# Blind transcriptions (Phase 1) — read directly from the page images before opening any report file

Conventions: text inside [square brackets] = letters hidden by a fold, a scan edge or damage, supplied by me; "/" = line or paragraph break where relevant; quotation marks are reproduced as printed («», "…„ etc.).

## 1. Il Piccolo delle Ore Diciotto, 16 Oct 1940, p. 3 — "Il mistero dell'«Ourang-Medan»"
Source files: ilpiccolo_1940-10-16_p3_full.png (6842x9886), _low.jpg; the PDF contains the same 3284x4745 scan. NB: the scan is cut at the left page edge and a fold hides the first 1–3 letters of most lines of column 1.

(a) Page header (top of page): `LE ULTIME NOTIZIE - IL PICCOLO DELLE ORE DICIOTTO, pag. III, Mercoledì 16 Ottobre 1940 - Anno XVIII` (a numeral at the far left is cut by the scan edge).

(b) Headline: `Il mistero dell' "Ourang-Medan„` — the ship name is set between a raised opening mark (") and a low closing mark („), not «».

(c) Sub-heading (bold): `[13] novembre 1939` (the numeral is hidden by the fold; "novembre 1939" is clear).
Paragraph: `La notte del 13 novembre 1939 a [cir]ca duecento miglia a sud-est [de]l gruppo delle Salomone mentre [..]avigava verso il canale di Pa[na]ma, intercettammo la seguente [se]gnalazione: «S. O. S. de Ourang-Medan pse [.]W [D]H medico urgent», che tradotto in lingua chiara vuol dire: «S. O. S. del piroscafo Ourang-[M]edan, preghiamo navi con in[st]allazioni onde corte ottenerci ur[ge]nte consulto medico».`
- Line 2 of the message begins under the fold; what is visible is `V (?)H medico urgent»`: the "V" is most probably the right half of a "W", and the damaged glyph before "H" is compatible with "D". I cannot read the letter(s) before "W".
- "mentre [..]avigava": one or more letters hidden; "navigava" or "si navigava".
Next paragraph: `Già per se stessa la segnalazione era molto strana inquantochè [il] marconista dell'«Ourang-Medan» [a]veva fatto precedere la sigla [«..]DH medico» dal segnale di soccorso «S. O. S.» il che significava [tr]attarsi di un caso di una gravi[tà …]`

(d) (column 1, below the second photograph, continuing at the top of column 2)
`Passammo nuovamente sulla gamma commerciale ed informammo l'«Ourang-Medan» di essere in comunicazione con i centri medici di Roma, «Elbe Weser» e «St. Marie-de-la-Mer» e lo invitammo a trasmetterci la sua richiesta.`
`Dopo qualche minuto l'«Ourang-Medan», con l'apparecchio ausiliario, rispose: «Probabilmente secondo ufficiale morto, altri membri dell'equipaggio pure uccisi. Annullate consulto medico. S. O. S. urgente assistenza nave guerra. S. O. S. lat... long... punto stimato. Equipaggio ha...».`
`E qui improvvisamente la comunicazione cessò del tutto dileguandosi con una serie di punti e di linee senza alcun significato ed inintelligibili.`
`Tuttavia ripetemmo col nostro apparecchio principale la comunicazione dell'«Ourang-Medan» ed annullammo l'ascolto dei centri medici.`

(e) Sub-heading: `Il dirottamento della "W 716„`
`Le congetture e le supposizioni erano le più disparate: Ammutinamento? caso di pirateria? rivolta di forzati? (l'«Ourang-Medan» l'anno prima trasportava un carico di forzati dall'Inghilterra all'Australia). Perchè in un primo tempo l'«Ourang-Medan» chiese «urgente bisogno consulto medico», e poi annullando lo stesso segnalò «S. O. S. urgente bisogno assistenza nave guerra!».`
`Fissate sulla carta di navigazione le coordinate dell'«Ourang-Medan» si stabilì che il punto veniva a trovarsi sulla nostra rotta ed avremmo potuto raggiungerlo entro 16 ore navigando a tutto vapore.`
`Nel frattempo una torpediniera americana e precisamente la «W 716» comunicava che aveva dirottato e sperava raggiungere l'«Ourang-Medan» entro le 24 ore.`
`Di mezz'ora in mezz'ora chiamavamo l'«Ourang-Medan» ripetendo: «Veniamo in vostro soccorso», e così pure la torpediniera americana comunicava per radiofonia: «We are coming at full speed».`

(f) Sub-heading `Uno scoppio nelle stive` — `Sul ponte di comando trovammo il corpo del secondo ufficiale. Pure questo non presentava alcuna ferita nè alcuna chiazza di sangue sulla sua uniforme. Contammo in tutto dodici cadaveri dei quali tre ufficiali di coperta. E gli altri? Una nave come l'«Ourang-Medan» doveva avere almeno 40 persone di equipaggio.`

(g) `Il comandante decise di fare ricerca negli alloggi del capitano e degli ufficiali. Proprio in quel momento uno scoppio rintronò in una delle stive dell'«Ourang-Medan». Uscimmo in fretta sulla coperta. Una colonna di fumo bluastra, come un enorme bengala, usciva dalla boccaporta numero due.`

(h) `Del mistero dell'«Ourang-Medan» non restava che una collezione di fotografie, molte delle quali passate in esclusività alla Marina da guerra americana a cui incombe il non facile compito di risolvere l'enigma.` Byline (bold caps): `SILVIO SCHERL-SCHERLI`

(i) Captions. Photo 1 (a body on the bridge, spanning cols 3–5): `..sul ponte di comando trovammo il corpo del secondo ufficiale...` (two leading dots, three trailing dots, bold). Photo 2 (ship at sea, cols 1–2, lower left): `L'«Ourang-Medan» sta per inabissarsi` (bold, right-aligned under the picture).

