The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-10-16
PASSENGERS
JOYFUL over
SAFE RETURN
Cheering Crowds
Throng Dock as
Rescued Leave
u. S. Transport

WILMINGTON, Cal, Oct 10.
bringing 261 officers, crew and
passengers Of the steamer City
OF Honolulu. burned at sea. safe
ly to land. the United States
army transport Thomas dockc6
here today.
Cheers re-ech0ed from The
docks as tho transport moved up
the stream and warped Into her
place nj the Los Angeles Steam
ship Co. pier and the rescued
came ashore.
Hundreds on the wharf cheered a.
Chief Officer w. j. Robbins OF the
Honolulu. one of the last four men
TO leave the burning ship. led the
survivors down the gangplank Of
the Thomas. His wife rushed to him.
sobbing a greeting. Other members
of his family rushed up and he was
NEARLY smothcred with embraces.
Then followed Mrs. L. X. Baker
OF Hollywood. leading her two little
grandchildren. Barbara and Patricia
Hiliyard. by the hand.
"The children just behaved
wonderfully" were her first
words TO the United Press repre-
sentatiyes.
They didn't even whimper.
1T was magnificent the way Capt
Lester handled the situation.
Shortly after the fire broke out
We were all aroused. It didn't look
like anything serious until we haN
brealSfasted and everyone was dane.
ing and singing to keep up good
spirits and silay the fears Of auv
who might Be fimidr~s ssndde0lx o.
greH<-nu1sSU[<lIl ~. |l ~
mace. with dense clouds Of smoke -
suing from the matches ana port
holes.
Shortly afterward Captain Lestsr.
In his calm and collected way. en-
nounced that everybody would leave
the ship. We were put over the sido
and In the water before we realised
the seriousness OF Il all. Captain
Lester and several OF his officers re-
mained aboard until the fire became
SO hot and terrific that they, too, had
TO take TO the water In order to keen
from being burned TO death. The
sea was calm and the weather clear
and no hardships were endured By
anyone between the time wc took the
water and were picked up in the
afternoon BY the freighter West Far
rallone.
"A mighty cheer went mn when
the rescuc ship appeared ON the
horizon as . black speclx and
then grew larger and larger until
II was right upon us. The Far
rallonc picked us up and we ezs-
joyed . warm meal.
The following morning we wsro
TO the Thomas. which had
stood alongside early in the morning.
I cannot praise too highly the offi-
GERS OF the Thomas for the splendid
they gave us.
"Ail thru the night flames shot
upward from the burning palace Of
the seas. illuminating the heavens
for miles around. 1t was wonder
ful sight, but pathetic. Flames wero
chewing at the very heart Of the
liner. The mast fen. then a funnel
A terrific explosion followed; the
blue.white flames leaped into the air
like a great geyser."
Little Barbara Hillysrd. when
asked about the fire. said. bashfuilyt
.'oh. yes. st was a great fire. But
I wasn't scared. was I. grandma?"
1--WE left when II got too hot
was the comment Of Chief Rar
dioman w. r. Bell. MY last
message To the rovers Of the seas
was: We're leaving; goodbye
The Farralone, Enterprise, Casi-
ana and Thomas all intercepted
our &. q. S. calls, and we knew
that help was ON the way. Tho
FarrAIone was only 80 miles
away and replied, We're COM
ing; be Of good cheer Tho
Thomas also sent encouraging
messages before we abandoned
the ship"
Eight hundred men Of Uncle Sansa
army. returning from the islands and
China. were aboard the ship. In COM
mand of Mai. II. z. Mann. Lieut.. r.
l.. Hammon. Ninth cavalry, was I'd.
jutant on the returning trooper.
A mighty cheer arose from the
men In khaki as the Thomas nosed
her way into the Wilmington chan.
mel and moment later shot the haw-
ser lines over the port side and made
secure to the dock.
Praise for Capt. II. r.. Lester was
sung today loudly by Capt. Ham