Imperial Valley press., 1922-10-13
CAUSE
Of BURNING
Of BIG SHIP
Passengers and Crew Taken
Aboard One Ship For
Night, All Safe
TO COAST SUNDAY
Loss Estimate Two Millions
To U. S. Shipping Board
For Honolulu

Los ANGELES, Oct. 13.-With def
mite news of the rescue of passengers
and crew Of the still burning liner
City of Honolulu, interest at her home
port ccntered on investigation of what
caused the sea confla grafton that pro-
badly will result in $2,000,00o loss.
san FRANCISCO. Oct. 13-An-
|other chapter was written today in
the story of the burning of the liner
City of Honolulu when, beginning at
IL a. m, the passengers and crews of
the Honolulu Were transferred to the
army transport Thomas.
At $3.50, the transfer having been
completed without casualty or diff
Guilty, aided by clear weather and Il
/ calm sea, the Thomas steamed away
bound for San Francisco.
At the same time the freighter West
Farallone. which played the part of
the rescue ship. late Yesterday when
lit picked from the small boats the
passengers and crew members driven
by fire from the burning liner, head
ed westward. bound for India.
Last word by radio was that the
Honolulu, still burning, was drifting
alone and abandoned, smoke pouring
from her and 'thc vessel gradually
settling in the water.
The passengers will be; landed at
San Francisco unless the army trans
port service diverts the Thomas 10
San Pedro which is improbable, lit
was announced here.
Estimates were that the Thomas
Icould not reach San Francisco before
Sunday.
In the meantime the coast guard
cutter Shawnee, which left San Ftan-
cisco, was expected to be the first
vessel, equipped for salvage purposes,
TO reach the burning hulk Of the Homo
lulu. The Shawnee will arrive at the
scene either late Saturday or Sunday.
it was believed
Now On Thomas
Rescue of the City of Honolulu's
passengers, which was completed when
they were taken aboard the Thomas,
without loss of life or injury, was
Hooked upon here as one of the big
history
Credit was given the radio, by
means of which aid was called and
rescue operations directed until the
radio operators We're driven from their
posts aboard the Honolulu by fire. The
wadio aboard the West Farallone then
kept land stations advised and todav
the Thomas was in touch with land
stations IA she steamed towards San
Francisco.
For the passengers the eXperience
was n nerve,wrecking one 1t involv-
cd two transfers to open boats with
out land in sipht-once when the shin
was abandoned and they took to the
Fife boats to spcnd five hours drift
ing before being picked up by the
West Farallone: and again this morn
ing when they were carried in boats
from the Farallone to the Thomas.
LOS ANGELES. Oct 13.-Ralph
Hunter vice president of the Los An
gclcs Steamship COMPANY said
''Comnany officials are at n loss 10
ha7ar1 the slightest oness as to how
the disaster originated. Preparations
'erc bein~ made for a most sweeping
;nve s4igatinn.
''Thc CITY of Honolulu was e"uipr$d
with, the vorv latest fro fighting an
~ ratus and everv nossible eincr"entv
| ,nao sure must have heer taken before
officers and crow left the shin.
"Thc- vessel 10 chartered 10 Snr
comranv and HE loss viii be sustained
bv the shipping board
Wireless messages received here
| from the rosscnrnrs after beino taken
aboard "a West Frrallonc nraisc' the
skill and action of the City of Homo
| lulu e crow