A GRAVE DISASTER.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1920, Page 2

A GRAVE DISASTER.

THE AFRIQUE WRECK ;By Electric Telegraph—CopyrighJ,.) this 'day at 0-30 LONDON, "to. The loss of the Afrique is the'biggest disaster in the history of the French mercantile marine. Thus 1 far only thirty have been saved out of 488, of whoin 192 were Sengalese riflemen. Tugs and iifival vessels are searching for the boats, but owing to the‘|ipjririij|'e sea running, there is little hope of many further survivors being rescued. Survivors narrate how tlie 1 filer Ceylon came to the answer to distress signally, when fhfi storm was at its worst, and was escorting her to port, whqn tliet Afrifjuj struck the Plateaux Rpchehppne, g. well-known reef, fifty miles from Lq. Rochelje, two fathoms be]ow tjte surface. Tlie impact came with a terrific shock at midnight and the ship was plunged iiifp darkuese owing to the dj>r namos failing. The yyirelesp operator was just able to raise enough power to send out a despairing S.Q.S, The Captain, realising that the Afrique was doomed ordered the boats to he launched, despite tlie huge waves. _ The Ceylon, meanwhile, lias been un able to keep close owing to the seas, and wirelessed that she wa6 keeping a parallel opur.se and would meet jhp \frique at a. gjvbn -spot, fit cjWii. £ji| Ceylon received fho' call “S.Q.S., we cannot keep afloat tijl dawn,!’ followed by another, “We are abandoning

s-hjp.ti Tlie Ceylon closed in and coipniepced a desperate search in fhp darkness fop the boats a»d was able to rescue a few, but there was no trace of the Afrique at daylight. She struck rocks and sank, rapidly.