S.O.S-THEN SILENCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 570, 24 January 1929, Page 9

S.O.S-THEN SILENCE

STEAMER FEARED LOST OTHERS IN DISTRESS IN ATLANTIC GALE (United P.A.—By Telegraph Copyright (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) Reed. 10.12 a.m. NEW YORK, Wed. The British freighter Teesbridge, on its way from Fowey, Cornwall, to Philadelphia, sent out an S.O.S. on Sunday, saying that it had two hatches stove in and that the stokehold was flooded. The position given was 300 miles east of Cape Race, Newfoundland. It has not been found by ships which steamed to its rescue, and is believed to have been lost. The vessel carried a crew of 30. The steamer Maine and other ships went out in search of the Teesbridge, but have so far failed to find her. Virtually all hope for her has now been abandoned, but two ships will continue the search. The liner America, commanded by Captain George Fried, who has been the hero of many marine rescues, is battling with mountainous seas in an endeavour to reach two sinking ships which sent out calls for aid this afternoon. One is the Italian cargo steamer Florida. She reported that she had lost her rudder and was otherwise disabled. The other is the American oil tanker Dannedaike. She sent a message to say she was in distress surrounded by tremendous seas. Both steamers are situated about 750 miles off Norfolk, Virginia. The Florida has a crew of 32 men and the Dannedaike carries 35.

Broadcasting along the coast and at sea has been silenced and every attempt is being made to reach the two vessels. The America will only be able to attain a speed of 10 knots in the westerly gale which is blowing. It is believed that she cannot reach the two ships in much under 30 hours. The wireless operator of the Damiedalke advised that the vessel needed immediate assistance. Other vessels, notably the liner President Harrison, have also been held up by the severe weather. She and a German cargo steamer, the Yorck, are approaching the Florida and the Dannedaike, the lifeboats of which have apparently all been shattered by the seas. The crews cannot do more than keep as much water out of the vessels as possible. If the rescue ships arrive at the scene to-night they will probably be able to do little until the morning, because of the weather. The condition of the stricken vessels is not known definitely. The Teesbridge is a steamer of 3,59 S tons. She was built in 1!)05 bv R. Stephenson and Co.. Ltd., at Newcastle and is owned by the North of England Steamship Company, Limited. The Dannedaike is a steamer of 4,310 tons belonging to the Dannedaike Steamship Corporation. She was built at Baltimore in 1919 and is used for carrying petroleum in bulk. . The second disabled Vessel, the Florida, is a steamer of 3,503 tons, registered at Genoa and owned by A. T. Rosasco. She was formerly known as the Grazla Quarto and subsequently as the Valsalice. She was built in 1904 at Middlesborough.