New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-24
LINER ON ROCKS;
PASSENGERS SAVED
Red Star Steamship Goth
land Comes to Grief
at Scilly.
Ia cabIe % ~ TrIbune. ]

London, June 24.-Still another wreck
of large liner in fog has to be re-
corded. Late yesterday afternoon news
came from Bishops Rock lighthouse,
off Lands End, that the Belgian Red
Star liner Gothland, 1900 tons, bound
from Montreal June II to Rotterdam,
had struck on the ugly Gunner Rocks
in q dense mist. From the neighbor-
hood of The Lizard the steamers AS
canius and Montezuma went to the
ships assistance, and almost simulta-
neously message from the Scilly ISL
ands reported that the mail steamer
Lyonnesse was towing lifeboats to the
scene.
After that there was long and anX-
ious silence till shortly after 10
o'clock, when the reassuring news came
that it was likely that there would be
no loss of life.
At 9:4O y. M, as the fog lifted
somewhat. the rescuing steamer Lyon
nesse sighted the Gothland fast on
the rocks with bad list to starboard.
The Lyonesse got as near to the liner
as the nature of the rough coast would
allow. and the lifeboats towed to the
scene quickly took off all the passen-
gers.
Boatload Falls from Davits.
The Gothland was badly damaged
and all her attempts to launch her own
boats proved hazardous, owing to the
heavy sea shat swept over the reef. The
first boat fell from the davits into The
sea and was smashed. The occupants
of the boat were thrown into the water,
but fortunately a st. Mary's lifeboat
was near by and rescued all of them,
although a stewardess was nearly
drowned.
A second boat wes swung out, but
with no better success. Eventually all
the passengers, numbering 1870 emil
grants, and S6 of the crew were safely
transferred to the Lyonnesse and land
ed at Hugh Town, St. Mary's Island,
the capital of the Sclly group. Sew
eral of them were injured, one man
having an arm broken and another suf-
fering from serious scalds.
The Gothland is reported so badly
damaged that the seas will flow in and
out of a rent in her hull as the tide
rises and falls. and it seems there can
be no other fate for her than to be-
come q total wreck. She has twenty
seven feet OF water in No. and No. 2
holds. The captain, officers and some
of the crew remain aboard. and a St.
Marys lifeboat is standing by.
\ Graveyard Of Ships.
Red Star officials in London are un %.
able to say how many passengers were
on board. The Gothsnd is the small
est of the four vessels OF the Red Star
feet She was built by Harland e.
Wolf in Belfast in 1898, and is a steel
vessel with twin screws. She was for
morly named the Gothic, and is fitted
with submarine signalling and wireless
apparatus.
Bishops Rock is the spot where the
most westerly English lighthouse is
sitIated. The position is one OF great
wildress. and is exceedingly dangerous
TO shipping. as well as trying in the
extreme 10 lighthouse keepers. In the
winter IL Is frequently Impossible 10
relieve the men for weeks at a time
The waves sometimes race up to the
top of the tower, and once a bell
weighing five hundredweight, slung 100
feet above the water, was washed
away.
Each rock thereabouts is q grim mon
ument to disaster Beneath the wa
tiers sunken wrecks lie st. ewn as no.
where else about England's coasts
Hidden reefs, raging seas. powerful
currents and dense foSs have all had