New-York tribune., 1909-11-23
ASTOR LEFT SANT0
DOMINGO NOV. IL
HE PUT TO SE1 UHEN
HURRICANE ARRIYED.
Red ID" Captain Reiterates
That He Sazc Yacht Safe
at San Juan.

The most encouraging news thar has
yet come from the West Indies concern
ing the whereabouts of the Astor yacnt
Nourmahal was received here yesterday
from Santo Domingo and from Caracas.
Venezuela. The reports which come
from these places do not conflict with
one another and indicate that the Nour-
mahaI was safe between November 10
end u.
Captain Furst. of the Red Cd" liner
caracas. who reported on his arrival at
Willemstad. Curacao. that he had seen
the NourmahaI safe in the harbor OF san
Juan. P. r. on November IA and Is. re-
iterated his assertion yesterday on his
arrival at La Guayra. which Is the port
Of Caracas. Captain Furst was positivs
that the yacht was Colonel Astor's Nour-
mahal. and he added that he saw moth
ing about her that would Indicate shs
had been damaged
The friends OF Colonel AstOr pinned
their faith on the report OF the skipper
Of the Caracas. and this faith was doubIy
strengthened by cable message which
came through later from Santo Domingo
stating that the NOUrmahal had arrived
at that port on November 10 and had
departed hurriedly early on the morning
of the 18th 20 get away from the HURT
cane, which came down suddenly over
the roadstead. The dispatch said that
the NourmahaI was bound for San Juan
and that in her haste 70 run away from
the storm she slipped her anchor and
steamed away quickly.
FRIENDS CONFIDENT OF SAFETY.
The yachts ahsty exit from Santo Dom
mingo on November Il and the report
that she was seen safely in the harbor
On November IA and Is by the captain
Of the Caracas is accepted BY Colonel
Astor's friends as an assurance that the
yacht is safe somewhere in West Indian
waters.
Early yesterday morning the govern
ment wireless station at Key West COM
pieted an hours sending OF messages to
San Juan direct Many of the messages
were for Mr.. Astor and members of his
party. No word was received definitely
confirming the report of Captain Furst
o. the steamer Caracas that the Yacht
was here on November Is. The Key
West operator after repeated calls. sent
this first message at a. m. TO the
| operator at San Juan:
us the NourmahaI Astor's Yacht.
there %
To which the San Juan man replied:
Il don't know: i believe she is. III in
vestigate. but il will taka some time"
At the same time he volunteered the
Information that there was a large steam
yacht in the harbor but that il belonged
10 Cuban This vessel yachtsmen
here say, might easily have been mis-
taken By :he captain Of the Caracas for
the NOurmahaL
After these wireless messages had been
sent. also those to Mr.. Astor and others.
there was break i'm the communication
and the operators were unable to get an
other message through all day. Atmos-
pheric conditions had destroyed the wire
less waves. and the operators said last
night that they did not expect to estab-
lish communication with San Juan again
until about or ) a. IN. on Tuesday. at
which time the wireless works best
SAW STEAMER WRECK.
A belated cable dispatch was received
from Santo Domingo yesterday which said
that Colonel John Jacob Astor's yacht
NOurmahal sailed from that port on No
vember Il while a hurricane was blow
ing. The captain of a European steamer
that arrived at Santo Domingo yesterday
reports that on Sunday he saw the wreck
of a steamer lying between the islands
of Catalina and Saona. These islands
are off the southeastern point of the
island of SantO Domingo. and about sew
enty-five miles east of SantO Domingo.
They lie in the course OF vessels proceed
ing from there 70 Porto Rico. w Z.
Pulliafn American customs administra-
tor Of SantO Domingo. Immediately sent
a revenue cutter To the scene of the
wreck. The dispatch adds that several
sailors from the NOurmahal were left
behind at Santo Domingo.
II is thought by navigators hcre that
n the Nourmahal left the harbOr Of San
70 Domingo in the hurricane il was be-
cause il was safer at sea than IN an
open rOadstead
IL is expected that the investigation
by the crew of a tug which left KY
West yesterday OF the submerged ves-
sci off the north coast of Cuba will be
made some time to-day and an imme-
diate report of the wrecks identity
given. This vessel is on the shoals lust
of Elbow Key. and will be found easily.
Captain Schlaiker. of the German
steamer Wotan. is positive that he saw
three masts H was first informed that
the NourmahaI had only two masts.
He Immediately said that the vessel he
saw was not the NOurmahaL When
informed that the NourmahaI had three
masts he said that the probability was
stronger that il was this vessel He
declared that the masts he saw were
not those of schooner. as they were
too close together and OF smaller shane
NO CONFIRMATION FROM TAMPA.
Word from Tampa. Fla. that the WIRE
less operator in his communications ves-
terday with the san Juan wireless sta
tiOn received no confirmation Of the pres-
ence of the Nourmahal in San Juan ia
regarded by William \. DObbyn. secr--
tary of colonel Astor. as having no sig
nificance.
The NOurmahal was undoubtedrv
there ON November l5." said he. and
probably she has by this time proceeded
10 some other port The report made hv