## 3. Il Piccolo delle Ore Diciotto, 5 Feb 1941, p. 3 — "Luce sulla misteriosa fine del piroscafo «Ourang Medan»"
Page header: `LE ULTIME NOTIZIE - IL PICCOLO DELLE ORE DICIOTTO, pag. III, Mercoledì 5 Febbraio 1941 - Anno XIX`

(a) Headline (2 lines): `Luce sulla misteriosa fine / del piroscafo «Ourang Medan»`. Sub-headline (3 lines, light type): `Il ritrovamento di un superstite / della tragica nave salvato dagli / indigeni di un'isola della Malesia`

(b) Dateline: `VITI LEVU (Figi), 5`
First paragraph: `La misteriosa e tragica fine della nave australiana «Ourang Medan» (L'uomo Nero), che appassionò il pubblico nel racconto di un ufficiale giuliano che fu spettatore al suo drammatico epilogo, è stata svelata. Il destino non ha voluto che questo appassionante dramma dell'Oceano rimanesse coperto dal mistero. Come i lettori ricorderanno, il giorno 19 novembre 1939 la nave australiana «Ourang Medan» chiedeva per radio «S.O.S. urgente bisogno assistenza medica, secondo ufficiale ucciso...».` (the day is "19", verified at 3x magnification)
Sub-heading `Oltre un anno dalla tragedia` — `Ottenuto il collegamento con i principali centri medici del mondo, tramite l'immediato interessamento di un'altra nave operante sulle onde corte, l'operatore marconista dell'«Ourang Medan», con grande meraviglia di chi ascoltava, chiese: «Annullate assistenza et consulto medico centri medici Alt S.O.S. urgente immediata assistenza nave guerra, equipaggio ha...». E qui improvvisamente cessò ogni ulteriore trasmissione e non fu più possibile entrare in comunicazione con la misteriosa nave.`

(c) Sub-heading `Il racconto del naufrago` — `Lo scorso mese di dicembre 1940 si presentò al Governatore di Viti Levu, isola del gruppo delle Figi, un indigeno della costa settentrionale dell'isola e gli raccontò che da oltre un anno la sua tribù ospita un uomo bianco che fu raccolto moribondo a bordo di una scialuppa che sulle fiancate portava il nome della nave «Ourang Medan». Il Governatore, che conosceva il dramma di codesta nave si interessò subito della cosa ed inviò una cannoniera nei pressi della baia settentrionale onde trasportare il naufrago a Viti Levu.`

(d) `Dopo alcuni giorni il naufrago dell'«Ourang Medan» fece il seguente racconto: «Partimmo da Singapore, con un carico di 2500 casse il cui contenuto non era precisato sulla polizza di carico o meglio era falsato, diretti ad un porto occidentale dell'Australia. Il comandante era pure proprietario della nave. Eccezione fatta per gli ufficiali, il resto dell'equipaggio era composto di malesi e di indiani.`
(then) `Quando ci trovammo all'altezza della costa occidentale dell'Australia, il comandante ci disse che aveva ricevuto ordini radiotelegrafici per cui doveva continuare il viaggio verso il Panama.`

(e) `Il giorno 11 ottobre il nostromo di coperta mentre toglieva il cappuccio ad uno sfiatatoio di una stiva fu colto da un improvviso malore e stramazzò sulla coperta. Era morto. L'equipaggio impressionato si rivolse nuovamente al comandante.`

(f) Sub-heading `Le esalazioni mortali` — `Il giorno 13 fu fatale per l'«Ourang-Medan». Ricordo benissimo che il mare era calmo, liscio ed oleoso e non un filo d'aria ne incrinava la sua superficie. Un caldo asfissiante rendeva l'aria irrespirabile. / Quella mattina due fuochisti e due ufficiali macchinisti mentre erano intenti, nel corridoio ove scorre l'asse dell'elica, a rappezzare il fondo della stiva n. 4, lavorando con la fiamma ossidrica, furono colpiti da malore e stramazzarono al suolo come fulminati. Il capo macchinista che assisteva alla scena dalla porticina che dal reparto macchine immette al «tunnel dell'asse», accorse immediatamente cercando di portare aiuto ai quattro disgraziati, ma giunto sul posto fu visto a sua volta crollare a terra come se qualcuno gli avesse dato una mazzata sulla testa.`

(g) `Centinaia e centinaia di grossi topi: gli abitanti delle stive, dei meandri delle sentine e dei mille e mille nascondigli della nave che essi mai abbandonano durante il giorno, uscivano a frotte da ogni dove e sembravano impazziti dal terrore e per nulla intimoriti dalla presenza degli uomini. Anzi sembrava che cercassero la loro compagnia. I topi abbandonano le sentine soltanto quando la nave corre imminente pericolo.`

