AN HEROIC RESCUE.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16813, 3 June 1926, Page 12

AN HEROIC RESCUE.

IVJADE 400 MILES OFF HALIFAX. Adding a brilliant chapter to the long tale of thrilling rescues at sea ■during storms of (he last winter, the British tanker Shlrvan was en route for Falmouth, England, early last month., with 28 seamen rescued from 11"' British freighter Laleham. The Shlrvan, racing to the side of "'" stricken freighter in a gale of 400 miles off Halifax, beat the liner Maurctania, which also iiad swerved* from If. v course at the first cry for help. The Mauretania resumed nor course fur New York after Captain A. H. Uostron had relayed a brief despatch of the rescue by the Shirvan. Captain Fostron,- who was in com-j.-iid of the Carpatnia when he rescued the survivors of the Titanic in 1912> reported that the Laleham was nearly on her beam ends and all her Lifeboats curried away. In a radiogram, Captain Rostron, of the Mauretania, described the fruitless mid-Atlantic race of the fleet Mauretania, and then commented: "The Shirvan did the trick. i)ravo Shirvan —over the necessary distance, even the Mauretania was beaten."

The message of Captain Rostron can best describe the heroic episode of the deep. It follows in full: — "3.25 p.m., March 31, the Maure-

huila received an S.O.S. from the Briliaii steamer Laleham in latitude 30.06 north, longitude i>6. 3j west. All boats were washed away and the ship was on beam ends, its bunkers and stokehold Hooded, and the water gainins. The Mauretania then was facing u north-west gale and a high sea. I immediately turned to the rescue, and believed I was 180 miles off at that lime. At full speed, I estimated, we would reach the Laleham about 1 u.m., Greenwich meantime.

"All preparations were made aboard Hie Mauretania to rescue the Laleham's crow. At 5 p.m. we received a message from the British tanke. Shirvan,

which .was only 20 miles away from the Laleham, and at 6.30 p.m. the Shirvan was in contact. It was 5.40 p.m. before the Mauretania received word from the Shirvan that she could effect the rescue and would take the

'survivors on to Falmouth, England. r . nen the Mauretania resumed its r uirse towards New York at full speed,

1 fine still 30 miles away from the Laleham, all of whose crew had been .-vert. Thc-Laleham was set oil fire uiad her seacocks opened. It was anno .need she would submerge within three hours. Safety of the crew of 3"? aboard the Laleham is assured. — Signed) Rostron." ihi Laleham was a freighter of 4020 lons, owned by the British Steamship Co. (Ltd.) She was built in 1907.