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The S.S. Flying Enterprise (2)

The Lizard, Cadgwith, and Falmouth, Cornwall.—The S.S. Flying Enterprise, of New York, had been drifting help- lessly in the Atlantic Ocean for over a week, with only her captain on board.

She was listing very heavily. On the 5th of January, 1952, the tug Turmoil put her mate on board the steamer, to help the captain and then took the steamer in tow, making for Falmouth in very bad weather. The tow rope parted on the 9th, about forty miles south-south-east of The Lizard, and at 1.15 in the morning of the 10th the owners of the tug asked for a lifeboat.

At 2.40 the Lizard life-boat Duke of York, was launched, with Mr. F. G.

Chapman, the honorary secretary, on board. A strong west-north-west gale was then blowing, with a rough sea.

The life-boat reached the Flying Enterprise at eight in the morning and found her lying on her side, but the captain and the mate of the tug would not leave her. An American destroyer, the tug Turmoil and other tugs were standing by her and the life-boat circled her closely for four hours. At noon, as her fuel was getting low, and as the Flying Enterprise did not appear to be in imminent danger of sinking, she made for her station.

The Lizard station informed the Cadgwith station, and at 12.20 the Cadgwith life-boat Guide of Dunkirk was launched to take over the duty of the Lizard life-boat, but before she arrived on the scene, she learnt that the Flying Enterprise had sunk at four in the afternoon and that her captain, and the mate of the Turmoil, had been rescued by the Turmoil.

Meanwhile the Falmouth life-boat Crawford and Constance Conybeare had been launched at three in the afternoon with the intention of relieving the" Lizard life-boat, but shortly after four o'clock she was recalled when the news reached her station that the Flying Enterprise had sunk.

The Lizard life-boat, which had started to return to her station atnoon, altered course for Falmouth, on account of the bad weather, and arrived there at 7.50 that night, the 10th.

She returned to her station the next morning. The Cadgwith life-boat arrived back at her station at 9.15 on the night of the 10th, and the Falmouth life-boat arrived at her station at 4.30 in the afternoon.— Rewards, The Lizard, £76 5*. 6d.; Cadgwith, £34 1*.; Falmouth, £7..