Evening star., 1928-11-14
MASTER Of RESCUE
SHIP GIVES REPORT
Tells Of Being Forced to Cast
Own Lifeboat Adrift Be-
cause of Storm.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, November i4.-ThiS is
the story told today by Capt. Schuyler
Cummings, master of the Steam Amer
ican Shipper, which brought to port Al
passengers and "a of the crew Of the
Vestris.
"On Monday, November u, at l1:06
am, he said, we received an S Q S
from the Vestris and Immediately
changed our course to the southwark
and proceeded at utmost speed to the
position given. After the s o S, at
tempts were made to get the true posi-
ton of the Vestris by the use of the
radio compass, but signals became so
weak that we could not get bearings.
We. therefore, had to rely on the posi-
ton given by the steamer VeStris, and
radio positions relayed from shore sta
tionS.
About 7:30 pm we arrived at one
Of the positions given by some shore
stations, but nothing was in sight, and
we continued on a Southerly course
to the position given by the VeStris,
which was approximately 80 miles south
of the radio stations position We
reached the position given by the Vestris
at 1890 pm. and Immediately sighted
a white light which shortly proved to
be the masthead light of another
searching steamer.
Flare Marks Lifebcat.
From 11:O3 pm. until am. on
November Is we searched the crea
where the Vestris was supposed to have
gone down, but not finding any wreck
age in the area indicated, We decided
to extend our search further to the
east and south, figuring that the drift
of the current might have carried the
lifeboats further east.
This calculation fortunately proved
10 be correct, and at $40 am. We saw
a Fare from lifeboat almost right
ahead, and at 4:05 am. we came along
side a lifeboat from which we took %
survivors When these survivors were
taken aboard no other boats we're in
sight, but at 4:30 am. cries were heard
and by using our searchlight we located
a lifeboat, No. l Of the VeStriS, and
rescued l9 persons.
SIT appears that this boat had used
UP its. flares and. therefore, could not
signal it's position. Shortly after this
boat was located another flare was seen
toward which we proceeded at full
speed, and at Sis am. arrived along
side ltfeboat No. 3, saving all persons on
beard.
Two Taken From Water.
'F'rom $50 I'm. until daybreak, about
$50, nothing further was sighted, and
then lifeboatS Nos. 10 and II, and by
1896 We had taken aboard all the per-
sons in these boats AT this time the
radio communication with other search
ing vessels led us to believe that al
the iifeboats which had got away from
the VeStris were accounted for, so we
decided TO continue the search Tor
life raft or for survivors in life belts.
"Ar 9:46 We sighted two persons in
the water in life preservers and we low
cred our No. 2 lifeboat in charge OF
Second Officer Gilman. This boat sue
ceeded With considerable difficulty IN
saving two persons. one Of whom prov
ed to be a woman and, it appears,
that both these survivors had been
in the water since the VestriS sank
almost 90 hours previous. In carrying
out this rescue it was necessary to
cast adrift our own lifeboat, as mean
time the sea had greatly increased and
there was a possibility Of injury to our
lifeboat's crew if we attempted to get
it aboard.
One Man Loses Hand.
During the rest of the forenoon we
maneuvered through the wreckage at
slow spe e., searching it thoroughly for
additional survivors, but finding none.
The battleship Wyoming and the steam
ship Berlin also took part in the search.
At noon, in view of the fact that sew
eral other Government vessels had ar
rived on the scene, and considering
the large number of persons we had
on board, some of whom required hos
pital treatment, decided to abandon
the search to proceed to New York,
where we arrived at 7:30 this morning.
"The following is list of the injured
requiring hospital treatment:
'Passerigers-E. Keizer. amputation
of the left hand: E. M Walcott, frac-
tured ribs; william w. Ulrich, frac-
tured leg; w. w. Davies. acute bron-
chitis and shock, and Miss Henrietta
Cubbin, shock
"Crew-Eenry Carpenter. fractured
leg; George Amsdell, fractured arm:
Jean Gladianes, severe lacerations Of
the hand; Reginald Bannister, lacera-
tions of the foot; John Hogg, fracture
of both arms; John Kewn, lacerationS
of the hands, and Lorando Moore,
stewardess, shock"
The outstanding heroine of the
wreck of the Vestris. in the opinion OF
Capt Cummings, was the stewardesS
of the Vestris, Mrs. Ball, who was the
woman referred to as having been taken
out of the water after having floated
20 hours. She insisted on the man,
who was in the water with her, being
taken aboard the ship first. and when
she got on board the steamer she in
sisted that she was well enough to stand