The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-10-13

less adyices received by the Federal steamer West Pardon.
 The west Pardon reached tfe
 scene early this afternoon and
 had taken most O8 the people
 aboard by 3s41 D. m. The City
 of Honolulu earried z2 paaseng-
 CTS and t#5 officers and members
 of the crew. a total of PIT.
 Fire broke out aboard the City
 of Honolulu shortly after five
 o'clock this morning and sprend
 so rapidly that all those aboard
 had to take to small boats. The
 sen was like glass
 The ship was honeward bound to san Pedro. California, from Henoluln, and was 1.4O6 miles east of Honolulu and s7O miles southwest of San Pedro when the fire broke out.
 Captain II. R. Lester. of the City of Honolulu reported later in the afternoon that all were aboard the West Faralon. The condition of the City of Honolulu, which was re- ported as a gigantic pillar of flame and smoke, was declared by Captain Lester to be critical The West Earslon lay mile away.
 starts To Rescue
 Although three other vessels. the Mathon Liner Enterprise, the army transport Thomas, and the private yacht Casiana, of Edward l.. Do- heny. Los Angeles oil magnate, heard Che distress signals from the City of Honolulu before the West Fara lon did, the freighter was only 50 miles away when 1t started to the rescue shortly before noon.
 Conditions were favorable both for the small boats of the City Of Homo lulu to ride safe and for the West Pardon to make fast time, and by 2.45 D. m. the rescuing steamer had reached the scene and was beginning to take passengers aboard. All had reached the deck by $40 p. m, mes sages stated.
 Only brief messages had been re- eeived early tonight, so 1t was not known under what eircumstances the passengers and crew escaped from the burning vessel Apparently the sea fsmainea smooth all day, for saaptain IT. M walk of The weet Pardon reported conditions favor able.
 Larger Vessels Sent
 As the West Pardon. Shipping Board freightor, has only limited ar- commodatious 1t Is believed that many of the rescued will have To remain on her decks until larger vessels arrive,
 The West FaraIon'a registered Tonnage is 7,451. She was bound from san Francisco for Yokohama
 Less than half dozen of the pas sengers were from the eastern part of the United states. A large nun Der were from Honolulu most os them from Los Angeles and other southern California points while the remainder came from other parts of the Pacific coast. Fiety-seven of the passengers were In the salon, the other iG third class Thirty four of the salon passengers were women. One woman was travelling third class, with q baby girl, f
 The City Of Honolulu originally was the German passenger liner Friederich Der Crosse. built at Stef- lin in 1898 and used in trans-At- lantie travel until 1914, when she was interned in an American har- bor. When the U. s. entered the war the liner was renamed the Huron and used as @ transport car rying troops to France.
 After the war the Huron was brought 10 San Pedro. California. and was reconditioned for the Los Angeles Steamship company. The City Of Honolulu and her companion ship, the City of Los Angeles. form erly the German steamer Kronprin- zessin Ceclie recently began the first direct passenger service with Honolulu that Los Angeles ever has had
 The City of Honolulu's registered tonnage is 1o,6Ss; her length 523 feet. The vessel has twin screws.
 The tug Sea Lion and the Unlted States Coast Guard steamer Shawnee left late today for the scene of the burning vessel to render whatever assistance they could.