Evening star., 1937-12-11
PASSENGERSLAND;;
GROUNDED LINER
FEARED DOOMED
President Hoover Reported
in Desperate Condition,
Leaking Badly.
HUNDREDS ON BOARD
TRANSFERRED TO ISLAND
Three Destroyers and Empress of
Asia Rush to Aid of YES
sci in Pacific.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
MANILA, Dec. 11.-Pounded by
waves and reported leaking badly, the
trans-Paciflc liner President Hoover
was feared to be in a desperate con-
dition today after several hundred pas
sengers had been rescued from the
S8,0O0,0 900 vessel.
Capt. E. Stepbach, master of the
German freighter Preussen, first ship
to reach the Hoover after she went
aground early this morning on reefs
of small island near Formosa, sent
the first definite word Of the liners
plight.
The German captain, in a message
to the Associated Press here, said
the Hoover was dumping heavily
on the reef and leaking badly for
ward
Grew Remains Aboard.
Only skeleton crew remained
aboard the liner, approximately 500
miles from Manila. The passengers
and most of the crew had been re-
moved to the island
Three United States destroyers.
streaking northward from Manila. the
liner Empress of Asia and two tugs
from Formosa were expected to reach
the grounded ship late tonight.
Radio reports said the passengers
numbered at least $50.
Capt. Stepbach's message said: eve
arrived at Hoover's position at 1:30
am. Saturday G2:30 pm. Friday.
Eastern standard time). So far as
could see, ship in bad position on
rocks northwest side Hoishoto Island.
On request stood by until daylight
ready to take passengers over and
make attempt at towing off. Hoover's
captain decided to land passengers.
crew on island. Sounding showed i'm
possible towing Off"
Weather Is Calm.
His message did not make clear
whether it would be impossible for the
liner to be towed off at all, or whether
1t was merely impossible for the Ger
man craft to free the Dollar Line ship.
Later messages said the weather was
calm and Dollar Steamship Co. Off
cials stated they expected to refioat
the liner.
Many hours after the II ,90o-ton
liner struck in the darkness, Globe
Wireless received a message saying
the passengers, numbering at least
$50, had been landed on the VOL
canic island, some so miles north
east of Formosa's southern tip, and 10
miles off shore.
All Passengers Safe.
"Al passengers safe, landed island"
said the dispatch received at Las pm.
12:25 am, E. S. To.
Sources conf1icted regarding the
number of the liners passengers and
her predicament.
In San Francisco it was reported
there were $50 passengers and 408
crew Information here said approxi-
mately $50 passengers, including 800
Chinese steerage, and 333 crew.
Hong Kong dispatches reported the
liner, one of the American merchant
marines five major ships, was pound
ing heavily with a large hole in her
bow, but line officials here and at San
Francisco headquarters said they were
without such information.
Dollar Line officials said they had
not received information concerning
the cause of the grounding. The ship
was making its first journey over a
new course between Japan and Manila,
where she was due today.
Treacherous Coral Shoals.
Maps indicated treachepus coral
shoals extend out from half to three
quarters of mile off the island.
Confirmation that the passengers
were safe came in various messages
to anxious Manila relatives from those
aboard, who said ships officers were
setting up emergency headquarters on
the island.
Dollar officials here said their ad-
vices indicated weather conditions
were fine and the sea moderating, and
that Capt Yardley landed the passen-
gers because he decided 10 take every
precaution.
How the passengers were moved to
the island was not learned, but it
was assured the transfer was without
incident, since no word was received
from the vessel until all had been
taken ashore.
Mckinley Aid Reports.
Line officials here said they could
not confirm reports that the liner
President Mckinley, also a Dollar
ship, had turned off its course to
aid the President Hoover.
The stricken liner, dogged by ill
fate the past few months, was travel
ing the new course because of the
elimination of stops at Shanghai, near
which she was bombed last summer
by Chinese aviators engaged In the
Sino-Japanese war.
The vessel, christened by Mrs. Her.
bert Hoover, wife of the former Presi-
dent, was built seven years ago at
Neurr,ort NeuyS Ua