Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-06-16
FAKE REPORT Of
THE SHIP SIBERIA
WIRELESS REPORT SENT OUT
SEEMS TO HAVE CAUSED
MUCH CONFUSION.
Make SONE INVESTIGATIONS
International Sign Sent Out When
Only Simple Message Was
Reported.
Make SOKE INVESTIGATIONS

AOhlVs Ia 40 SAA SAS N
been thrown upon the wireless nys-
terry of the reported stranding of the
Pacific Mail Steamer Siberia, May l,
off the coast of Formosa, yet not
enough to say that the mystery has
been cleared. While people of two
h%emispheres were in dread that the
vessel had sunk, and a dozen a
ships were searching vainly, the 81
IBERIA sailed into Manila Bay, saying
that there must have been some mis-.
take as she had had no accident what.
sOever. m.
Mistaken Signals.
The Company officials here believe
that the confusion was caused by
the signal of the Persia being mis-.
taken for the international distress
signal IS o s" while the Siberia was
giving her position to the Persia and
they explain in detail their reasoning.
But the Japanese operator at the Oze-
saki land station insists that he really
heard the distress signal which claim
ed to come from the Siberia. He said
he did not thinA the signalk%"M B s.
(the name Of the Persia) could be
mistaken by a trained operator for
sos"
No word has come to Japan yet
from the Captain of the Siberia, CIV
ing his log or any theory as to the
mystery. Always admitting the 81.
IBERIA log may afford light, the Pacific
Mail Company officials offer this ex-
PLANTATION which was first suggested
by the wireless operator of the Persia.
The IS o S" distress is: three dots,
three dashes and three dots; thus:
(S) -. (O) --- (S) -.
The Persia call (MBS) is two
'dashes, one dash with three dots, and
three dots. 1t would be sent this
way: (M) - CD -. 81 -.
The static condition being bad it is
thought the operator at Ozesaki pick
ed up IS" the last letter of IN E s..
Then he caught the two dashes of
IN" and joined them to the dash of
the letter "B". The final three dots
of the letter b" gave him his 49,,
and he had IS OS".
Under this theory the spacing be.
tween the dashes must have been ir.
regular or shortened by the dots be-
ing. heightened. Hs" ~
Silence Not Explained.
Having found this explanation in
an effort to get at a solution of the
mystery, the steamship officials ad-
nit that It does not explain the ST.
lence of the Siberia on May l, after
The reported accident when through
out the day the hi,I1 power apparatus
on the Japanese and Formosa coasts
and on the British warships Minotaur
and Yarmouth as we'll as on the
American warships Wilmington and
Galveston, were unable to get any an
swer from the see. The company
thinks it may have been due to at
mospheric conditions which permit
ted communications between the ST.
IBERIA and the Persia but not with 9TH
err ships.
Interesting Narrative.
The stories of the various persons
and ships concerned with the Siberia
affair form an interesting narrative.
The distress message, supposed to
come from the Siberia, was received
at $40 a. m. May l.. The log of the
Persia shows that at $50 a. m. that
day the Persia received a message
from the Siberia. At $3.50 a IN. she
exchanged positions with the Siberia;
at $50 a. m. she received two mes
sages from the Siberia and at 1885
p. m. the Persia sent two. The Cap.
tain of the Persia sent two. The
Captain of the Persia continues his
narrative:
" Hailed Other Vessels.
At two O'clock in the afternoon,
p! May l, the Siberia was lighted and
two steamers passed each other at a
! very short distance. They were then
IL miles south of Cape Bojeador, or
about 260 miles south of the position
in which the Siberia was reported to
be in distress. Another 'bessage from
the Siberia was expected by those on
the Persia at 8 o'clock that evening,
May I, but this was not received.
At ITO o'clock the following morn.
less message from the British warship
Yarmouth that the Siberia was "all
right" This massage naturally puz-
zled those on board the Persia for
they could not understand why such
"a message should have been consid-
cred necessary. Twenty minutes lat.
er, at half past one, the Persia re-
ceived a wireless from Nagasaki say.
ing that the Siberia was in distress at
a point 22.40 north and 121.1O east,
namely, 751 miles north of Manila.
The Persia's officers realized that
there had been some mistake, for the
Siberia had already been sighted far
south of that position, which was still
north of the rersia's position.
At -Four O'clock.
At ten minutes past four another
wireless call was received, this time
from the Korea. then lying in port at
Hongkong. The Korea said: Siberia
in great danger in lat. 22.4O north and
long. 121.O east. information re.
ceived in regard the same from Nag
=. asaki and Yokohama. Mr.. Morton,
agent in Hongkong desires you to
hurry up to Siberia in order to render
assistance. Nelson" Captain Hill of
the Persia replied: II met the 81.
IBERIA at 2 p. m. yesterday-looks like
a mistake. Left Manila on April 80.
1, am now off Guarim Point" Halt
an hour later a message was received
from the Siberia herself, saying thai