The Rescue of the Brigantine “Lusso” by the Steamer “Villena”

In the final stages of World War I, the shortage of merchant ships was significant, primarily due to the sinkings carried out by submarines. Taking advantage of this lack of vessels and the substantial profits that freight rates brought to their owners, numerous ships that were often sidelined in the docks of ports or used for other purposes (barges, floating coal depots, or simply waiting for scrapping…) were reactivated.

This was the case of the brigantine-schooner “Lusso,” of 800 tons and Portuguese flag, with over 40 years of life in its hull, which was found sidelined in a dock in the port of Lisbon, likely waiting for scrapping. However, due to the lack of available vessels for maritime trade, it was put back into service and began a new life. Nevertheless, its hull was not in good condition.

At the beginning of May 1917, it was on a voyage from the port of Oporto to Bordeaux carrying a load of wine. Initially, its navigation was proceeding normally, but the weather conditions worsened to the point that on the 8th it was about 15 miles from Cape Finisterre facing a strong storm that had caused a leak through which a huge amount of water was entering that they could not stop.

The crew, commanded by their captain, was preparing to abandon ship when they spotted a steamer in the distance, to which they signaled for help using flags. It was the Spanish steamer “Villena,” which, upon seeing the distress signals, immediately came to their aid, managing with difficulty to send a towline that they secured on board the brigantine. They then set course for the port of Corcubión, where they arrived on the 10th, and after completing the anchoring maneuvers, the captain of the “Villena,” Rogelio Hernández Díaz, proceeded to claim from the captain of the “Lusso,” José de Senna de Oliveira, a compensation of 100,000 pesetas for the rescue.

However, the Portuguese captain disagreed with the amount being claimed. In light of this, on May 14, the captain of the “Villena” attempted to communicate with him again to establish a deposit of the 100,000 pesetas. To do this, he first tried to have him appear at the office of the notary in Corcubión, Jesús Fernández Abelenda, to formalize the claim. However, despite having promised to do so in advance, he did not attend the meeting, and instead, the vice-consul of Portugal in Corcubión, Salvador Ramón Carrera, attended, stating that Mr. Senna de Oliveira had returned to his ship. Consequently, the notary and the captain proceeded to board the “Lusso.” When they set foot on its deck, they were greatly surprised to find that the guards stationed there informed them that he was not on board, which was confirmed by the first officer. After returning to shore to try to locate him, which proved impossible, they gave up on the matter around seven in the evening, hoping that he would eventually contact them (AHUS Protocols year 1917 Notary Jesús Fernández Abelenda).

As Mr. Senna de Oliveira was ignoring the requests, the captain of the “Villena” filed a lawsuit in court, and the cargo of wine from Oporto bound for Bordeaux was seized.

To try to reach a satisfactory agreement for both parties, on May 21, the owner of the “Lusso” arrived in Corcubión so that it could continue its journey and deliver the cargo at its destination port.

By October, the litigation had still not been resolved, and the “Lusso” remained anchored near the port, with its crew witnessing life in the estuary. One of the crew members of the “Lusso,” sailor Antonio Quintino Forte, originally from Cape Verde, managed to save two young women from drowning who were on an excursion in the estuary.

A group of young people from Cee was on an excursion near Corcubión when, at one point, the boat tilted due to the poor distribution of passengers. Although it did not capsize, two of the young women aboard fell into the sea. The boat was close to the anchorage of the “Lusso,” where the aforementioned sailor was witnessing the incident. Without hesitation, he jumped into the water, fully clothed, to save the two young women, who, although they managed to stay afloat for a moment, eventually sank due to the weight of their clothes. The brave sailor submerged in the water and managed to bring the bodies of the unfortunate women, who had lost consciousness but were still alive, to the surface. Once back on the boat, they were taken along with their rescuer to the dock, where the crowd gathered there, who had witnessed the rescue, showered the hero with congratulations and applause. The residents of Cee and Corcubión requested the authorities to seek a reward for the sailor for his heroic act.

The ship “Lusso” was still in the estuary in December, on which the judge of the First Instance Court of Corcubión issued a ruling citing as involved in the lawsuit that had been filed by the owner of the steamer “Villena,” the shipper or shippers of the cargo it was carrying as interested parties. Ultimately, the litigation would reach a favorable conclusion, and it is recorded that on August 22, 1918, the Portuguese brigantine would once again make a stop in Corcubión.

The steamer “Villena” belonged to the registry of Barcelona, where it had been registered in 1889, with R. Ramos as its owner and Rogelio Hernández as its captain. Its dimensions were: length 68.18 meters, beam 8.40 meters, depth 5.80 meters, and displacement 955 tons.

Sources:

Virtual Library of Historical Press

Historical University Archive of Santiago de Compostela (Notarial Protocols).

Photo: provided by Alejandro Fernández