DELAYED S.O.S.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 218, 14 September 1934, Page 7

DELAYED S.O.S.

MORRO CASTLE FIRE OPERATOR’S EVIDENCE CONFUSION ON BRIDGE ■t) ie RADIO ROOM BLAZING g, id *e By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrlgnti 8- Received Sept. 13, 9.5 p.m. e > NEW YORK, Sept. 12. >f George W. Rogers, chief radio opera:d tor of the Mono Castle, told the In1 quiry Board to-day that it was fully 1- thirty minutes after he was awakened 1- because of the fire that he received the order to send an S.O.S. Jr Rogers further testified that some r- time ago his first assistant, George Alaona and another operator “tried to instigate discontent on the ship.’’ Alaona is now held as a material witness, iogers, in further evidence, said that the instructions to send the S.O.S. were not available until the furnishings of the radio room were ablaze and all but the emergency sending equipment was out of commission through the extreme heat. Witness and the first assistant, George Alaona, as well as Charles MacKay, second assistant, went to the bridge for instructions. Mac Kay did g not return, but Alaona eventually re- ’ turned, saying, “Let’s get out here. k They are running round the bridge. I d can’t get any co-operation.’’ Meanwhile the freighter Luckenback " could plainly see the blazing vessel, j and repeatedly asked over the radio d what was the ship’s position, and what 2 to do. However, for some reason, the S.O.S. order was delayed. Finally on his own initiative, Rogers sent the “stand-by’’ signal, and sent Alaona on a second trip to the bridge. He shortly returned with the S.O.S. order. By this time the power was off and the room in darkness. With the aid of a pocket flash light and the emergency storage batteries, Rogers flashed the 5.0.5., and continued to do so until he collapsed overcome by smoke and fumes. Alaona dragged him to the deck and somebody pushed him into a lifeboat. Ironically, Rogers was forced ( to testify that Alaona, the man who ’ saved his life, was considered a radical and a trouble-maker by the late skipper, Captain Wilmott.