Norwich bulletin., 1914-01-05
Tank Vessel With Crew of 35 Founders While in
Tow of Transatlantic Steamer
NO INFORMATION AS TO THE LOSS OF LIFE
Rescuing Steamer Loses One Leboat-Name of o Steam
er Not Given in Meagre Message Received by New York
Agents-Steamship Traffic ParaIyzed Along New JERSEY
and Long Island Coasts-Damage Exceeds s50OO0o.

New York. Jan. A wireless mes
sage received here tonight by the
agents Of the Compania Trans-AtIan-
tica said that the steamer Manuel
Calvo of that line was on her way
into port towing a disabled tank
steamer when at a point fifteen miles
east of Sandy Hook the tank steamer
sank. The Manuel Calvo lost one life
boat, the despatch said. There was
no mention of any loss of life nor
was the name of the tank steamer Civ
en-.
Tank Steamer Had 35 Men.
Inc tank steamer carried a crew of
80 men. The Manuel CaIvO has about
100 passengers on board and a large
cargo of freight
Wireless messages during the early
evening had told of an unidentified
disabled steamer in latitude 29.36 north
and longitude 1924 west, attended by
steamer whose name was first Civ
en- as the Manuel Talero when later
messages caves the name of the at
tenolns steamer as the Manuel Calvo it
appeared doubtful if this could be cor
rect as the records seemed to show
her in Gulf waters
Purport of Early Messages.
She had sailed from this city De-
cember 10 and from Havana Decem-
Der 20 for Mexican ports and was re-
ported at Vera Cruz on December 23.
Her schedule when found, however,
showed that she was due to reach
| New York about today and sail for
| Cadiz and Barcelona tomorrow. this
| serving to dispel doubts that the
steamer in question was the Calvo.
| The early wireless message gave
| the name of the distressed steamer as
| the Waska or Wacka, but no such
| steamers the
| details in the messages told how the
| Calvo lad reached the side of the dis
| abled steamer late this afternoon and
tried In vain to launch a lifeboat, one
being nearly swamped, her crew hav-
ing narrow escape from drowning
and another being smashed
Still a Matter of Doubt.
The fate of the oil tank steamer re-
| ported by wireless messages to be in
| a sinking condition about 40 miles
| south OF Ambrose channel lightship
| early this evening was still in doubt
late tonight. The Spanish steamer
| Manuel Calvo, which sent the MESA ges
telling of the oil vessels plight, report
ed at the time that she was standing
| by the crippled vessel, but had been
unable successfully to launch a boat
! and reach her side.
| Later message purporting to come
from the Manuel Calvo was received
stating that she had the tank steamer
in tow, but that the tank had sunk
when they were within Is miles OF
Sandy Hook. No mention was made OF
any loss of life. nor was the name ol
| the oil steamer given.
Reliability of Message Questioned.
Doubts as to the authenticity of the
message to the line were felt, how
ever. when wireless stations near here
reported at a late hour that they were
in touch with the Manuel CaIVo and
that she made no mention either oi
| taking the oil steamer in tow or of the
! tank going down.
On the contrary, the message said
that after having tried in vain to gel
| a boat to the disabled steamer the
! Manuel Calvo stood by until night SET
| in, when the tank, whose electrical ap-
| paratus seemed TO be out of order and
| which displayed no lights was lost
sight of in the darkness. Eight sail
ors had been visible on the oil steam
| er's decks as the Calvo was standine
by, but the total number on board oi
her was not definitely known. The
! Calvo apparently did not get neal
! enough to make out her name clearly