The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-10-13
PASSENGERS TAKEN
ON ARMY TRANSPORT
AFTER FIRE AT SEA
nv Associated Pressl

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 13.-The
passengers of the City of Honolulu,
which burned at sea, were transferred
to the United States Army transport,
Thomas, from the rescue ship, West
Faralon, at dawn today, according to
an official message received by the
Federal Telegraph company. The
Thomas is due in San Francisco to-
morrow, but it is expected she will be
at least day late.
The message said that the City OF
Honolulu was burned beyond repair,
and that it would be two days at least
before any ship would be able to tow
her in.
The radio mans bride on space, and
that hardly less potent thing, the fel-
lowship of those who go down to the
sea IN ships, stand responsible today
for the safety of PIT persons-the
ships company of the City of Homo
lulu which burned yesterday.
Radio Plays Part
The readiness with which mariners
of half a dozen craft from pleasure
yacht to dreadnought of the Pacific
fleet, offered themselves for the res
cue of their distressed fellow travellers
afioat was but an echo of a story first
told SO long ago that men have for
gotten the time of the telling, but the
tale Of the radios part belongs to 4
more modern generation. They mingled
this old thing and this new one, to
save life.
Early yesterday, while she was $40
miles off San Pedro, Calf, fire brok
out in the second class cabins of the
steamer, one-time pride of the North
German Lloyd line and more recently
leader of the Los Angeles steamship
company's new Honolulu service. Un,
accountably the flames gained such
headway on the fire-fighting crew that
two hours later it was necessary to
abandon the ship. But before that
time came, the radio had cried far
and wide the "dot-dat-dot-dash-
dash-dot-dot-dot" Is. o. s., that means
disaster, distress and human extrem
ity on the high seas.
Two Ships Turn
Two ships-the Enterprise of the
Matson line. and the Thomas, an army
transport eastbound for Hawaii caught
the signal and turned toward the posi-
tion the operator had given. A pleas
ure yacht, the Casiana, cruising to Hon
olulu, caught the appeal and turned
her bow that way. Los Angeles caugh1
the signals and navy vessels stood b.
to race with death to the scene of tbs
fire. San Francisco caught the sig
nails, waited awhile until the radio
operator on a distant ship had turned
that vessel, too, toward the scene.
1t was that ship, the West Faralon
NJ. NJ. Walk, master, that swept the
sea lanes to the City of Honolulu an6
effected the rescue.
But she did not get there until more
than four hours after the flames haJ
forced the captain. his first officer. the
chief engineer and the radio operator
who had staid behind to serve TO the
uttermost the passengers confided t.
their care, to leave the blazing hulk
The officers staid to advise, suggest
and confer; the radio operator stale
to keep the West Faralon advised
| less she miss the boat loads of pas
sengers floating nearby and the res
cue be DELAYED.
Watch Blaze.
The fire broke out between 5 ant
/ 6 O'Clock in the morning, the passen
gers were put oversize at O'Clock
! the captain left the steamer a littl'
/ after 10 o'clock. The West FaraloI
arrived about 2:30 in the afternoon
/ (Please Turn to Page Fourteen)