The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-08-30
PASSENGER VESSEL
sinks IN 5 Minutes
Off PACIFIC COAST
Tanker Rams Coastwise Ship
San Juan During Heavy
Fog Near Frisco
a. PERSONS ARE RESCUED
Darkness and Confusion Handi-
cap Rescue Of People
Trapped in Craft
a. PERSONS ARE RESCUED

Trapped in Craft
San Francisco, Aug. 30.-(R,-
Revised figures on the number OF
passengers aboard the coastwise
steamer. San Juan, when she sank
off Pigeon Point, south Of here,
today showed that seventy four
persons remained unacc0unted
for and may have perished.
San Francisco. Calf. Aug. 30.
-lP,-Officcs Of the Los An.
gcles and San Francisco Naviga.
tion company. owners of the
coastwise vessel San Juan which
sank south of here this morning,
annOuAced that their advices in.
dicatcd forty -four of the 100 per.
sons aboard the San Juan had
been rescued.
The navigation company's re.
port indicated that 80 Of the sur.
vivors were at,,ard the STANDARD
Oil tanker S. G. T. Dodd, which
figured in the collision with the
San Juan. Ten others were said
to be aboard the steamer Munami
and four more were reported
picked up by tho motorship Frank
Lynch.
San Francisco, Aug. 3O-tP,-Radio
advices from two rescue ships indi-
Gated that 65 persons may have per-
ished with the sinking OF the coast
wise passenger vessel, San Juan, 80
miles south Of here early today. The
rescue ships reported they had picked
up IS Of the 100 passengers and crew
Of the vessel.
The San Juan went down In five
minutes after colliding with the
Standard Oil tanker s. G. +. Dodd Oft
Pigeon Point, Cal. Although one side
OF the DOdd was stove in she lowered
her boats and went to the rescue or
the passengers and crew who were
pitched into the sea as the San Juan
sank.
Another ship. the Munami, turned
from her course nearby and aided in
the rescue work. Several hours later
the Dodd was on its way to San
Francisco with q survivors, some Of
them badly injured and in need Of
medical attention. The Munami had
taken eight others aboard and was
standing by. looking for those who
may have remained afloat after the
ship sank
Darkness Handicaps Rescue
Radio accounts OF the rescue indi-
Gated, however. that. the chances for
many of the IS unaccounted for per-
sons were slim. due to the speed with
which the San Juan sank and the
fact that darkness and confusion
handicapped the rescue workers.
The San Juan left San Francisco
last night for Los Angeles. She was
an old vessel of about 100 tons. was
operated by the Los Angeles and San
Francisco Navigation company and
featured low rates for travel between
the two California cities. Most of
the passengers were from Los An.
geles.
Survivors aboard the Dodd said
they saw Captain Adolpll F. Asplund
60 down with his ship.
A heavy fog had hung over the
Pigeon Point area since yesterday af.
ternoon.
Hurled Into Sea
Ralph Hillsman. second radio oper-
ator of the San Juan. who was picked
up by the Dodd. reported that the coll
lision occurred while he was asleep.
He sprang from his berth and ran to
the main deck The deck was sink
ing beneath the surface, and he was
hurled to the sea.
Hillsman said no lifeboats had been
launched from the San Juan.
Two coast guard cutters, the Shaw.
nee and the Tahoe, went to the scene
of the wreck from San Francisco
while preparations got under way
here to receive the injured from tho
oil tanker. Ambulances were sent to
the pier at which the Dodd was ex-
pected to dock.
655 Passengers Aboard
Officers of the Los Angeles and San
Francisco Navigation company. own
ers of the San Juan. announced their
latest information showed there were
655 passengers aboard the vessel when
she collided with the Standard on
tanker s. G. T. Dodd. The crew ol
the San Juan numbered IS.
There were conflicting reports rs L
the number rescued. Aboard the Dodc
were ~ of the San JuanE passenger;
and crew. Mine others had been pickee
up by the steamer Munami. which va:
still at the scene Of the collision u
8 q. m. One report said there werl
four other survivors aboard the mo.
torship Frank Lynch. but this cou1<
not be confirmed.
! Fear u Lest
Radio station adyices. coming eigh
hours after the San Juan sank. ~
to the belief that few II any g u
"a missing would be found alive.
Every available ambulanco b Gal
Francisco was sent 70 tho WAter1Fon
! to receive the n persons pic1ned ~ n
the Dodd. Emergency lloGp6fAl1 Not
made ready to receive tn AaksvoN
some Of whom were intaEe1 AaA1 T.
ported badly n need q nedlool r.
tention.
II The San Juan. Z douh1e n
iron construction, a36 leot M
. Of $500 gross tons, had sal1o& M 1
for 41 years. She waS ono ee
lest ships "a ~ Ioct1lc. It