CALL FROM SEA

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1929, Page 9

CALL FROM SEA

WRECK OF SHIP FEARED SOS FROM THE NORWICH CITY SCENE GARDINER ISLAND DIRE DISTRESS EVIDENT By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department has received the following from the Apia radio station: — “An SOS call was received from G.L.F.P., the ship Norwich City, at 1.50 a.m. The signals were weak and static was fierce. I was able at 3.20 a.m. to read his position as 4.35 S, 179.38 W, at Gardener Island in the Phoenix Group Ho advised us: “If the s’#p holds till daylight we may make shore, but a heavy sea is running.” No other station appeared to hear his repeated calls, and in response to our C.Q. (all stations) calls we were unable to raise any vessel nearer than 850 miles from him.

At 4.20 a.m. we advised him we would try and get something out to him and that the utmost was being done to get relief, to which he replied, “Thanks.” The signals were then weakening, probably due to the daylight, and the last SOS call was received at 4.40 a.m.

The s.s. Trongate, G.K.P.Q., in port here, is now getting up steam, and will leave in about an hour’s time for the wreck, which is about 600 miles from here. In the meantime we are calling C.Q. (all stations) to endeavour to get in touch with a nearer vessel.

Later the secretary of the P. and T. Department received the following from Apia: “The Trongate left Apia about 2 p.m. to go to the assistance of the Norwich City. We have had no response from the Norwich City throughout the day or this evening. At 6 p.m. we got in touch with the s.s. Lavington Court, which gave its noon position as 350 miles north-east of Gardener Island and said it could reach Gardener Island on our Monday at daybreak. We passed this information on to the Trongate, and. asked the captain to arrange with the Lavington Court as to whether he wished him to proceed to the wreck. We will advise further later.”