The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-09
ONLY OF 295
/ RESCUED FROM
CHILEAN CRAFT
transport Is Hurled on
Rocks in Black Night;
Captain Kills Self.
SINKS IN FEW MINUTES
Crazed Men Drowned as
LifeboatS 0verturn in
Raging Seas.
SINKS IN FEW MINUTES
B1 United Press

B1 United Press
SANTIAGO, Chile, July 9-Im-
penetrable darkness, a furious storm
just off shore, a broken rudder and
series of jagged rocks served to
send the big Chilean transport An
gamos down Friday night with only
four of it's 295 members of thu
crew and passenger list having been
found alive today.
1t was one of the greatest TRACE
dies along this coastwise area and
the suddennesS with which the big
craft sank left the four who recov-
cred almost unable to describe what
had happened.
The Angamos had been coaling in
the Gulf of Arauco and it was be-
lieved to have steamed to sea to es-
cape the storm. At sea an even
worse storm was encountered.
The night was pitch dark and the
craft was thrown between two rocks
and its rudder broken. For a few
minutes it tossed at the mercy of
The waves and then it crashed on a
reef seven miles off Lebu.
Captain Kills Self
Capt. Isrnael Suarez, seeing his
vessel a loss, committed suicide just
before the big vessel heaved and
then sank from view.
jose Aguila, one of the four men
who escaped death with the trans
port, today described those last tor
turing hours.
1--WE were steaning in the intense
darkness Friday when suddenly the
vessel struck between two rocks" he
told the United Press today. 1--WE
remained out of control for a few
minutes, losing our rudder. The
vessel lay 30U yards from the shore.
There was an unforgettable
scene aboard the vessel The pas
Sengers and the crew we're making a
struggle for their lives. Suddenly
the ship began to founder, rapidly,
sirens shrieked noisily.
Lifeboats Are Sunk
'It was evident there was no
hope and the only alternative was
to launch the lifeboats. They were
packed with frantic men. The boats
sank as fast as they left the YES
sells side.
Il, with fellow survivors, grasped
floating wreckage which a huge
wave tossed thirty meters. When
! recovered consciousness I was
lying on the beach. I saw light on
the vessel and then heard a deto-
nation like pistol shot, which
apparently was the captain killing
himself"
A member of the crew, GARLIC,
was too befuddled by the sudden
sinking of his ship really to describe
what had happened. He also be-
came conscious after reaching
shore.
He explained that when he recov-
cred consciousness on the shore, he
looked out to where the vessel had
been and could see no trace of the
craft. There was nothing but the
churning waves and the big trans
port had disappeared under the
water.
Save Two Others
GARLIC and Suarez saved two
bther members of the crew.
A number of women and children
were aboard the craft, families be-
dng taken to small coastal port.
The terrific storm that broke
about the craft made rescue at
tempts almost impossible. The An
: garnos sent out one weak radio dis
tress signal, apparently from an
auxiliary station, which was picked
up by the steamer Tarapaca.
The Tarapaca and the Apollo i'm
mediately started in search, but the
signal had been so weak that both
vessels had difficulty in determining
the exact location.
The storm also prevented search
for survivors or for bodies Of those
who persisted as the lifeboats over
turned in the stormy sea- Six bodies
have been recovered.