Norwich bulletin., 1914-01-14
Steamer Fast
 on the Ledges
LAST RADIO MESSAGE REPORTED
 HER FILLING
120 PERSONS ON BOARD
Nearly a Dozen Boats Sent to the Res cue, But it is Feared She May Foun- der Before Aid Reaches Her.

Halifax, N S., Jan. 13.-A wireless cry for help from the Royal Mail steamer Cobequid, fast on the dread ed lodges of Grand Manan just before dawn today, followed five hours later by a final flicker of her radb saying that the ship was filling, has caused grave concern for the 120 persons on
 board.
 The Cobequid was bound for St.
 John, N. B., from the British West
 Indies in command of Captain flaw
 son, completing her first round trip
 over this route. She had crew of 102 men, number of second class passengers and the following in the first class cabin: l.. $. Navarro. L. Botta, w. c. Zoller. Mrs. Zoller and
 child. She had called at Bermuda but
 most of her passengers were from points south of there
 Fate Unknown When Darkness Set In
 Whether the CobeQuid had survived an all day battering by hurricane seas and would hold together until one of fleet of nearly a dozen rescue boats could reach her, was a matter of in- creasing hourly anxiety tonight. Up to darkness no trace of the dis tresse6 vessel had been found on the east shore of the Bay of Fundy where
 she was first reported aground. Not could glimpse be seen through the vapor which shrouded the west side
 of Grand Manan on one of whose num-
 erous lodges it was later believed she rested.
 The Cobequid was formerly the steamer Goth and had been pressed in to the winter service from maritime provinces to the tropics. She sailed from Halifax on December for West Indian ports and started north again
 on Dec. 80 from Grenada She call ed at Bermuda on the 9th and then
 cleared for St. John
 Caught In a Blizzard. Approaching the Bay of Fundy, fam l ous for it's swift tides and mountain
 ous seas, a blizzard descended upon the
 steamer.
 Captain Hawson was heading for ! Gannet Rock Light, the guide to the western side of the bay and a warning of the lodges which stretch ten miles to the southward of Grand Manan. It was about sunrise when the ope- rator at the wireless station at Cape | Sable across the bay, picked up the Cebequid's- cry for help. The message
 said that the vessel had struck a ledge off Brier Island, which is on the oppo- | site side of the bay and needed irnmed- late assistance. For the next few hours fragmentary messages wero re- ceiyed from the stranded steamer one
 of which said that the forward hold
 was filling. At $40 a. m- came the last gasp of the fading wireless to the eff feet that the engine room was flooded the batteries were exhausted and the
 operator unable to get any sparks. Boats to the Rescue.
 In the meantime both the Cana dian
 and American governments had begun active measures for rescue. The Ger
 man steamer Kronprinzessin CeciIie. off Sable Island on her way to New York was urged to change her course and head for the Cobequic, 200 miles to the northward. The government ] Gfo .ad rfo r%ol from this spot for the run of 150 miles to Grand Manan. The steamers Bel videre, Helena and Landowne were i asked to help and the revenue cutter Woodbury. in command of Lieutenant Rldgely. on her way from Portland to Rockland, was ordered to steam full speed for the scene
 Toward night it was discovered that the cable steamer Tyrian was at an chor behind Campobello, only forty miles from Gannet Rock Light and a
 message was sent to her skipper urg- ing him to proceed immediately to the
 aid of the Cobequid.
 Communication Cut Of. When the keeper of the Brier Is land light was notified of the acci- dent in the hope that he might give
 some information regarding her, he re- piled that he saw no trace of the Cob eQuid. This was subsequently con- hrmed by the steamer John L. Cam,
 which made circuit of the island dur ing the day. On a re-reading of the l first message from the Cobequid. the opinion was reached that the navigator
 was at a loss as to the real position
 Of the steamer and that she was in
 reality on the west side of the bay. Unfortunately communication with Grand Manan had been cut off some time before through the breaking Of the cable. so that no informa tion could be obtained from there
 Scene of Many Disasters.
 It was expected that some Of the
 steamers would be off Gannet Rock l light by midnight and that the Wood 1 bury would reach the scene by a. m Hope was felt that they would be able to sight the Cobequid, as there was B bright moon, and the gale tonight seemed to be subsiding.
 The Grand Manan ledges have been the scene Of many disasters, but loss
 of life has been comparatively small The steamer Tyrian was still at
 anchor at Campobeilo tonight wait ing for better weather conditions. The gale and the zero temperature con tinues and snow was falling in the Bay of Fundy-
 Two Girls Are Passengers. No passenger list of the Cobequid is ! available, but it is known that among those on board are Misses Marguerite and Dorothy James, girls of Is or IT
 years, children of the late R. H. James.
 Georges, Bermuda The girls were
 coming here as the guests of Joseph A Likely, a timber merchant, intend l ing later to go to a private school At Windsor. V. $.
 Passengers from Bermuda,
 Hamilton, Bermuda. Jan. 1s.-The RaYrr