(h) Sub-heading: `"Tutti morti, tutti morti!„` — `Poco dopo riapparve. Stravolto in viso e con gli occhi fuori dalle orbite ci gridò: tutti morti, tutti morti... fuggite... e pure lui stramazzò pesantemente sulla coperta.`
(context) `... il marconista che dalle finestre della stazione aveva osservato l'accaduto e supponendo che il secondo ufficiale fosse stato ucciso da noi lanciò il primo tragico dispaccio e poi lo fece subito seguire dal secondo col quale richiedeva «immediata assistenza nave guerra».`

(i) `Dalle investigazioni portate a buon fine dal governatore di Viti Levu risulta che l'«Ourang-Medan» aveva caricato a Singapore una grande partita clandestina di spiriti di nitroglicerina nonchè una partita di cianuro di potassio solido e liquido e numerose casse di acido solforico.` … `Per quanto concernono gli scoppi nelle stive della nave i chimici hanno assodato che, essendosi rotte le casse ed i relativi imballaggi contenenti gli spiriti di nitroglicerina, l'alcool evaporò lasciando la nitroglicerina esplosiva. Non si è mai saputo chi fosse il destinatario della merce.`

## 5. Gazzetta Ufficiale del Regno d'Italia, 4 Oct 1930, n. 232, p. 4025 (leaf 8), decree (3637) N. 11419-24481
`IL PREFETTO DELLA PROVINCIA DI TRIESTE / Veduta la domanda presentata dal sig. Silvio Scherk fu Giuseppe, nato a Trieste il 29 aprile 1901 e residente a Trieste, corso Garibaldi n. 13, e diretta ad ottenere a termini dell'art. 2 del R. decreto-legge 10 gennaio 1926, n. 17, la riduzione del suo cognome in forma italiana e precisamente in « Scherli »; / Veduto che la domanda stessa è stata affissa per un mese tanto all'albo del Comune di residenza del richiedente, quanto all'albo di questa Prefettura, e che contro di essa entro quindici giorni dalla seguita affissione non è stata fatta opposizione alcuna; / Veduti il decreto Ministeriale 5 agosto 1926 e il R. decreto 7 aprile 1927, n. 494; / Decreta: / Il cognome del sig. Silvio Scherk è ridotto in « Scherli ». / Il presente decreto sarà, a cura dell'autorità comunale, notificato al richiedente nei modi previsti al n. 6 del citato decreto Ministeriale e avrà esecuzione secondo le norme stabilite ai nn. 4 e 5 del decreto stesso. / Trieste, addì 9 gennaio 1930 - Anno VIII / Il prefetto: PORRO. / (3637)`
Surname as printed: **Scherk** (both occurrences; checked at 2x). Page header: `4-X-1930 (VIII) - GAZZETTA UFFICIALE DEL REGNO D'ITALIA - N. 232`, page number 4025.

## 10. Daily Mirror, 22 Nov 1940, p. 11
`CREW DIES IN S O S MYSTERY / A RESCUE party that answered an SOS and boarded the steamer Ourang Medan, off the Solomon Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, found bodies of sailors lying about the deck. / "We could find no sign of a wound on any of them," said an officer of the rescue party yesterday. "Death seemed to have taken them by surprise at their posts . . . it was terrifying." / "On the captain's bridge we found the body of the second officer. We counted twelve bodies. three of them of deck officers. / "We decided to search the captain's quarters, but at that moment we heard an explosion in the ship / "We abandoned the ship immediately and rowed back to our own The explosions were repeated. Soon nothing was left of the Ourang Medan but a blazing hulk. / "The next day the fire burned itself out and the steamer went under, taking her secret with her." / The Ourang Medan had sent out an SOS and the message "Send doctor—urgent." / The steamer was told that help was coming, but immediately the request for a doctor was cancelled. "Send a warship," was the next request. / A ship of the British Merchant Marine was first to arrive on the scene. —Associated Press.`
(two paragraphs — "We decided to search…" and "The next day…" — are set in bold)

## 11. The China Mail, 27 Feb 1941, p. 8
Page header: `Page 8 — THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 27, 1941.`
`CREW DIES IN S.O.S. MYSTERY / A RESCUE PARTY that answered an SOS and boarded the steamer Ourang Medan, off the Solomon Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, found bodies of sailors lying about the deck. / "We could find no sign of a wound on any of them," said an officer of the rescue party. "Death seemed to have taken them by surprise at their posts . . . it was terrifying." / "On the captain's bridge we found the body of the second officer. We counted twelve bodies three of them of deck officers. / "We decided to search the captain's quarters, but at that moment we heard an explosion in the ship. / "We abandoned the ship immediately and rowed back to our own. The explosions were repeated. Soon nothing was left of the Ourang Medan but a blazing hulk. / "The next day the fire burned itself out and the steamer went under, taking her secret with her." / The Ourang Medan had sent out an S O S and the message "Send doctor—urgent." / The steamer was told that help was coming, but immediately the request for a doctor was cancelled. "Send a warship," was the next request. / A ship of the British Merchant Marine was first to arrive on the scene.—Associated Press.`
(no "yesterday" in the China Mail version)

