Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-10-12

| ACoHAn0Cd IT ioin II lItt fdbcsl
gram picked up by the Radio Cor
poration of Americas station her
told the story.
"All left but captain. chief officer
chief engineer and radio operator
They ars standing by"
Wireless messages at interval
told OF the breaking out OF the fire
OF the desperate fight made agains
It, and OF the final order to abandon
ship.
Tho flames, first reported at b.s,
a. m, today, constantly gained head.
way until the scores OF passengers
were ordered into the small boat:
and the fight for life started.
The steamer Enterprise, the near
est vessel to the scene at $50 a. m.
was believed rushing TO the rescue
The four ship officers were unable
10 maintain their positions aboard
the ship for long for at 1912 g. m,
the Radio Corporation OF America
here picked the words. "All hands
gone"
This meant that tho captain, fret
officer. chief engineer and radio OPP
orator had been driven from the ship
which was left 20 the fury OF the
flames and the sea
Stray messages picked up Just be-
fore the radio operator closed down
his set, said last goodbye" de-
scrlbed the fire licking around him
as he sat at his key, faithful 20 the
last.
W. p. Bell. chief radio operator,
was the man who sent the last mes
sage from the ship. II. r. Han
cock, second operator. and N. @.
Kumler, third operator. were his as
sistants. All are employed by the
radio corporation OF America.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 10 Omitted
Press) -Passengers aboard the pa
latial. Pacific line steamer City of
Honolulu today faced the perils of
the trackless sea in open boats. ac-
cording to the latest radio advice.
received here.
After the Honolulu was reported
afire some 500 miles west Of Los
Angeles, az $50 a, M, today no word
was received until s.4s a. m, when
the radio station picked up this mes
sage from the Honolulu 70 the liner
Enterprise:
Am lowering boats. Arc you
comlns?"
Fifteen minutes later the follow
ing message was sent:
Leaving ship any minute now"
As the answer from the Enter
prise was not made out by the sa-
tons here, her position was not def
initely known. II was believed,
however, that she could reach the
scene in a few hours and undoubt-
edly was rushing to the rescue at
all possible speed. No reports which
would indicate what other vessels
are in the vicinity were immediate
ly available.
The liner Manoa, left San Fran
cisco yesterday and may be within
SO hours of the spot where the Hon
olulu is burning.
AZ $50 a. m. the Honolulu's radio
seemed silent or had not been pick
ed up here. This was taken TO mean
that the vessel had been abandoned.
No details were available as 10
how many passengers the giant
liner carried. The passengers In
clude many Eastern tourists. return
ing to Southern California after
summer visits to Hawaiian resorts. |
The steamer was returning from
her maiden voyage 10 the islands, |
having formerly been engaged IN /
South American trade. Before that
time she was an army transport and
previous to the war piled between
New York and German ports under
The f1ag OF the North German Lloyd
line.
During the war the vessel was
known as the Huron.
While under the North German
Lloyd flag che was the Friedrich
Der Crosse. At the headquarters of
he twelfth naval district here, It
vas said today. that the commander
II the Pacific fleet, now at San Ped
o. probably viii order destroyers to
he rescue.
Persons here familiar with the
teamer, said she carried about IL
'oats with passenger capacity Of
hirty each. which might be In
reased In an emergency. This would
are for a total of probably more
hstl 400 passengers and crew which,
. was believed. meant sufficient boat
opacity for those aboard.
Captain II RI. Lester, OF San
francisco, commands the City OF
honolulu, william r. Brust Is FIRST
ficer.
The vessel left Honolulu october
. and was due in San Francisco
unday
The Honolulu made eight trips
cross the Atlantic as transport
urlng the war. carrying as high as !
s17 troops on one trip. She trans
orted a total OF 20.77t men on the ]
light trips she made.
SAN DIEGO, Calf. oct. 10
United Press)-Eighteen destroyers
re held ready here TO steam in less
ian half an hour 10 assist the City
, Honolulu. II was stated az the I
OF the eleventh naval \
Istrict here. No orders have been
sceived yet to sail. however, sc- Q
,rding 10 the commander of the
squadron. Radio officers t
nd all crews have left the ship is &
lie latest navy radio said. P
LARK HIT WRONG !
MAN, Is FINED $40 s