SAVED BY WIRELESS.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13052, 11 March 1911, Page 4

SAVED BY WIRELESS.

-PASSENGERS ON A BLAZING SHIP.

A San Francisco message of January 27th says:—Another sensational instance of the immense value of wireless- as a means of Baying life in the efvent of marine disaster has just been reported. Soon after leaving Seattle yesterday the steamer Queen was found to be on fire. The flames were, then confined to the forward hold, but they soon spread, and befiore long got beyond control. The Queen was, fortunately, equipped with wireless, and urgent'calls, for help were made when the fire began to got out of hand. The calls were picked up_ at Seattle, and powerful tugs, with firefighting appliances, wore rushed out to the burning ship. There were ninety passengers aboard the vessel, and their position was becoming desperate when the rescue arrived. The whole of them were quickly transferred to one of the tugs, without accident, and taken back to port. Meantime tho work of fighting the fire on the Queen was proceeding vigorously. It was a terrible fight, for the flames had got a big hold on the cargo. Eventually the huge quantities of watcir poured into the burning ship had the effect of drowning out the flames. The Queen was safely towed back to port. It is feared that the greater part of her cargo has been destroyed. The steamer also has suffered great damage. PATHETIC MESSAGE. Another maritime disaster was signalled by wireless the same day. A message was received stating that tho fine passenger steamer Cottage City had bsen wrecked at Cape Mudge, iii the Sctymour narrows. The ethergrams, continuing, told that the passengers and crew had been saved. After that came the brief but eloquent message, "Good-bye!" The Cottnga City was a 2,000-ton steamer in the Orient-Vancouver service. She left Seattle on the morning of January 27 for Alaska, with a big passenger' list and heavily loaded with merchandise.