Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-03-09
SHIP AND CREW LOST
WITH RESCUE At HAND
twenty-five Men Go Down With
Crontoft; Not a Lifeboat
Saved.

New York, March "a thrilling
story OF the sea was brought here yes
terday by the Baltic American liner
Estonia, whose captain, Hans Jor-
gensen, told how the Norwegian
freighter Grontoft. with her crew OF
twenty five men. had gone to join the
toll of the Atlantic.
The Estonia arrived on the scene
four hours after receiving the last
call sent out for aid by the wireless
operator of the sinking ship. but there
was not trace of any living thing
or even piece OF wood TO show where
she had gone down TO a sailors grave.
Nothing could be seen on the horizon
except the heavy gray seas with foam
Ing white tops as they fell into the
trought Of the sea.
In telling the story of how the
I9stonin risked bufteting by the dan
gerous seas In going TO the rescue of
the Grontoft, Captain Jorgensen said
that his operator. Edward Hansen,
picked up the first S at 10 a. m.
on March 2.
There wns n westerly gale blow
! Ina at the time" he continued, and
the Estonla was slowed down 10 six
knots to avoid doing any damage for
ward. Tho fret position given by the
disabled ship was ;06 north and A.
40 west. The operator said that
The ship was sinking and succor must
come immediately or Il would be too
late.
Directly received the message
from the operator" said Captain JOr-
gcnsen, 81 signaled To the engine room
full speed ahead. and tho Estonia in
creased from & to knots. lly that
time had received a correction of the
first radio from the GroniOft, giving
her position IA a7;4s latitude north
and 4li4I longitude west. Roughly
Il was coo miles east OF Cape Race
about mid Atlantic, and forty eight
miles ahead uf our position on a di-
rect course. our operator helayed IN,
= q = call aud received replies from
other steamships.
AZ II 10 we picked up another mes.
sage from the Gronteft stating that
the men were getting ready 10 lower
the lfeboats. although there was nth,
chance they could live in such dan.
gerous sea, even il they got safely
away. The message ended by an ap-
peal TO hurry up.
The Estonla was plunging into bis
seas which swept over the bow. Han
sen. the operator. got the last messag,
from the Grontoft at 1910 p. m. which
was so faint as 10 he scarcely dect
phcrablc. Her wireless man rencr,e,
that the main dynamo had given OUT
and he was working with his storag,
batteries.
The boats are smashed. the mos
sage read. and me az the men wer,
swept overheard. We are alnos
6 awash now. I may be driven out an,
r minute. Hurry. You may not heaI
from mo again
Fl nhappily, his prediction proved :,
be correct. That was the last wor,
any human being heard from ID,
SNIP ana her crew 81 twenty I'VE souls
D ticr operator did not give his narna :,
= our man hut he did his duty and s,ucl
- 10 his post until the shin went 6nu,,
under him"
captain Jorgens,n added that ne ,r
: rived at the position given b,. ~
q |F"ntoft al 40 p. II. and saw no,bi,,
| on the horizon bat the tunbling Con.
y Inc number q men aboard ~
|Fontoit was not known. bur 3, Va
d estimated not more than .va,,,,- a,
!. Al! toid' as she was very small yes
sci Ter the Atlantic trade