## 12. Yorkshire Evening Post, 21 Nov 1940, p. 5 (clipping images image-28.jpeg and image-29.jpeg on skittishlibrary.co.uk, fetched 2026-09-14)
`MYSTERY S O S FROM DEATH SHIP / Unwounded Bodies Found on Deck / EXPLOSIONS DEFEATED BOARDING PARTY / An eye-witness account of the last phase of a mysterious sea tragedy has been brought to Trieste by a merchant marine officer who went to the rescue of the steamer Ourang Medan off the Solomon Islands last November. / TRIESTE, Thursday. / A S O S was flashed from the Ourang Medan asking for a doctor "urgently" and later she asked for a warship. / This officer found ship's officers and crew dead on the deck, with no visible wounds. He had to make a hurried escape when explosions set fire to the ship and burned her to the water-line. / "We were about 200 miles south-west of the Solomon Islands," said the officer, "when we intercepted the following signal, 'S O S from the steamship Ourang Medan. Beg ships with short wave wireless get touch doctor, urgent.' / "With our short wave set we relayed the call for help. Medical stations in Germany, Rome and France replied. We informed the Ourang Medan and asked her to transmit her request. / Unfinished Message / "The Ourang Medan replied with its auxiliary transmitter, 'Probable second officer dead. Other members crew also killed. Disregard medical consultation. S O S urgent assistance warship.' / "The ship gave her position," said the officer, "and went on, 'crew has . . .' / "At this point the message broke off with words which we failed to make out. Still we repeated the Ourang Medan's message with our wireless and annulled the appeal to the medical centres. / We made wild guesses at what had happened . . . mutiny . . . piracy . . prisoners revolt. / "At the end of 16 hours we sighted a big ship on the horizon. It flew no flag, was listing slightly to starboard, and the propeller motionless. From our bridge we could see it was the Ourang Medan. / "There was no sign of life on the quarter deck and no reply to our shouts through a megaphone. / Dead: No Wounds / "We launched two lifeboats with eight men in each and rowed across to the Ourang Medan and boarded her / "Bodies of sailors were lying about on the deck. We could find no sign of a wound on any of them. Death seemed to have taken them by surprise at their posts. / On the captain's bridge we found the body of the second officer. We counted 12 bodies, three of them of deck officers, but we reckoned the Ourang Medan should have had a crew of about 40. / "The captain decided to search the officers' quarters but we heard an explosion in the ship's hold. A column of smoke belched from the second hatchway / "We rowed back to our ship. The explosions were repeated at short intervals so we withdrew to a safer distance. Soon nothing was left but the blazing hulk of the Ourang Medan. —Associated Press.`
Note: the clipping says "200 miles south-west of the Solomon Islands" (the Piccolo has "sud-est").

## 13. Lloyd's Register 1947, Steamers & Motorships, leaf 1407, entry 89171
`89171 Santa Juana (exSilverStar–47, 242111 exSantaCecilia–46) | 6507 / — / 3733 | 3Dks | KGGZ D.F. E.S.D. GyC. | Fitted for oil fuel | Ref.Mchy. | ptElec.welded | CruiserStern | Longitudinal framing at bottom & at decks | 1942 Federal S.B.&D.D.Co. Kearny,N.J. | GraceLineInc. | 439·0 | 63·1 | 27·5 | B79′ | NewYork Utd.States | 2 steam turbines DR geared to 1 sc. shaft — WB DeLavalSteam TurbineCo.Trenton,N.J. | R`
(The preceding entry 89170 Santa Adela reads exAlboni–47, exSanta Margarita–46, otherwise identical tonnages/builder/owner.)

## 17. Delpher items (OCR text via resolver.kb.nl …:ocr; page images could not be obtained — see notes)
- De West, 16 Apr 1948, ddd:110637081:mpeg21:a0047 (OCR): title `Schip vergaan.` — `Een lezer van ons blad ving Woensdagavond j.l. een bericht op, dat het Nederlandse motorschip „Orang Medan" tengevolge van een ontploffing aan boord gezonken was in de Stille Oceaan. Er waren twee en twintig personen aan boord. De officieren waren Hollanders, doch de bemanningsleden Indonesiërs. Volgens het bericht zouden allen het leven verloren hebben.` (OCR garbles "j.l. een bericht" as "i'. een benent"; note the spelling "Orang Medan" in the OCR)
- Amigoe di Curaçao, 7 Jan 1955, ddd:010404481:mpeg21:a0051 (OCR), item "PANORAMA": `Dramatisch is het verhaal van de „Ourang Medan" die ergens op de Stille Oceaan met een dode bemanning ronddreef. De lading van het schip bestond uit cyaankali, dat zich met zuurstof had vermengd waardoor blauwzuur ontstond.`
- De schalmei, April 1948, MMKB14:002764008:mpeg21:00011: both the :image and the :ocr/:alto resolver calls return HTTP 403 "InCopyrightOnSiteAccessOnly"; the Delpher page HTML contains no text. NOT CHECKABLE from open sources.

