Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-23
WRECK NAY Be ASTOR YACHT
Three -Mssted Vessel Half Submerged
Seen Near Cuban Coast.
NOT AT SAN JUAN, SAYS MESSAGE
Communication ia Again Cut OFF
from Porto RicRn Port without
Clearing Up Mystery of
Missing boat.

SAN DOMINGO. Nov. 22.-Colonel John
Jacob Astor's yacht Nourmahal sailed from
here November II curing the hurricane.
The captain Of an European steamer ar
irving here today reports that he saw the
wreck OF a steamer lying between the
Islands OF Catalina and Saons. These
islands lie in the path OF vessels proceed
ing east from here for Porto Rico.
A revenue cutter has been ordered to
sail Immediately for the scene OF the wreck.
TAMPA, Fla, Nov. IA direct wireless
message from San Jusn SAYS Astor's yacht
is not there.
KEY WEST, Fla, Nov. EFT Is prac-
tically certain that no further wireless
communication will be established by the
station here with San Juan during the day.
This means that it will be Tuesday morn
ing, possibly between midnight and Tues
day at dsybreak when the wireless service
is At its best, than any positive news can
be received concerning the Nourmahsl.
The operator here has been on duty con-
stantly for the last twenty-four hours and
has sent calls to every station within his
zone. Every other service is made sec
ondary to that of gaining information re-
lative to the Nourmaha,.
1t was shortly after 4 o'clock this morn
ing that the naval wireless operators at
tempted to communicate with San Juan.
There was a feeble response from San Juan
station and later there was such improve
ment that Key West station was able to
send a considerable number OF messages
addressed to Colonel Astor and his friends.
The wireless ommunicstio continued I'M
til shortly before 6 o'clock when atmo-
spheric conditions destroyed wireless
waves.
It ls anticipated the investigation of the
submerged vessel off the north coast Of
Cuba will be made some time today or
early tomorrow morning. This vessel is
on the shoals Just off Elbow Key and
should be found easily.
Captain Schlaikier of the German steamer
Wotan is positive that he saw three masts,
and that corresponds with the Nourmahal.
He declared the masts were not those of a
schooner as they were too close together
and of smaller shape.
Former Report
Failure of confirmation through Key
West this morning by means Of the only
present intact method of communication
with the West Indian islands, the govern
ment wireless telegraph system, has had
the effect OF casting doubt on the correct
ness OF the report received yesterday from
the steamer Caracas at Willemstad, Cura-
Gao, which said the Nourmahal arrived off
San Juan November IA, and was safely
anchored in the harbor there on the 18th
Reason for doubling the correctness of this
is two fold. In the first place, the
at the government wireless sta
ton at San Juan declared early today that
he knew nothing Of the presence Of the
Nourmahal and that If 1t were in port he
doubtless would have known it. At the
same time the San Juan operator volun-
teered the information that there was at
present a large steam yacht in San Juan
harbor, but that 1t belonged to a Cuban.
This vessel might easily have been mis-
taken by the captain of the Caracas for
the missing MourmahaI.