Word: sos
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...whipped the North Atlantic into mighty combers. Seven hundred miles off the Virginia Capes wallowed the little Italian freighter Florida, bound for Naples. Its steering gear was broken, it was inundated by ferocious seas. For four days the crew lived on fruit and water. Frantically Capt. Giuseppe Favaloro flashed SOS signals. Several nearby vessels received them. But, not having radio compasses, which indicate the direction from which signals come, these ships could not locate the Florida...
Then, when obviously the ship was in grave peril, Captain Carey should have sent out his SOS. He delayed this too long. The lifeboats were in good condition, but were lowered with difficulty on account of the extreme list of the vessel. "No systematic effort was made to get the passengers into these boats...
Especially significant was Inspector Hoover's recommendation that admiralty laws be amended reducing the amount of salvage that may be claimed by masters of ships which answer another's SOS. Inspector Hoover pictured the reluctance of a captain in time of peril to incur the expense of salvage. "If the amount was reduced, the master of a ship in distress would not hesitate too long before asking for help...
Hysterical survivors filled the press with stories of leaking lifeboats, faulty tackle, indifference of officers, mutinous and incompetent crew. Capt. William J. Carey went down with his ship; but those who watched him on the bridge, taciturn, deaf to questions and pleas, wonder why he deferred SOS until 20 hours after danger became apparent...
...this time too he sent first general alarm, as far as is known, a C Q radio signal to other ships meaning "everybody listen." An hour later he sent SOS giving his position. To New York office of Lamport & Holt Line he reported: "During the night developed 32-degree list. Starboard decks under water. Ship lying on beam-ends. Impossible to proceed anywhere. Sea moderately rough...