STEAMER SINKS IN STORM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 841, 9 December 1929, Page 1

STEAMER SINKS IN STORM

Twenty-One Lives Lost FIERCE GALE SWEEPS BRITAIN Great Damage on Sea and Land United PA.—By Telegraph—Copyright Received 11.15 a.m. LONDON, Sunday. ALTHOUGH it lasted only a couple of hours, a great storm last night exceeded in violence and destruction all the storms of the past week. Ships were disabled, and cargoes shifted. Before anything could be done, many vessels drifted to destruction during the morning. Never before has there been such a succession of 5.0.8. appeals. The Cardiff steamer Radyr was lost off the Devonshire coast, and 21 persons were drowned. The victims were seen appealing for help, which no one was able to give.

The French steamer Ortais was rounding Land's End when her rudder was dismantled. Lifeboats could not live in the seas, and the Ortais drifted helplessly and just missed thf rocks at Mounts Bay, and eventually went ashore at Perran Cove. The Penzance lifeboat was swamped three times, and forced to relinquish its errand. A youth swam out with a. line, and the crew were hauled ashore. The Hungarian steamer Henved found herself drifting on a lee shore. A notice was posted at the Shoreham Theatre asking if any lifeboatmen were present. Nearly the entire audience went to the lifeboat station, and the lifeboatmen battled for 13 hours before returning. The Henved, in the meantime, got clear. The Newhaven lifeboat went to the assistance of a schooner, while women prayed in the wind and rain. The entire crew of eight were rescued. The Italian steamer Casmenia was abandoned in the Bay of Biscay. The British liner Arlanza rescued her crew. Anxiety is felt for the Italian ship Leonardo da Vinci, which is battling in the Bay of Biscay, with the Italian art treasures on board for England. They are worth £14,000,000. A British Official Wireless message say's the storm swept up the English Channel, causing damage to shipping caught in the heavy seas, and to life and property in coastal towns. EXCITING RESCUES The small Rotterdam steamship Merwade was driven ashore near Newhaven, and a lifeboat went to her assistance, but owing to the seas it was unable to approach. Rocket apparatus was requisitioned, and after some exciting incidents the crew was brought ashore by means of a breeches buoy. The ship was frequently obscured by seas during the operations. The Shoreham and Selsey lifeboats responded to signals that the Budapest steamer Honved, of over 4,000 tons, was drifting toward the Bhore. A cable ship which was in the vicinity later reported that the Honved was holding her own, and that she was standing by, although it was too rough to pass a towrope to the Honved. The Shoreham lifeboat returned after eight hours, but the return of the Selsey lifeboat was further delayed by the weather. The Boulogne to Folkestone crossChannel steamer had to be diverted to Dover, and was only able to make: the harbour after lying outside the port for an hour. The Channel services were run-as usual this morning. The steamer Largo Law was out of control, owing to damaged steeringgear, off Dungeness this morning. The crew of a tug which went ashore near Dover was rescued by means of rocket apparatus. The British steamer John Charlton went ashore near Newhaven. Her crew is safe. CALLS FOR HELP A tug this morning responded to the calls of the Spanish steamer Alfonso Perez, whose steering gear had been damaged in the storm of Great Yarmouth. The Italian steamers Casmon and Johnny, both off Land’s End, also summoned assistance, owing to damaged helms, engines, and pumps. Several shipping casualties involving trawlers and other small craft are reported. Some damage was done by lightning during last night’s storm, but most of the havoc was wrought by wind. One woman was killed and another injured owing to the blowing down of a wall in Eastbourne. Many injuries were caused through pedestrians being blown against moving motor-cars in London. Windows were blown in In many parts, and telephone wires brought down. Some roads In the suburbs were flooded, notably' at Wembley, where, owing to the depth of water in certain places, traffic was stopped. Although last night’s rains increased the volume of water in the Thames, there is no immediate danger of flooding in the London area.

figure was recorded at the Scilt|t Islands. Off Haitland Point, on the rugged coast of North Devon, the Cardiff steamer Radyr, of 2,000 tons, with a crew of 21 persons, was lost after appealing for help, which, owing to the mountainous seas, could not be given. She , then disappeared. Lifeboats from Appledore amt Clovelly' attempted to put to sea. but the vessels could not be launched. After several unsuccessful attempts, the Padstow lifeboats put to sea to search for survivors, but it is unlikely that any could have survived. The last report heard from the vessel before she settled down was that the crew was taking to the boats. STORY OF HEROISM Reports of many other shipwrecl# and disasters at sea during yesterday * gale have come to hand. The crew of the small French steamer Ortais, ol Trouville. which went ashore at Penzance, probably owe their lives to the daring exploit of a young man named Laity. High seas and dangerous roclta prevented the lifeboat from approacning the Ortais, and the hurricane rendered hopeless the attempt? to sa'« the crew by a rocket apparatus. Lai y dashed into the sea and gained the rocks, from which he was able to pas* a rope to the Ortais. While they were so engaged, one of the crew was washed overboard, but Laity rescued him. All the crew was saved. Temporary repairs to her rudder having been effected, the Blue Star liner Andalucia, bound from London to South America, with 122 passengers, was able to dispense with the assistance of the Admiralty’ tug which was dispatched from Plymouth, in answer to her earlier messages. The crew of the barge Mystery, of Harwich, which broke away from her moorings in Dover Harbour and was driven ashore, were saved by a breeches-buoy. BARQUE DRIVEN ASHORE A lifeboat from Newhaven sjo* ceeded in taking off the crew of tha four-masted Norwegian barque Magln Koch, which was driven ashore near Eastborne. The crews of the Shoreham and Selsey lifeboats had a very hard time, spending the whole of Friday night and part of Saturday at sea, in efforts to assist the Hungarian vessel Honved, which, however, was in the tnd able to proceed. All shipping was stormbound yesterday in the Mersey River. Reports from Brest this eveninn stated that several vessels are in imminent danger off the coast. Signals asking for assistance were received late in the afternoon by several wireless stations on the south coast of Ireland and England, from vessels which had be-, come unmanageable in the storm, and several others reported themselves in temporary difficulty. The cross-Channel services wer# suspended owing to the storm, but they were resumed today under great difficulties. All the Imperial Airways services were stopped. Falling trees and chimney stacks which were brought down by the gale accounted for the sixth death on land yesterday.