The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-11-15
OFFICIALS KNEW VESSEL
WAS UNFIT FOR VOYAGE
BEFORE IT LEFT PORT
LampOrt and Holt Liners known Among All
Seamen as Old and UnseawOrthy
Giant Dirigibe, Groomed for War, Was Held
From Aiding in Rescue Work


survivors of the Vestris at the port
of New York from which the ship
set sail Saturday, charges of in
competent handling and criminal
negligence surprising that of all
other ship disasters in recent years
were made by members of the crew
and surviving passengers.
The charges involve the own
ers of the liner, Lamport and
Holt Company of England, and the
U. S. shipping authorities which, by
their failure to send out the navy
'irigible Los Angeles, must nouIder
the major part of the blame for
the loss of over 100 lives.
The survivors, as they arrived at
the port, were in a critical condi-
ton, and showed the tremendous
strain under which they had labored
during the past few days. MANY
were crippled; arms and legs and
ribs were broken, some of them were
disabled for life. And from all
came the same stories of horror. of
the mismanagement and incompe-
tence of those in control and com
mand OF the vessel who are princi-
paily charged with responsibility for
the tremendous loss of life.
Cargo Badly Loaded.
One of the causes of the disaster
brought to the fore yesterday was
that the cargo in the Vestris had
shifted in mid-sea, causing the yes
sci to founder. 1t was pointed out,
1 however, that this could not have
occurred if the cargo had been prop
erly stored in the hold. Sailors with
a score of years of experience ex-
pressed their belief that cargoes
have been known to shift in heavy
seas without any i'll effects on the
vessel. All evidence here last night
/ pointed to the fact that the ship had
been old and unseaworthy, and that
this had been the primary cause of
the wreck.
One man who had made several
trips on the liners of the Lamport
and Holt Company told of the fact
that the company's liners were
known throughout the world to be
the rottenest and most unseaworthy
ships to be sent on long ocean trips.
Every time a liner would reach
the United States" he said, there
was talk aboard about sending it to
the scrap heap when it returned to
England But the policy of the
Lamport and Holt Company, in total
disregard of the lives of its crews
and passengers, would repeatedly
put off the serapping. The sinking
of the Vestris, | believe, is un-
doubtedly due to the criminal negli-
gence of the company"
Old, Unfit Ships.
Many of the sailors, interviewed
yesterday at the International Sea-
mems Club, % South ST., told of the
reputation the Lamport and Holt
line has had among sea workers for
the last decade. a. and H." the
initials of the company, means
Lousy and Hungry to sailors all
over the world 1t is standing quip
among sailors that sea-gulls, as
soon as they would sight Lamport
and Holt ship, would turn right
back and fly away in terror.
The sailors angrily charged that
the life-boats on the Vestris had
been old and leaky, totally unfit for
usage. Besides, they added, the
/ boats yvara not ,,ro,ayl,, eoo,,.aI 4.
their places, fact which caused un-
necessary delay in setting them
afloat and manning them.
Surviving passengers were bitter
| in their denunciation of Captain
Carey. Knowing that the ship was
unfit for the voyage before it left
port, he had allowed the cargo to (
be dumped in haphazardly, they
charge. After the Vestris began
listing, to the starboard side, the
passengers and crew had grown
alarmed and. several of the passen-
gers had approached the captain to
send out calls for help. His ac-
tions, they allege, were criminally
negligent. For 16 hours after thel
vessel began to founder, he pro-
hibited any distress signals from
being sent out, in spite of the
growing anxiety of all on board.
Only after the deck had been sub
merged did he allow the radio man
aboard the ship, O'Laughlin, wLo
lost his life in the disaster, to send
out an S. 0. S. Even then, the cap
tain permitted the radio operator to
send out calls for aid only at long
intervals. The rumors about the
huge insurance that covered the old
ship, which came to the attention
of the investigators today. give an
ominous aspect to Captain Carey's
indifference at the momen of dan-.
/ ger.