The Washington herald., 1922-10-13
Freighter West Farallone
Saves All From Burn
ing Boat in Pacific.
SIX VESSELS RUSH
TO AID VICTIMS
Calm Sea and Wireless
Responsible for Rescue
Of Everyone.

SAN FRANCISCO. Oct Ia-The
~ passengers and 200 members of
the crew Of the liner City OF Homo
lulu were all safe late today on the
Shipping Board freighter West Far
alone. which rescued them from
lifeboats in which they had been
adrift since FIRE forced them TO leave
the liner at 10 o'clock in the morn
ing at a point 400 miles from the
coast Of Mexico.
"An passengers and crew are safe
aboard the West Farallone." said
a radiogram received by steamship
company agents here at s:4s from
Capt II. r LISTER OF the Homo
lulu.
Condition Of the city OF Homo
lulu eritical." the captain added.
Lester, believed 10 have been the
last person rescued, boarded the
frsighter shortly before { O'Clock
Adr1ft SIX Hours.
The rescued. who included a num-
Der OF women and children. had
been adrift for nearly six hours.
, watching the flames consume tn.
abandoned liner. They had boarded
the liner at Honolulu and had eN-
pected to dock at San Pedro.
Most OF tbs passengers were
wealthy tourists, returning to their
homes in California and points in
/ land from trips to the hawaiian
] Islands. Last night there had been
dinner and dance on the palatisi
vessel and many had retired at a
/ late hour.
From $3.50 this morning. when the
Z fire alarm was sounded and all
hands were ordered on deck, their
suspenss had been shared by fran
tic friends and relatives as well as
] the company agents on land. This
suspense WAS not ended until the
radio arrived here from Capt Les
ter.
six Steamers start.
The race to the rescue started on
the moment Of receipt Of the first
radio call for help.
The Matson liner Enterprise re-
ceived this call at 9 o'clock:
When Will you reach u.s. was
the anxious query OF the Honolulus
radio operator.
Half a dozen steamers were re-
ported 10 he racing toward tho
scene Of the disaster. but the West
Farallone arrived first. The Enter
prise and the army transport Thou-
as were reported som ewhere uci
far behind the West Farallone.
The West Farallone had won the
race WHEN shortly before 3 o'clock
she wirelessed that she had sighted
the burning ship. "a mountain ~
fame and smoke" Soon afterwsrd
several small boats" czm- in sight.
according TO her rsdiograms
Sea Kind and Placid.
Within the next hour every man.
woman and child who had been
driven from the Honolulu was safe
Z on the rescuing vessels decks
Cabin boys were passing hot cof-
fee. warm hunks were opened for
the women and children. ships doc
tors were minist ering TO those
whose nerves were frayed and all
the hospitality that men who sal
the seas can furnish was being Of
fered to those who needed H. 400
miles out from the nesrest and
The sun was shining. the sea was
placid and fortune had been kinl
to the passengers and crew OF the
City of Honolulu.
Radio Saves Lives.
That the rescue had been accom-
/ plishsd without lose OF a single life
or injury was attributed to the fact
that there was plenty Of time in
which TO remove the passengers and
crew in orderly manner. the calm
sea and the faultless operation ot
the ships radio.
Without the radio. shipping men
agreed. the Homecoming tourists
might have drifted for days in the
manner described in old tales Of the
sea, until some stray wayfarer OF
the deep might pass their way and
bring them to and.
The story OF the fire at sea. the
Decentralization OF the passengers
and crew and OF their rescue came
TO San Francisco through the cour-
tesy Of the Radio Corporation and
the Federal Telegraph Company as
Adol dt II was l'NNNA w " AANAA
powerful receiving stations here.
THE City Of Honolulu is an eN-
German liner. N WAS originally the
Frederick der Crosse. The name OF
the vessel was changed 10 the HUI
ron and later to the City Of Homo.
lulu.
The vessel was one Of the nrst
ships operated for the shipping
Board by the Munson Line in pio-
neer service TO South American
ports. II developed that the vessel
was too small for that service. how
ever. and II was transferred to the
Los Angeles Steamship Company.
September 21, Of this year.
The Los Angeles Steamship Com
pany put the vessel into service be-
tween Los Angeles and Honolulu
october on the return trip Of the
FIRST voyage between those ports.
The City OF Honolulu was built by
the Vulcan works at Stettin. Ge~-
many. in 1895. Its length Is SO
feet