into a boat by the chief officer, sprang at the life line hanging from the spar on a pair of davits and climbed down into the boat. Mr. McDonald, the second operator, also managed to get into a boat and was saved, but neither of the assistant operators saw Mr. O'Laughlin again and he went down with the ship. At 6 o'clock in the morning the occupants of the lifeboat were rescued by the French oil tanker Myram, lb' hours after they had left the Vestris. Some of the other boat 3 which had left the sinking liner were never heard of again, and the captain went down with the ship.