Evening star., 1928-11-19
SOS DELAY ORDERS
DENIED BY YACENTOF
OWNERS OF vESTR|S
Official Says ProberS Are
Wasting Time Seeking Copy
of Alleged Message.
INQUIRY TO BE RESUMED
BY U. S. ATTORNEY TODAY
Several New Lines of Investigation
to Be Followed; Inspection
Probe Goes On.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. November l9.-Denial
in behalf of the owners of the British
steamship vestris that they caused the
captain 10 delay o S calls focused
attention today on radio messages OBJ
tanned by Federal Attorney Charles H.
Tuttle. who is conducting an inquiry
into the disaster.
David Cook, vice president OF Sander
son Sy Son, American agents Tor Lam
port g. Holt, issued this statement:
eve had no message from Capt. Carey
until after we had asked him what was
his trouble. The first We knew OF any
trouble on the Vestris was about 1918
Monday morning November 12l when
somebody at Station WOR calleo US up
~ asE If we had heard the S o S which
the Vestris was sending out ana winch
their station was picking up. l I'M
mediately rang up the Radio Marine
C,ornoration and asked them for details,
which thev gave me. I then instructed
them to send a wireless to Capt Carey
asking him what his trouble was ana
his reply was the first communication
We had from him. United states AT
+ornnv Tllttle is wasting his time trying
tn unearth some message between Capt.
Carey and me before the s o was
sent out"
Ship's Files SubpOenaed.
MR. Tuttle has subpoenaed the radio
files of merchant ships, including the
VoItaire of the Lamport & Holt Line
which was the nearest OF It's snlps 10
the Vestris when she sank. He aiso
has obtained Navy records OF all raolo
messages concerning the Vestr1S.
The SOS call was sent at lO O'CLOCK
last Monday morning. Charles Vechere,
third radio operator of the Vestrls,
testified last week that a preliminary
distress message, saying I'VE may neeo
assistance" was sent to all ships apouI
or 9 o'clock Monday morning.
similar preliminary distress message. ne
said, might have been sent even oeIore
pm. Sunday, but later he testiileo ne
believed the one message was the only
one of the sort sent.
.Tohn Boxil. a negro stoker of the
Vestris. who was rescued by the Datlle-
ship wyoming, was quoted IN d1spatcnes
from Norfolk, Va, as saying that. the
Vestris was unable to reach the Voltaire
by radio and so reported to the line,
which then notified Capt. Carey that
il would notify the Voltaire to go to
his assistance. -Boxil said the officers
and crew of the Vestris did not believe
that the boat would sink, but Thought
that she would have to be towed in
and wished the Voltaire to do this
in order to save salvage fees.
Session Set for Today.
inflammation obtained bv Mr. Tuttle
and the possibility that witnesses might
leave his jurisdiction caused him to call
a hearing for this afternoon. When the
session ended Saturday an adjournment
was taken till Tuesday.
Two nautical advisers representing
the United States and Great Britain
have been designated to assist at the
hearings.
guilt for the delay in sending the 5 Q 3
Mr.. Tuttle today had in mind SeVeral
other lines of inquiry.
He desired to inquire into reports that
the Vestris left port damaged notice
ably by collision in the harbor. While
he said he did not believe that any
nearby vessels equipped with wireless
would have failed to respond to the
s O S. he intended looking into re-
port that such vessels were within 70
miles at the time OF the olStreSS slgnai
and did not answer.
He was interested also in denials by
survivors of statements attributed to
them by the press criticizing the con-
duct of Capt. Carey, his officers and the
crew.
He also planned to inquire into the
slowing of the cargo, which some ac-
counts said shifted enough to empna-
size the fatal list, and into the stories
of firemen that a coal port, open Wnen
the Vestris sailed, let tons OF water INTO
the vessel.
Weather Charts Prepared.
Complete weather charts for Sunday
the day when it has been testified the
real danger began to be apparent, as
being prepared in view of testimony OF
ships officers that the weather was un-
usually severe, as contraSted with Capt.
Carey's radio describing the sea as
moderately rough"
The inquiry by the Steamboat IN
spection Service into the clean bill OF
health given the ship by their local M
Spectors also continues today.
The chief officer and the chlef en-
gineer of the VestriS testified at the
futile inquiry Saturday that five leaks
were found after the ship put to sea.
Several passengers have said the ll1e-
boats were in an unserviceable condl-
tim