## 2. Il Piccolo delle Ore Diciotto, 26 Oct 1940, p. 3 (fetched from dshare-deploy.grupponem.it, saved as images/pages/ilpiccolo_1940-10-26_p3.pdf; embedded scan 3312x4743)
Page header: `LE ULTIME NOTIZIE - IL PICCOLO DELLE ORE DICIOTTO, pag. III, Sabato 26 Ottobre 1940 - Anno XVIII`. Series title `I DRAMMI DEL MARE`, article `L'ammutinamento dell' "Elenor Synt„`.
Editors' note (column 1, under the headline): `Pubblichiamo il secondo articolo di Silvio Scherl-Scherli sui «Drammi del mare». Il primo, «Il mistero dell'Ourang Medan», pubblicato il 16 corrente sulle «Ultime Notizie», è stato riprodotto da tutti i giornali del Regno e sarà pubblicato pure negli Stati Uniti e sui giornali di altri Paesi. Prossimamente pubblicheremo «Il panfilo Johore» e «L'affare della Geo W. Macknight» della stessa serie.`

## 4. L'Illustrazione Italiana, 8 Dec 1940, p. 846
Headline (spaced capitals, two lines): `IL MISTERO / DELL'«OURANG-MEDAN»`. Byline at the end (bold caps): `SILVIO SCHERL - SCHERLI`.
Dated paragraph: `13 NOVEMBRE 1939. - La notte del 13 novembre 1939 a circa duecento miglia a sud-est dal gruppo delle Salomone mentre si navigava verso il canale di Panama, intercettammo la seguente segnalazione: «S.O.S. de Ourang-Medan pse SW DH medico urgent», che tradotto in lingua oggi corrente vuol dire: «S.O.S. del piroscafo Ourang-Medan, preghiamo navi con installazioni onde corte ottenerci urgente consulto medico».` Next: `Già per se stessa la segnalazione era molto strana inquantoché il marconista dell'«Ourang-Medan» aveva fatto precedere la sigla «DH medico» dal segnale di soccorso «S.O.S.» …`
Differences from the Piccolo of 16 Oct 1940: "dal gruppo" (Piccolo: "del gruppo"), "mentre si navigava" (Piccolo: letters hidden), "lingua oggi corrente" (Piccolo: "lingua chiara"); the sigla is printed in full here: `SW DH medico`.
Reply paragraph (p. 846, right column): `Dopo qualche minuto l'«Ourang-Medan», con l'apparecchio ausiliario, rispose: «Probabilmente secondo ufficiale morto, altri membri dell'equipaggio pure uccisi. Annullate consulto medico. S.O.S. lat. ... long. ... punto stimato. Equipaggio ha ... ». E qui improvvisamente la comunicazione cessò del tutto dileguandosi con una serie di punti e di linee senza alcun significato ed inintelligibili.` (NB: the Illustrazione omits the Piccolo's words "S. O. S. urgente assistenza nave guerra.")

## 6. Leekster courant, 24 Jan 1948, p. 1
Masthead: `Zaterdag 24 Januari 1948 — LEEKSTER COURANT — NIEUWSBLAD VOOR WESTERKWARTIER EN NOORDENVELD — 3e Jaargang No. 4`.
Headline (column 4): `MYSTERIE, DAT DE ZEE NIMMER ZAL PRIJSGEVEN.`
First paragraph: `Een raadsel van de zee... Sinds de muiterij op de „Bounty" en de ondergang van de „Titianic" is zelden een zo onverklaard en onverklaarbaar voorval vermeld, als het drama aan boord van de „Ourang Medan", het groote vrachtschip, dat, volkomen onbeschadigd, in de Stille Oceaan werd aangetroffen met een dode bemanning. Het enige authentieke ooggetuigenbericht over deze mysterieuze catastrofe volgt hier — maar een verklaring geeft het niet — de oplossing van het raadsel kent niemand, aldus een verslaggever van „Elsevier's Weekblad".` ("Titianic" is as printed.)
Second paragraph: `Het mysterie van de „Ourang Medan" behoort tot de geheimen, die de zee niet prijs zal geven. Al heb ik het schip zelf gezien, al heb ik zelf de twee-en-twintig dode matrozen en hun scheepsofficieren op het dek en op de brug van de „Ourang Medan" gezien en aangeraakt, zo heb ik toch geen verklaring voor het lot van dit schip en zijn bemanning te geven. Wat hier vermeld wordt steunt op ons logboek.`
Radio paragraph: `Wij voeren midden Juni 1947 ongeveer 400 zeemijlen Zuidoostelijk van de Marshall eilanden, toen wij van de „Ourang Medan" op de 600 metergolf dit radiobericht ontvingen: „S.O.S. from ship ourang medan stop pse ships with SW get urgent DH medico stop". Dit bericht betekende een hulproep van de „Ourang Medan": wij verzoeken alle schepen met kortegolfzenders voor ons te vragen om directe medische hulp".`
Position message (later in the column): `„SOS van de „Ourang Medan" 20 gr. Westerbreedte 179 gr. Oosterlengte stop wij drijven stop tweede officier dood op de brug stop kapitein en hoofdmachinist dood in kaartenkamer stop waarschijnlijk gehele bemanning overleden stop deel der bemanning......" Hier brak de uitzending plotseling af; dat wil zeggen, wij ontvingen nog een verwarde opeenvolging van punten en strepen, alsof de hand van de marconist in doodskramp nog op seinsleutel sloeg. Alleen twee woorden kwamen nog door: „Ik sterf......"` ("Westerbreedte" as printed.)
Also: `... een voor-oorlogse opgave, dat de „Ourang Medan" een vrachtschip van ruim 5000 ton was, met één schoorsteen, veertig jaar oud en in die veertig jaar zeker wel tienmaal van naam en vlag en reder verwisseld. Tussen 1935 en 1937 had het met vier ...`

