Sea Wireless Mystery.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 December 1922, Page 1

Sea Wireless Mystery.

LONDON, Oct. 9. . A mystery of the high seas is engaging the attention off Lloyd’s Intelligence Department. It concerns a wireless message which told news of a . sinking vessel and tho abandonment •of it by the crew, a rush by two ;steamers to the spot without finding a ship in distress, aril the safe arrival 'in port of the ship From which tho distress call; is alleged; to have come. The ship is the Therese Horn, n Gorman-built steamer of 5,197 tons, which left Rotterdam on August 2o with a cargo of rails, and after calling at Newport, Monmouthshire, went on to San Antonio, Patagonia. She had in tow an Argentine lighter, the Universal No. 1, of 393 tons. On September 10 a wireless message was reseived, via Cadiz and Gibraltar, from the Spanish steamei Reinn Victoria-Eugcnia as follows: Crew of German trawler Therese Horn abandoned ship in sinking condition in lat. 25deg 25min. N., 20deg. 51 min. W. (in the Atlantic Ocean) at 9.35 a.m. September 10. Together with steamer Pacific explored spot four hours; unable to locate lifeboats. As the word trawler was mentioned and no lifeboats were found ft was thought at first at Lloyd’s that it was tho lighter that had become a wreck and that a wireless message had been sent out to warn shipping of a possible derelict. Attempts were made hv Lloyd’s to get in wireless touch with the Therese Horn, hut these were fruitless. PRESUMED TO BE MISSING. A few days later the Threese Horn was presumed to he missing and was quoted on the reinsurance market at Lloyd’s at 15 guineas per cent, which later rose to 20 guineas. This is _ a usual proceeding when disquieting news is received of a vessel. Last week news was received in London of the safe arrival of the Therese Horn at Buenos Aires on October 3, together with the lighter Universal No. 1. “As far as I know this is the first case of its kind” said an official at Lloyd’s to a Daily Mail reporter yesterday, “ and as yet we are completely in ilie dark about it. It is a very interesting case. Wo have had no further news -or explanation of the alfnir from Buenos Aires. The crew of the Therese Horn was entirely Ger. man.” A report was current at Lloyd s on Saturday that the captain of the Ther..■,c Horn, on being questioned at Buenos Aires, declared that his ship had been in no trouble and that lie did not know anything about the wireless call.