The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-05
Stsam?r Springs Leaks and Il
on Bead HaV3 Narrow Es-
cape from Gr.Wing
NEIRDY STEAMER COMES
To R S[Ut upon GILL
wireless Operator In Substitute A.
Regular Man Had Premouition
of Disaster and Left the Ves-
sci Soon After Starting.

Savannah, Ca, February 4.-Saveo
from the decks of their sinking YES
sci, the captain and crew of the steam
ship Kentucky, owned by the Alaska
Pacific Steamship company en- route
from New York around the Horn u
Seattle, are on board the Mallory liner
Alamo, speeding to Key West Forty
six men all told were transferred from
the Kentucky to small boats and II
turn were taken to the decks of the
Alamo late this afternoon.
More than 100 miles of the Soutli
Carolina coast the Kentucky, her seams
opened and the sea pouring into her
awaits the revenue cutter Yamacraw,
which is proceeding with all haste to-
ward the derelict with orders to sinl.
the steamer and rid the seas of dan
gerous menace.
Standing on the deck or the Alamo.
Captain Moore of the Kentucky looked
back at his laboring vessel and made
this predictions:
midnight"
The laundering vessel. when the
Alamo reached her at $3.50 o'clock this
afternoon. was in latitude 32:46, longi-
tude 76:42. according to wireless mes
sage received from the rescuing steam
er. Then bit by bit out of the air came
the electric flashes to the station OF
TIE Upited Wireless company al Sa-
vannah. telling OF the rescue IN small
boats of Captain Moore and his men.
First word of the plight of the Ken
lucky was received here at O'Clock
this morning. The sharp call IS. o. s.
which has taken the place of the IA
nous &C. Q. D. as the insistent call
OF a ship i'll distress. was received and
Immediately the local operator began
repeating the call.
The bombardment OF the call reached
the liner Alamo. bound from New York
to Galveston. The Alamo put on fun
speed. pointing her nose in the direc-
tion given by the Kentucky and as
she drew within range OF the latters
position. began to send thick, black
smoke from her tunnels TO give heart
to the crew of the disa abled vessel and
warning OF the approach of rescue.
In the wireless room of the Kentucky
sat Operator W. G. -.-eolnnis, hammer
ing away on the call for aid and re-
ceiving the assurance that help was
coming as fast as the engines OF
liner and two revenue cutters could
drive them. Captain Moore. when on
the Alamo publicly thanked the oper-
ator for his work and the rescued crew
cheered him.
McGinnis remained at his instrument
until water rushing in drowned out the
dynamo that enabled him to send out
the signals. Then the wireless was
checked and the Kentucky's crew could
but wait and hope. Almost Immediate
ly the first sign OF smoke from the AL
amos fires was heralded.
The work of transferring the crew
was attended with little danger. Wire
less reports here are to tn e, effect that
no one was injured
The Alamo did not stand by until the
sea had claimed the Kentucky, but pro-
ceeded toward her own destination. II
was evident that the Kentucky could not
long stay above water. Captain Mcintosh
Of the Mallory liner learned that the rev.
enue cutter Yamacraw. which was inter-
cepted at sea while in search of a dere-
and left to the government vessel the
task OF seeing the end of the sinking
steamer.
The Kentucky this morning began leak
ing very badly and Captin Moore saw Il
would be useless to attempt to navigate
his ship further. Then the sharp call
for aid began to go out in every direc-
ton.
The Kentucky was built in Bath, Ne, Il
years ago. She was 200 feet over all.
Strangely enough. she was equipped with
wireless not more than two weeks ago
and was on her hrst voyage since tho
apparatus was installed. and to this In
due the rescue of all on board. There
went down with the Kentucky $500 worth
OF new silverware that had just been in
stalled.
The revenue cutter Seminole reports
tonight that she is returning to Whining
ton, n. c.
had Luck for steamer.
New York. February 4.--Bad luck was
the Kentucky's lot almost Immediately
after she left New York for her 14.0oo-
mile voyage on January %. Good luck
was her lot when the wireless instru-
ments were the last things installed be-
fore she departed. One hundred and fifty
miles off Sandy Hook the vessel began
leaking badly but by working the pumps
valiantly Captain Moore was able to
reach Newport News with 16 inches OF
water in the vessels hold.
There repairs were made and the ship
received a certificate from Lloyds and
the United States inspector at the port
saying that she was sound and sea-
worthy.
Notwithstanding this assurance, E. A.
McLarney. formerly the night operator
at the Waldorf Astoria in New York
who had shipped with the vessel when
she left this port. refused to continue ON
the voyage because his parents at Month
cello. N. Y, had a pBemonition that
something would happen. They lombard
ed him with messages to this effect, so
that in Difference to their wishes he OBJ
tanned a substitute operator. W. d. Nc
Ginnis, who sent out the call which sav&1
the lives Of his shipmates today. The