## NOTE on the three De locomotief page files supplied for the check
The page headers printed on the scans do not match the file names. md5 comparison with the Delpher page copies shows:
- pages/locomotief_1948-02-03_p3_full.png = images/ddd_010862918_mpeg21_p002_full.png; its header reads `96e JAARGANG No. 149 — DE LOCOMOTIEF — ZATERDAG 28 FEBRUARI 1948` (this is the 28 Feb 1948 page, with "Ondergang der „Ourang Medan"").
- pages/locomotief_1948-02-28_p2_full.png = images/ddd_010862945_mpeg21_p002_full.png; header `96e JAARGANG No. 161 — DE LOCOMOTIEF — ZATERDAG 13 MAART 1948` (the 13 Mar 1948 page, with "Mysterie der „Ourang Medan"").
- pages/locomotief_1948-03-13_p2_full.png; header `[96]e JAARGANG No. 128 — DE LOCOMOTIEF — DINSDAG 3 FEBRUARI 1948` (the 3 Feb 1948 page, with "Een Mysterie van de Zee").
The transcriptions below are keyed to the printed dates, not to the file names.

## 7. De locomotief, Tuesday 3 Feb 1948 (No. 128), p. 3 [file pages/locomotief_1948-03-13_p2_full.png]
Headline (large): `Een Mysterie van de Zee`; sub-headline (bold): `Krampachtige Houding der Doden`; second sub-headline (light, 2 lines): `De Raadselachtige Ondergang / van de „Ourang Medan"`; column sub-heads: `Raadsels die Niet Zullen Worden Opgelost`, `Alles Bleef Stil`, `Geen antwoord`, `Het bleef stil`.
Photo caption 1 (upper photo, man lying on the bridge): `. . . op de commando-brug vonden wij de 2de officier. Ook hij was dood en niets verried waaraan hij was gestorven . . .`
Photo caption 2 (lower photo, burnt-out ship): `Het uitgebrande wrak van de „Ourang Medan" kort voordat het naar de bodem van de Oceaan zonk, zijn geheim medenemend.`
Radio paragraph (column 1): `Wij voeren midden Juni 1947 ongeveer 400 zeemijlen Zuidoostelijk van de Marshall-eilanden, toen wij van de „Ourang Medan" op de 600-metergolf dit radio-bericht ontvingen: „SOS from ship ourang medan stop pse ships with SW get urgent DH medico stop." Dit bericht betekende een hulproep van de „Ourang Medan": „wij verzoeken alle schepen met kortegolfzenders voor ons te vragen om directe medische hulp".`
Second message (column 1, lower): `„SOS van de „Ourang Medan" 20° westerbreedte 179° oosterlengte stop wij drijven stop tweede officier dood op de brug stop kapitein en hoofdmachinist dood in kaarten-kamer stop waarschijnlijk gehele bemanning overleden stop deel der bemanning......" Hier brak de uitzending plotseling af; dat wil zeggen, wij ontvingen nog een verwarde opeenvolging van punten en strepen, alsof de hand van de marconist in doodskramp nog op de seinsleutel sloeg. Alleen twee woorden kwamen nog door: „ik sterf..."` (the words "20° westerbreedte 179° oosterlengte" are printed with degree signs and lower-case initials here, unlike the Leekster courant's "20 gr. Westerbreedte 179 gr. Oosterlengte")

## 8. De locomotief, Saturday 28 Feb 1948 (No. 149), p. 2 [file pages/locomotief_1948-02-03_p3_full.png]
Headline: `Ondergang der „Ourang Medan"`; sub-headline 1 (bold): `„Voor het Eerst Werd ik Bang"`; sub-headline 2 (light, 2 lines): `De Enige Overlevende, Silvio / Scherli, Vertelt zijn Verhaal`; column sub-heads: `De Kapitein die Niet Terug Kwam`, `De Bemanning`, `Het verhaal.`, `De fatale dag.`, `Langs een omweg.`; ends `(Slot volgt).`
Boxed editorial note (column 3, bold, in an ornamental frame): `Het heeft enige tijd geduurd, alvorens wij van de schrijver van „Ourang Medan", het verhaal over de mysterieuze ondergang van een schip in de Stille Oceaan, het vervolg van zijn verhaal ontvingen. / De auteur, Silvio Scherli, vertoeft thans te Triëst. / Hij verzekert, voor de authenticiteit van dit verhaal in te staan. / Daar wij over generlei verdere informatie dan die, welke in deze vervolgartikelen vervat is, beschikken, moeten wij met de persoonlijke verzekering van de auteur volstaan. / Red. Loc.`
(Also, column 3 above the box: `Het heeft enige maanden geduurd, alvorens wij andere berichten kregen. De reddingsboot heeft land bereikt. Dit bericht werd gegeven door een Franciscaner missionaris van het eiland Toangi, behorend tot de Marshall-eilanden.`) Photo caption (right): `. . . dode aan dek . . .`

