BRITISH SHIP ON FIRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 August 1939, Page 6

BRITISH SHIP ON FIRE

CREW TAKE TO BOATS MESSAGES RECEIVED IN FLORIDA. SOME CONFUSION OVER DETAILS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 9.30 a.m.) JACKSONVILLE (Florida). Aug. 3. The British freighter Dunkwa is on fire and her crew have taken to the boats. All thirty-eight members of the crew are reported to be safe, except the radio operator. According to the latest message the ship was expected to sink within an hour and four ships,immediately began a search. The mate of the Dunkwa flashed an SOS last night, stating that The radio operator's legs were broken. Subsequent messages are incoherent, owing to the sender’s inexperience of radio. Four different positions were given. There is doubt also as to the vessel’s identity as Lloyd’s report that the Dunkwa is at Rotterdam. NO SIGNS SHIP AND PLANE REACH LAST GIVEN POSITION. SUGGESTION THAT SIGNALS MAY BE A HOAX. (Received This Day. 1 p.m.) NEW YORK. August 3. A ship and a plane reaching the Dunkwa s last given position reported that they failed to sight either the freighter or the crew. Coastguard officials expressed the belief that the distress signals were probably a hoax, perpetrated by some amateur, since several discrepancies appeared in the various messages from the vessel, particularly also since Lloyds confirmed that the Dunkwa is at present at Rotterdam.