New-York tribune., 1910-02-05
SOS" SAVES CREW
OF KENTUCKY I
UIRELESS ON PESSEL
BRINGS AID.
Ship Founders off Hatteras
4fter Cre1c Is Taken of
By the alamo.
by the ALAMO.
rBy United wir.re,s TO The tribune ,

by United wireless The Trfoun-I
cape Hatteras Station. Feb. Cap
tain F. s. Moore and crew of forty-stS
men were rescued late this afternoon by
the steamship Alamo. of the Mallory
Line. from the steamship Kentucky. Of
the Alaska Pacific Line, on her first voy-
age to Pacific ports. The Kentucky fs
now half full Of water and will sink
within a few hours The Alamo Is no"
on her way to Key West
The first news of the Kentucky's plight
was received at the United Wireless
Company's station at Cape Hatteras.
N C.. at 11:3O o'clock to-day The oper-
ator heard the International signal Of
distress "S o. S. which vas adopted
bv the convention OF wireless telegraph
companies at Berlin on November s.
1905 The code call &C @ D. which
became we'll known 10 the public at the
time of the Republic disaster, off Nan
tucket more than a year ago. Is the
American code call. meaning, Come
Quick. Danger" Following the distress
signal came the following message:
I'VE are sinking Our latitude -
32:1O longitude $3.50.
The Cape Hatteras operato then heard
the steamship Alamo. of the Mallory
Line. working with the Kentucky. The
Alamo had answered the kentucky's
call for assistance. and informed Captain
Moore that she was making for the point
indicated in the kentucky's distress
message. The Hatteras operator then
flashed to New York the Information
that the Alamo was rushing to the Ken
tucky's assistance
No message was received after tns'
from the Kentucky. which was evldence
that the water had interfered with the
power and that her wireless apparatus
was not working The first news of the
rescue of the crew came at O'Clock
when the following message was re-
ceived from the Alamo:
Latitude 32:i6. longitude I6-s
steamship Alamo has just taken Captain
Moore and crew Of forty-six men from
sinking steamer Kentucky. Water han
already reached fireroom and steamer
will sink before midnight. The Alamo
is now proceeding to Key West
T. A .McLarney. who was night opera
tor at the Waldorf-Astoria wireless sta
ton. was assigned TO the Kentucky for
the trip around the Horn The steam
ship sailed on January %. and when she
was $50 miles south of Sandy Hook 1t
was discovered that she was leaking
hsdlv Captain Moore ordered the
pumps to work and had the lfeboats
rrovisioned and ready to launch
Despite the pumps the water continued
10 gain. and Captain Moore sent wire
less message TO the Atlantic City station
telling of her condition and saying that
he would make for Newport News The
Kentucky had filled all her bunkers with
coal and had also slowed fuel which
with replenishing at St Lucia. British
West Indies. and CoroneL Chill, would
carry her on her 14.0O0-mile voyage
+, was not the weight of the coal in
her hold that caused the leak. as was at
first supposed. but it was found that the
sleeves of the injection pipes had parted
and the water was coming in that way
Bv working the pumps continually Cap
tain Moore finally got the Kentucky into
Nevport News with sixteen inches or
water in her hold. There she was put
into drvdock. and after a portion of her
coal had been taken out thorough IN
spection of the ships hull was made.
JIovds surveyors went over her. ard
found that her hull was in good condi-
tiGn and no recaulking was necessary
After the repairs were made the ship got
a certificate from LIoyCis and the United
States inspector in the port that she was
sound and seavvorthy and in condition TO
make the voyage TO Tacoma The Ken
tuckv was insured for $4,000 in Amer
ican and foreign companies
While at Newport News waiting for
the vessel to be put in readiness for sea
NcI,arney. the wireless operator. re-
cefved several MESA ges and letters from
his parents in Monticello. y. Y These
messages were all of the same tenor
Mrs. McLarney wrote that she had
premonition something would happen TO
her son. and begged him 10 leave the
ship at the first opportunity.
II was more in Difference to his
mothers wishes than through any fear
of danger that McLarney finally decided
TO ask for a substitute. He returned to
New York, and when H j. Hughes.
s1,perintendent OF the United Wireless
Company's telegraph service. called for
volunteers W d. Maginnis was selected
TO make the trip.
In the wireless room Of the Kentucky
sat w G McGinnis hammering away on
the call for aid and receiving the asSur-
ance that help was coming as fast as
the engines OF a liner and two revenue
cutters could drive them 1t IS evidence
of his heroism that Captain Moore. when
on the Alamo publicly thanked the oper-
ator for his work, and the rescued crew
then cheered HIM
He sat at his instrument until water
rushinl, in drowned out the dynamo that
enabled him TO send out his signals
Then the wireless was chOked and the
Kentucky's crew could but wait until
the vessel was found lust as the elec-
tricity failed the first sign OF smoke from
the Alamos tunnels was seen
The work OF transferring the crew VAS
attended with little danger. Wireless
reports here are to the effect that no one
was injured. the boats of the Alamo ana
the Kentucky being used 70 transport
the forty-siX men
The Alamo did not stand by until the
sea had claimed the Kentucky, but pro-