Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-22
FIRST RELIEF PARTY
LEAVES FROM VENICE
CITY OFFICIALS MAKE QUICK
RUN IN AUTO
Blankets and Stimuants Rushed to
Survivors-Women and Children
Given Immediate Aid and
Hurried to Shelter
LsnecIal to The Herald. ]

VENICE, Nov. 21.-The first relief
party to leave the beach to assist the
survivors of the ST. Croix disaster at
oint Dune was composed almost en-
tirely of Ocean Park and Venice city
officials In the party were Mayor II.
b. Eakins, Chief of Police j. IL. Par
rent, City Attorney Byron &. Hanna
Fire Chief G. l.. Anderson, Fred Is.
McCarver of the Abbot Kinney com
pany, and Herald reporter. The trip
was made in a four-cylinder Packard
belonging to former Chief of Police
Ed Kern of Los Angeles and driven
by F. w. Gordon of the Ocean Park
garage.
When the report of the disaster
reached Venice the city officials who
happened to be in conference, decided
to go to the rescue with blankets and
stimuants for survivors on the Malibu
beach The extent of the possible loss
of life was not known here at the
time and the officials hoped to be of
assistance.
A remarkably quick run was made to
the Malibu ranch over the dangerous
mountain road. which in places is too
narrow almost for an automobile to
ira Il safely.
81 reral passengers from the ST. CroiX
were met walking toward Santa Mon
lea. They brought the good news that
no lives had been lost in the burning
of the ST. Croix, but told of several
wounded people at the emergency
camp, about ten miles further out to-
ward the point, who required immedi-
ate care.
Without stopping longer, the big ma
chine was driven rapidly in the direc-
tion of the camp, but about half way
there became stuck in the deep sand
and was pulled out two hours later
by mule teams from the Zuma ranch
which were hauling the survivors to
the Malibu ranch house.
Relief Administered Women
The machine containing the Ocean
Park officials was five miles closer to
the camp of the st. Croix survivors
than any other automobile and no
doubt could have gone the entire dis
tance had not the mishap occurred.
The stimulants and blankets taken
to the scene by the Venice party were
quickly utilized in relieving the condi-
tion of women passengers, who were
nearly overcome by the shock and ex-
posure incident to the disaster.
on the return trip the automobile
carried five men, seven women and
three babies and made good time to
lne IlTe 60Slue DOuSt at OCtdH 1dIhs
where the passengers were furnished
hot coffee and beds for the night. Mr..
and Mrs. John II. Glover of San Fran
cisco, who were among the passengers
brought here, were guests of Mayor
II. b. Eakins today.
A collision with a machine headed
for the Malibu ranch was averted
almost miraculously when the Venice
party was returning. The two auto
aaI.fI af I,r.fl
and were stopped with the headlights
of both almost touching The west
bound machine. which was driven by
young Los Angeles man, was totter-
ing with one wheel off the side of the
bridge when brought to a stop.
Chief Parent, who is an exceedingly
large man, was standing on the run
ming board. He jumped when he saw
the approaching car and rolled to the
bottom of a gully, thirty-five feet be-
low. where he landed uninjured ex-
cept for a few bruises.