## 9. De locomotief, Saturday 13 Mar 1948 (No. 161), p. 2 [file pages/locomotief_1948-02-28_p2_full.png]
Headline: `Mysterie der „Ourang Medan"`; sub-headline (bold, 2 lines): `De Dodelijke Zwavelzuur-Gassen / Doortrokken het Gehele Schip`; column-1 sub-head: `Fantasie of Realiteit?`; other sub-heads `De lading`, `S.O.S.`, `Einde`.
Boxed editorial note (column 3, italic, in a frame): `Hiernevens volgt het slot van het verhaal van de „Ourang Medan". / De ontknoping geeft ons aanleiding te herhalen, dat ons omtrent dit „raadsel van de zee" geen andere gegevens ten dienste staan. Op de vele in dit relaas onopgeloste vragen kan geen antwoord worden gegeven. / De conclusie ligt voor de hand, dat het ganse verhaal een fantasie, een boeiende romance is. Hiertegenover staat de verklaring van de auteur, Silvio Scherli, te Triëst, die in zijn verzekering omtrent de authenticiteit volhardt.`
Closing sentences (column 4, italic): `„Dit was het verhaal", zo vertelde de missionaris, „dat de schipbreukeling mij vertelde. Zijn ware naam mag ik niet vertellen. Hij was een Duitser. Hij biechtte en ontving de Communie. Hij werd begraven bij de oude palm op het kerkhof achter het missiegebouw".`
End of the survivor's narrative (column 4, top): `Maar de meesten begrepen mij niet, of wilden mij niet begrijpen. Ten slotte sprong ik in de reddingsboot en zei: „Wie mee wil gaan moet er maar inspringen". Zes mannen volgden mij. De boot ging omlaag. Drie uur later zagen wij de „Ourang Medan" niet meer. / Einde`
Passport (column 1): `Op zijn bed lag, half-open, de geel-leren tas. Ik nam er een dikke bundel papieren uit. Er waren vrachtbrieven bij en allerhande documenten. Er was ook een paspoort, afgegeven door de Chinese autoriteiten te Shanghai, met de naam Alfred Schutzwald uit Hamburg. Ten slotte vond ik een pro-forma factuur, hetwelk de goederen opgaf, die wij in China hadden geladen.`
Cargo (column 1): `De vermoedens, die al dagen lang in mij waren opgewekt, werden bewaarheid. Wij vervoerden 15.000 kisten en vaten zwavelzuur, nitro-glycerine in vloeibare vorm en nog andere chemicaliën, waarvan de naam mij ontschoten is. Onderaan de lijst stond een kanttekening: De nitro-glycerine in vloeibare vorm mag niet gestuwd worden bij de zwavelzuur. Het is raadzaam de verschillende goederen in verschillende ruimen te laden. De emballage is niet bestemd voor vervoer over zee.` (the 28 Feb instalment says `Er werden 15.000 kisten en kratten aan boord geladen.` and `„Het is bij elkaar 1.100 ton", zei de kapitein. „Laad zo veel mogelijk in ruim 4".`)

## 14. Proceedings of the Merchant Marine Council, May 1952, p. 107, editorial "WE SAIL TOGETHER" (read from the embedded page image, pdf page index 2; OCR text layer cross-checked)
`Perhaps one of the most perturbing sea dramas occurred in February 1948. Radio silence was broken with an urgent S. O. S. from the S. S. Ourang Medan, a Dutch vessel, then proceeding through the Straits of Malacca. The strange distress call, transmitted in Morse Code, eerily read, "S. O. S. from Ourang Medan * * * we float. All officers, including the Captain, dead in chartroom and on the bridge. Probably whole of crew dead * * *." A few confused dots and dashes later two words came through clearly. They were "I die." Then, nothing more. Later the Ourang Medan was found adrift approximately 50 miles from her indicated position. When the vessel which had stumbled across her sent a boat over to investigate, the sailors swarming aboard the Ourang Medan found a sight seldom seen. There wasn't a living person or creature on board. There were dead men every where. Bodies were strewn about the decks, in the passageways, in the charthouse, on the bridge. Sprawled on their backs, the frozen faces upturned to the sun with mouths gaping open and eyes staring, the dead bodies resembled horrible caricatures. Even the ship's dog was found dead. Yet, the bodies seemed to bear no sign of injury or wounds. Then, when a fire was discovered in No. 4 hold, she had to be abandoned. A few minutes later an explosion followed and the Ourang Medan sank. To this day no explanation has been offered as to what might have happened to the unfortunate ship's company.` (ship name in italics; page foot `May 1952 … 107`)

