SEQUEL TO ABANDONING OF DAMAGED SHIP

Chronicle (Levin), 6 August 1946, Page 8

SEQUEL TO ABANDONING OF DAMAGED SHIP

LONDON, August 4. xVn exciting salvage raee, iuvolviug a 4,500,000-dollai' prize, occured in tlie J AtJantie S00 miles from England after the United States freigliter Americau j Panuer liad eollided witli another j Ameriean steamer on July 31. | The crew abandoned tlie Ameriean j Farmer, but the Britisli freigliter Elizaj beth and the United States freigliter | Ameriean Bangor raced to the seene j and fouiul her stubbornly afloat. The Bangor 's captain, observing tlie Elizabeth trying to get a line aboard the Farmer, asked for instructions . from the company in Kew York whieli immediatelv urged liim to board the Farmer lirst and to determine her condition. While reports from New York say that the Ameriean Banger has put men aboard the daniaged Ameriean Farmer, the latest reports rceeived in Londpu say that the bearded 65-year-old Captam E. Millers, the master of the 2039ton British steamer Elizabeth, is tow- ■ ing the Ameriean Farmer to Cardiff. Captain Millers put a prize crew aboard the Ameriean Farmer and is warding off the Ameriean destroyer and the Ameriean merchantmen, saying eft'eetively, "Hands off! Tliis prize j is mine. ' ' j A direetor of the Elizabeth owners, tlie Iludson Steaniship Company, said | that Captain Millers is a real old seadog. lle will not let a prize go onee he lias her. He has a crew of 35. His son, aged 39, is his lirst ofticer. The Elizabeth, wliieh is only onefourth the size of the Ameriean Farmer, is a quaint old sliip, built in America in 1917. She did great work (luring tlie war, bringing eoal from the Tyne to London. An e.xpert on sea law said: "The Ameriean sliip and the cargo belong to Britain if Captain Millers sueeeeds in getting her to a British port. The United Htates Navy Bepartment | in London said that the legal position : would liave to be sorted out. "We I are leaving the towing question to our | destroyer on the spot.. if Captain MilI lers refuses to pass over the Ameriean j Farmer to the destroyer the commaiider eannot foree him to do so." A message from New York, re-stating that the Ameriean Banger crew is in eharge of the Ameriean Farmer, adds that British seamen from tlife Elizabeth boarded the daniaged vessel before the | Ameriean Banger arrived, but the bangor crew were now in eharge of tlie slup, wliieh was heading for Eire.