LOST STEAMSHIP A DETAILED ACCOUNT.

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19452, 17 December 1934, Page 10

LOST STEAMSHIP

A DETAILED ACCOUNT.

GALLANT RESCUE WORK. FOURTEEN LIVES LOST. United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright, NEW YORK, Dec. 15. Captain J. G. P. Bissett, master of the Ascania, to-day wirelessed to the New York Times a detailed account of the foundering of the Usworth. He stated that the loss of life totalled 17. .

Nine of the Usworth’s crew were saved, two of whom are on the Jean Jadot "'bound for Antwerp, and the remainder on the Ascania, en route to Halifax.

Captain Bissett said he picked up the S.O.S. signal at midnight on Thursday. I-Ie steamed 100 miles and arrived on the -scene at 7 a.m. yesterday in mountainous seas. The Jean Jadot was trying to make contact with the Usworth with lifelines. The Ascania made a similar effort until noon, but it was impossible in the high seas which continued to run.

Streams of oil from the Jean Jadot failed to calm tlie waters. The lifeboat from the Jean Jadoii reached the Usworth after a terrific struggle and removed 14 men, but in atLempting to return to the Jean Jadot the lifeboat capsized, drowning 14, including two of the lifeboat crew.

At 1.30 p.m. tlie Ascania launched a lifeboat and picked up the remainder of the crew, but three men l'efl into the ocean and were dnowned through over-eagerness to board the lifeboat from' the Usworth.

Captain Bissett praised tlie volunteers from the Jean Jadot and his own boat ’for making the perilous ' rescue attempts. He said lie left the scene at 3.30 p.m. with the Usworth in a sinking -condition.

The 1 Usworth was a steel screw ■steamer of 3535 tons and was owned by the Delgleish Steam Shipping Company, Limited, of Newcastle. She was built in 1926 at Sunderland, by J. Blumer and Company, Limited-

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