## 15. The American Weekly, 10 Oct 1948 (Albany edition, pp. 24–25 as printed; fultonhistory scans p3308/p3309), Win Brooks, "SECRETS OF THE SEA" (read from the embedded page images; OCR layer cross-checked)
(a) `IN THE Malay tongue, Ourang Medan means Man of Medan. And it is bad luck to give a vessel a name denoting the masculine gender; a ship is always a woman. Keep that in mind.`
(b) `This is the first breath of the southwest monsoon which will prevail until October. It grows in strength as the light grows. The light gulps shadow. Abruptly above the Strait of Malacca the sun explodes. / On this late May morning of 1947 a vessel shows for a short minute in silhouette against the fireball leaping from the flat of the Malay peninsula across the strait.` and `In the dawn, this vessel, named of ill-fortune, is standing down the Strait of Malacca for the Java Sea, apparently having cleared Medan under cover of darkness. Aboard her are at least 23 men: a white captain and a conglomerate crew native to the islands of and about Indonesia.`
(c) `The original story appearing in Elsevier's Weekly purported to be that of an Italian officer on a vessel which answered a distress call from Ourang Medan. It was accompanied by a photograph showing the second officer of Ourang Medan sprawled in death on the bridge. Some of the details from the Italian officer's logbook follow: / His vessel was about 400 miles southeast of the Marshall Islands when it picked up a radio signal: "SOS from ship Ourang Medan. Ships with SW get urgent DH medico."` and `The Italian officer had Ourang Medan's registry, though Lloyd's had not. He described her and said she was used between 1935 and 1937 as a transport for Chinese troops.` and `The editor of the Dutch newspaper could throw no further light on the subject. He had bought the story and picture from the Italian officer and the latter had vanished.`
(d) `A month later it appeared again in the London press with little added detail but some additional conjecture. Dutch circles in Africa were disturbed. / In Holland, in Africa, in London and in Indonesia an investigation has been made and the results are at hand. London reports: / "Some quarters in Holland and in Far Eastern waters consider it best to let the whole matter drop and would like it to be considered an exaggerated or even untrue story. But our research indicates this tragedy did happen."`
(e) `Lloyd's says: "For the moment it has us sunk as well."` and (p. 24) `… into that region of the South Seas where Lloyd's of London says anything can happen.`
(f) `The story of the Ourang Medan first came to light half way around the world from where she vanished, and six months later. It was printed in a Holland newspaper, Elsevier's Weekly, last January. A month later it appeared again in the London press …`
Other: `Ourang Medan wirelessed her position and said: "We are floating. Second officer dead on bridge. Captain and chief engineer dead in chart room. Probably whole crew dead. Partly . . ."`; `Then three last words came through from Ourang Medan: "I am dying."`; `The Ourang Medan was located early in the afternoon of the following day, 50 miles from the position given, flying no flag, listing slightly to starboard as if cargo might have shifted.`; `… smoke had been observed coming from No. 4 Hatch of Ourang Medan.`; the closing report: `Here is a report just in from London which says a lone survivor of Ourang Medan is believed to have landed on a small Pacific island where he told a missionary that the ship's crew was asphyxiated by poison gas created by two chemical substances getting mixed in the holds.`

## 17 (update). Delpher page images obtained via resolver …:pNNN:image (JP2), located with the page ALTO
- De West, Friday 16 Apr 1948, No. 4758, p. 3 (ddd:110637081:mpeg21:p003), item `Schip vergaan.`: `Een lezer van ons blad ving Woensdagavond jl. een bericht op, dat het Nederlandse motorschip „Orang Medan" tengevolge van een ontploffing aan boord gezonken was in de Stille Oceaan. / Er waren twee en twintig personen aan boord. / De officieren waren Hollanders, doch de bemanningsleden Indonesiërs. Volgens het bericht zouden allen het leven verloren hebben.` — CONFIRMED FROM THE IMAGE (spelling "Orang Medan" as printed; "jl." without a second point).
- Amigoe di Curaçao, Friday 7 Jan 1955, p. 2 (ddd:010404481:mpeg21:p002), "PANORAMA": `Dramatisch is het verhaal van de „Ourang Medan" die ergens op de Stille Oceaan met een dode bemanning ronddreef. De lading van het schip bestond uit cyaankali, dat zich met zuurstof had vermengd waardoor blauwzuur ontstond.` — CONFIRMED FROM THE IMAGE.

## 16. Revista da Semana (Rio de Janeiro), 27 May 1950, pp. 50–51 (archive.org item "1950-maio", file "1950 Maio 27 Sábado Revista da Semana", page images _0049.jp2 = printed p. 50 and _0050.jp2 = printed p. 51; djvu.txt used only to locate the pages)
Title (p. 50, very large): `NAVIO FANTASMA`; sub-title (bold caps): `A HISTÓRIA DO "OURANG MEDAN" ★ EXCEDE A DO MOTIM DO "BOUNTY" E O AFUNDAMENTO DO "TITANIC" ★ NARRAÇÃO DA ÚNICA TESTEMUNHA OCULAR ★ DESVENDADO O MISTÉRIO ATRAVÉS DA NARRATIVA FEITA PELO ÚNICO SOBREVIVENTE DA TRAGÉDIA`; by-line: `Texto de WOLF KNEIP`.
Section heading (p. 50, col. 1): `I PARTE / A NARRAÇÃO DE SILVIO SCHERLI`.
Top-photo caption (p. 50): `O «OURANG MEDAN», após haver pedido angustiosamente socorro, deixou de dar sinais. Pela posição, foi possível localizá-lo. Um silêncio macabro o rondava. O capitão do navio que correra em seu socorro subiu a bordo com alguns tripulantes. Havia sòmente cadáveres. Alertados, tiveram que abandonar as pesquisas. Ouviu-se uma explosão e o navio incendiou-se.`
p. 51, `II PARTE` (bold paragraph): `Após haver sido divulgado êsse depoimento do marinheiro triestino Silvio Scherli, a única possibilidade de solução do mistério era que algum tripulante poderia ter escapado no escaler que faltava. Foi isso o que se deu, e estamos em condições de esclarecer o mistério que por longos meses preocupou as autoridades marítimas internacionais. O relato que segue é do padre Christ, missionário em Toangi, nas ilhas Marshall.` Then heading `O MISTÉRIO DO NAVIO FANTASMA`.
Radio message as printed (p. 50, col. 1): `"SOS from ship ourang medan stop pse ships with SW get urgent DH MEDICO stop".`

--- END OF PHASE 1 (blind transcriptions written before opening any report file) ---