Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-10-13
VESSELS RUSH TO HELP
OF PASSENGERS ON
DOOMED CRAFT
TRY TO SAVE HULK
WIRELESS GIVEN CREDIT FOR
SAVING PEOPLE ON DOOMED
CITY og HONOLULU, WHICH
CAUGHT FIRE AT SEA.

San Francisco Oct. 13.-(By the A.
PD-The radio mans hold on space
and thu: hardly less potent thing, the
fellowship of those who 90 down to
the sea N ships, stand responsible to-
dav fc- he safety OF 217 persons-the
ships company of the steamer City
of Honolulu, which burned yesterday,
The readiness with which mariners Of
half dozen craft, from pleasure yacht
TO dreadnought of the Pacific fleet, Of
tered themselves for the rescue Of
their distressed fellow travellers ailoat
was but an echo Of a story first told
so long ago that mel have forgotten
the time OF the telling. but the tale
ot the radios part belongs to a more
modern generation. They mingled,
tnis old thing and this new one, tc
save life.
Early yesterday whilc she was go
miles off San Pedro, C al fire broke
out In the second class cabins of the
steamer, one time pride OF The North
German Lloyd line and more recently
companys new Honolulu service.
Unaccountably the flames gained
such headway on TIE fighting creH
that two hours later it was necessary
To abandon the ship. But before that
time care the radio had cried tar and
" ide the dctuotdot-dash-d -dashdash-
dot.dotdUt that means disaster, dis
tress and human extremity on h,sh
seas.
Two ships, the Enterprise, of the
Mattson line and the Thomas an
army transport west bound from
Hawaii, caught the signal and turn.
ed toward the position the operator
had given. A millionaire's yacht the
Casiana, pleasure cruising to Homo
lulu with party including Crompton
Anderson, brother-in-law OF the own
er e. l.. Doneny, wno is in New York
caught the appeal and turned her
bows that way Los Angeles caught
the signals and navy vessels stood
by the race to the scene of the fire.
San Francisco caught the signals ana
the radio operator on distant ship
had turned that vessel too toward the
scene.
1t was the ship, the West Farallon
NJ. M./Walk, master that swept down
the sea lanes to the city of Honolulu
and effected the rescue.
But she did not get there until
more than four hours after the frames
had forced the captain, his first ON
Ger, the chief engineer and the radio
operator who had stayed behlnd 10
serve to the uttelmost the passengers
confided to their care to leave the
blazing hulk.
The. officers stayed to advise, sug- |
gest and confer, the radio ojerator
stayed to keep the West Farralone
advised lest she miss the boat loads
OF passengers floating nearby and the
rescue be delayed. !
The fire broke out between and
6 O'Clock in the morning, the passen-
gers were put oversize at 8; the cap
tain left the steamer little after
10, the West Farralone arrived about |
2:3O in the afternoon. BY a quarter
to the last boat load of c2staways
had been hauled aboard the West
Farralone and that ship, her every
corner crowded with cargo and hui
man salvage, lay to mile from
the fire swept vessel and all hands
watched her burn. !
To Tow in Hulk.
Washington, Oct. 13.-ThC freightSr
w est Farallon notified the shipping
board today that after transferring the
passengers to the transport Thomas
she would tow the hulk of the burned
vessel toward Los Angeles until met
by tugs. The West Farallon gave her
position as approximately $50 miles
off Los Angeles.
Captain Dadios A. p.
Abroad U. S. transport Thomas
via wireless to the A. p. The pass
engers of the burned steamer Homo
lulu were embarking on the trans
port Thomas from the rescue ship
West Faralon at A. NJ. The weather
ia fine More detils later.
The foregoing was sent to the AS
sociated Press by Capt Hail of the
transport Thomas.
Transferred To Army Transport.
San Francisco, Oct. 13.-The pass.
engers of the City of Honolulu which
burned at sea were transferred to
the Z S. army transport Thomas
from the rescue ship West Faralon at
dawn today, according to messages
received by the Federal Telegraph
Company. The Thomas is due in
San francisco tomorrow. but it is ex-
pected she will be at least day late.
The message said the City of Hor
clnlu was burned beyond repair and
that it would be two days at least be-