New-York tribune., 1909-11-21
NAY BE N0URMAHAL
SUBMERGED SHIP IN
FLORIDA STRAIT.
Colonel 4StOrs Secretary and
Navigator Say There Is No
Reason for Harm.

Tampa. Fla. Nov. 2O.-That a sub
merged wreck in latitude % 40. longitude
81 west. north of the Cuban coast. near
Matanzas is that Of Colonel John Jacob
Astor's yacht NourmahaI is generally
believed by maritime men here. as no
other boat in the path Of the recent
storm in Jamaican waters has been re-
ported missing or is unaccounted for.
The wreck was sighted by the German
steamship Wotan. which arrived here
to-day.
Captain Hans Schlaikier Of the WOtan.
who reported the wreck, said that his
ship did not approach close enough TO
make an investigation. the wrecked YES
SCI evidently being in shoal water With
glasses he saw what appeared TO be three
spars above the water, one OF them about
fifteen feet above. He is not certain
that the middle one was a mast.
Tonight the wireless station here Is
seeking the revenue cutter Algonquin 20
give instructions 70 proceed at once TO
the poirt designated IN ths report OF
Captain Schlaikier. but so far the local
station has been unable 10 find the
cutter.
Late tonight the local wireless sta
ton spoke 10 the revenue cutter Yama-
craw al Charleston. giving her the lati-
tude and longitude OF the submerged
vessel The captain Of the Yamacraw
says he will leave Charleston at once
for the spot indicated.
Havana. Nov 2O.-when President
Gomez was told Of the probable loss OF
the Nourmahal he said he would instant
" dispatch a vessel 10 the scene Of the
wreck. which is of the north coast Of the
island.
". A. Dobbyn, secretary 10 Colonel
Astor. said last night al his home. No
JO7 West 1llth street. that he placed no
credence in the report that the wreck
seen off the Cuban coast is that Of the
Nourmahal Mr.. Dobbyn said that the
Yacht left Porto Rico 10 go 10 Barbados.
and that there was nothing 70 Indicate
that il had been al any time during the
recent storms on the north shore OF
Cuba. He added that he believed that
when communication was restored II
vould be found that Colonel Astor and
his marty we're alive and well.
Cantain Howard Patterson, an expert
NAVIGATOR. formerly OF the United States
navy, said. Il cannot believe that the
vessel sighted by the officers Of the
Wotan is the yacht NOurmahal unless
she is hard and fast on one Of the reefs
Of the coast Of Cuba I am familiar
with the Yacht. and I feel sure that she
could not be afoat and submerged or
waterlogged at the same time. II she
Rad enough water in her 10 submerge
her 10 anv extent she would 20 down like
a stone.
so il il is the Nourmahal, she must
be On a reef. Then again ii seems un-
l,kelv that she should have been in that
ylace for any length OF time without be-
ing seen by some one on shore. for the
reefs there are close enough 70 shore
for A vessel 10 be plainly seen.
MIGHT BE DISABLED.
"rt is likely that a yacht like the
Nourmahal might become seriously dis
abled in such a sea as that described
bv the shippers who have passed through
II safely. The worst thing that could
happen 10 her. I should say, would be
the loss OF her propeller or the breaking
OF her tail shaft at some point far or
shore and out Of the track OF steam or
sailing craft. She has no sails. except
Perhaps trysails. 10 steady her. and so in
calm weather, succeeding a blow. she
might drift for days without being seen
Another disaster equally as bad would
be running out Of coal. which l think is
quite possible
Outside Of the dispatch from Tampa
no news Of John Jacob Astor's yacht
NourmahaI had been received up 10 a
late hour last night. al the available
means OF wireless telegraph and search
ing parties on merchant ships and reve-
nue. cutters IN the Caribbean Sea and
along the Greater and Lesser Antilles
have been pressed into service. but thus
far neither the NOurmahal nor any
wreckage that might have broken from
her in the storm has been sighted.
MRS ASTOR'S ANXIETY.
n became known late last night that
Mrs Ava willing Astor now on the Lusi-
fsnia. on which she sailed on Wednes-
Ssv. had kept almost constantly in touch
a,tb the situation 80 seriously involving
her former husband and her son Vincent
nv means Of wireless messages sent By
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