THE VESTRIS FATALITY

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1928, Page 5

THE VESTRIS FATALITY

SURVIVORS ACCOUNT

CRniINAL i\EC;DECT ALI,KGKI>

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright'.

Received this day at 0.25. a.m.) NEW YORK, November 14. The Vcstris survivors who arrived aboard the American Shipper and Merlin denounced the sacrifice of lives and blamed the ship’s officers for delaying tfie distress call and for eonifusion and lack of discipline when the ship was sinking and allege the lifeboats were unsea worthy. They declared the reason why most of those rescued wore men, the majority of whom were members of the crew, was that women and children were loaded into (he first two lifeboats which broke* from the davits while being loaded, (browing their human cargo into the water. Some survivors allege that the negro members of the crew, heedless olf discipline, seized the lifeho'ts lo sn\ themselves and were unwilling to take passengers aboard. Others said that while drifting in tiie lifeboats in a stormy sea for fourteen hours, they saw many persons swimming, who gave up exhausted and sank as they watched, also that shark's were in the water swarming around the struggling swimmers. Captain Carey apparently went down with the ship. The Chief Surgeon Bowlen of the American Shipper said he treated virtually all survivors on his vessel rescued for exposure or shock, and that Iforty had been injured, twenty of whom were hurt seriously. Tie amputated the hand of one male passenger and the finger of another, ft is stated most of the women are suffering from extreme shock or exposure. Paul Dapa, a representative of the Radio Corporation of America, floated eighteen hours with a woman he had never seen before, on a piece o'f wreckage after their lifeboat capsized. Dana said there were thirty-two persons, including several women, in the boat when it was lowered, but almost immediately a leak was discovered and the boat soon began breaking apart. Finally a great wave swamped it throning the occupants out. He saw only two or three other passengers after that.

Mrs Earl Devore and her husband were sailing to Buenos Aires, with M.r and Mrs Norman Button, both Devore and Button being racing drivers. Airs Devore said three negro members ol the crew commandeered a lifeboat and started to leave with it. She pleaded with them to take passengers and they finally admitted her to the lifeboat. “ Earl started to step in, hut the negroes shoved away. Alv husband /’ and Mr and Airs Button were on the V sinking liner screaming for help. The water was full o'f drowning men. I nagged the crew to go hack but they refused and the last I saw of Earl he was standing on the edge of the ship screaming for aid.” Another passenger, Edwin AVilson, said he saw a man he believed to be Devore jump into tbe waves and come up again .with one arm torn from the body, apparently by a shark. 'I be man disappeared and never came up again. Mrs Button was saved but ber bus-

band is missing. Frederick Sorenson, a passenger aml himself a master mariner, declared the loss of lilfe was due to “ criminal neglect.” Sorenson said: “The engine room was flooded, also the boiler room and many cabins and this continued from earfy on Sunday morning until Monday, when the captain sent out the first distress signals, but when we asked him to call assistance earlier, be replied : “ There is no trouble. One of'the greatest heroes of the day was a Barbadoes negro, Lionel Licorisli, an expert swimmer, who dived and rescued eighteen passengers. When the American Shipper reached the scene it found the survivors so exhausted that many bad to be hoisted aboard. Several women were placed in cargo nets and drawn up the sides.

OTHER ACCOUNTS

NFAV YORK, November LI

The American Shipper arrived with 125 of the Vcstris survivors and the Berlin with twenty-three. Those aboard tho American Shipper severely criticised Captain Carey’s delay in sending, the S.O.S. and stated no lives would have been lost ilf the boats had been sate and properly equipped for launching before the ship’s listing made 1 the descent a terror. Many of the crew may have gone clown with the ship, which dropped suddenly. The Berlin survivors were not severe in their criticism, praising on the whole the actions of the captain and the crew. The cause of the disaster was not stated beyond tho theory that the cargo had shifted. The leak appeared after the storm batfeiing hi Saturday and Sunday’s storm. We were told the ship’s pumps could not he worked properly. Alfred Duncan, second steward, is described as a. hero, giving passsengers ifood before leaving, and then swimming from lifeboat to lifeboat, 01dering persons from the overfilled boats to others. Almost one hundred swam from one boat' to anotlici. Captain Carey and the radio operator Michael o’Coughlin were both lost. Carey, senior captain ol the Lamport Holt Line, was making bis last trip on 1 the Vestris before taking over the command df the Crank Voltaire. O’Loughlin, aged 29, belonged to County Hereford. It is said the missing number 108, including 27 women and a number ol children. The survivors report the rule—women and children first—was followed, and there was an absence of confusion.

The captain’s last words, according to Stewart Duncan, after all the lifeboats had gone were: “Now, you jump,” when Duncan urged him lo jump. He did not see the Captain again.

Paul Data and Airs Clara Mall, a stewardess, clung to the debris for 21 hours.

U.S. ENQUIRY. NEW YORK, Nov. 14

United States Attorney, Tulle, has ordered ;in immediji te investigation into the disaster, claiming that although the Yestris is a liritish ship, he had authority to deal with the case under the Federal -Statue, prohibiting the sending of an unseaworthy boat, out of port, lie said: “At least we can investigate the circumstances of the disaster before the witnesses liecome scattered and thus lend considerable aid to the British authorities.” Tilth* has assigned two assistants to begin hearings as soon ns possible before United States Commissioner O’Neill. The first enquiry will he Jield on the loth. \ Tin* Department of Justice's agents have been despatched to the wharves, where the survivors landed to subpoint them, and get their stories. STATEMENT. NEW YORK. November If. Several otlieei's aboard the American Shipper, who refuse to give tT i o ri* names, state they are convinced improperly loaded coal caused the disaster. They declared the force of the gale probably shifted the coal cargo, causing it to pierce the outside deck door leading to the coal hunkers. Several eye-witnesses declare Captain Carey went down with the ship without making the slightest effort to save himself. They state lie wore a marine overcoat in which it was impossible to swim and ret used a lifebelt, though one passenger implored him to put one on.

NEW YORK, November 14

It is now feared Davies is in danger of pneumonia as a result ol the long hours of immersion in tin* water. Ihe mental strain has left him badly shaken. It appears after being pitched into the sea he floated about lor scncial hours in a dazed condition and when the occupants of the liiehoat saw him and went to his rescue lie tried to wave them away.

FURTHER PARTICULARS. NK\Y YORK, November 13

The Yestris sank when only about eighty of flic* 328 passengers and crew were launched in li*tcheats. Ihe rest Hung themselves into the sea. '1 he first two boats held thirty-seven women and thirteen children. As the \ estri.* sank she lurched, crushing the boats against the side and the occupants poured into the boiling waves. it is believed all the children perished. Ten women were saved.

The Yestris began to list on .Saturday night and it grew more serious on Sunday but no distress signal was given till Alonclay. The lifeboats tackle was faulty and it took hours to lower them. According to passengers only two boats were successfully launched. The others broke loose and \seu* caught by swimming survivors.

CERT! FI ED SEA WORTH Y. NEW YORK, November 14. Fj vo days before she was 105 t,., the Vestris was Completely inspected and received a certificate of sea worthiness and lawful equipment.