The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-03
RESCUE VESSEL
REACHES LINER
HELD ON REEF
Rough Seas Halt Efforts to
Take Passengers OFF
Steamer.
CONTINUED From Page Onel

E"NOA4AldttAF 4 a. III. pom
time) last night the Dixie va.
thrown onto the reef BY the hur.
Ticane il had been fighting on 10
voyage through the straits all dav
A few minutes later the wind.
brought her radio antenna crashing
70 the deck ana wrecked part o.
her sending apparatus. Before thii
happened. a message flashed out
In distress-in immediate need o.
assistance"
Sailed From New Orleans
Sesmen ashore reconstructed thu
scene aboard. Drawing great seas
breaking over the decks. seamer
rugged an emergency antenna, con-
nccted it with the radio direction
finder. Within 20 minutes feeble
signals came from the Dixie through
this makeshift apparatus. They
spelled out. SOS-SOS. Within
more minutes the rescue vessels, un-
mindful Of their own danger in risk
ing the same fate as the Dixie's
we're on their way to the stricken
liner.
The Dixie is a modern vessel OF
8188 tons and is flagship Of the
Southern Pacific Steamship Co. Ohe
Morgan line) and Capt. Sundstrom
is commodore Of the cOmpanys
fleet. She sailed Saturday from New
Orleans and was due in New York
Thursday.
Though hurricane warnings were
flying ashore. she entered the
treacherOus Florida straits yesterday
morning, a stretch Of water con-
Sidered by all navigatOrs as among
the most dangerous in the world.
Threading her way through the
shoals as the wind increased stead
lily in velocity, she was nearing the
open Atlantic when a furious sea
tossed her up on Carysfort reef.
Many Are V~acatiOnists
The reef is six miles asst Of Key
Largo ana IL miles from the main
land town of Glades.
The first coherent message read:
u. S. Dixie grounded near Carys-
port reef, 275 passengers, pounding,
antenna and receiver cut. Using
direction finder. Please try to get
bearings and assistance"
A few minutes later came the
SOS. Then the radio went out and
when it resumed the sos was re-
peated several times. At 3.45 a. IN.
indianapolis time) her feeble sig
mails spelled out. Pounding heavily.
but not making much water: seas
and wind heavy. $50 passengers and
l40 crew" This message was in
tercepted by Radio Marine Corp.
The Dixie's passengers are from
all parts of the United States. many
of them vacatiOniSts from the East
ern Seaboard on one of the Morgan
Lines special "all-expenses-paid'
cruises to New Orleans. Others came
from the Pacific Coast and the
Western States. The Southern Pa
cifc Railroad sells transcontinental
transportation by rail from Los An
geles to New Orleans and by sea
from New Orleans to New York.
Liner Built In ISk1
The Dixie. though built in 1927.
is one of the most modern ships
aioat. She has telephones and hot
and cold running water in every
cabin. She is propelled by electro
turbines and is capable of a top
speed of Is to 20 knots. Her lines
are similar to those of the Inflated
Moro Castle. which burned off the
New Jersey coast last fall with a
loss of 124 lives, though she has but
one staCS.
Her main deck is overall and her
promenade is rabutted at the poop.
Among her passenger accOmmoda-
lions are luXuriously fitted suites
and her entertainment facilities in
Clude a small. string orchestra. She
was built in Kearny. n. j., for her
present service. Her dimensions are:
Length 426 feet. 6 inches: beam. so
feet. ? inches: draught % feet.
Capt. SundStrOm. the DiXie's
commander. is a veteran seaman
and a veteran also of the treacher-
Gus Florida Straits where he has
navigated vessels since 1904. when
he joined the Morgan Line as quar-
termaster. He was commander of the
lines passenger liners Momus and
Creole and of a number of its
freight boats before being promoted
to command of the flagship. which
made him commodore of the fleet,
several years ago. He is so years old.
Meanwhile. the hurricane was
making perhaps its last major threat
at Florida. Ir its giraffe path. the
storm had struck portions of the
Southern tip Of the state where its
damage would be least.
TT. Myers in Path
The storm was sweeping. with 60
mile winds. in a Northwest course
apparently near the states West
coaStline.
The little town of Everglades.
county seat of SparSely-Settled Col
lier County. felt the blasts of the
storm early today. reporting 60
mile winds as all residents of the
town congregated in a hotel-the
one building most certain TO with
stand the hurricane.
Fl. Myers. farther Northwest. was
the only other community in any
apparent danger. Some weather
observers thought the torn would
blow out into the Gulf of Mexico,
South Of Fl. Myers. thus sparing
that city also from its swirling. de-
Structive center.
Miami Escapes Storm
The hurricane threat in Florida
developed yesterday afternoon when
warnings were hoiSted al Key West.
But the center Of the storm appar-
emily passed east Of the nations
sOuthernmoSt city and whipped
over the virtually uninhabited Flor
ida Keys.
q