The Wilmington morning star., 1947-03-31
EXPLOSIONS ROCK
HAIFA DOCK AREA
Flames Following Blasts,
Rage Along Shell Oil
Company Pipe Lines

JERUSALEM, Monday, March
81 -(P)- Explosions and flames
- swept the Haifa waterfront today
as British troops transferred to
-Cyprus-bound transports the tlrst
of nearly 1000 %uncertified Jewish
: immigrants rescued a few hours
earlier from a distressed refugee
ship. xn,os;ons
RACED in the port area about TWO
miles from the docks where the I'M
migrants were being put ABOARD
the transports by British troops
carrying pick handles.
A ouarter-mile area was burning
In the neighborhood OF lnstaaa-
tions of the Consolidated retlnerles
and Shell Oil company. Apparently
flames were raging along the
Shell company feeder lines from
the Consolidated refinery.
The visa-less immigrants close
brush with death came yesterday
30 miles off the Palestine coast
when the 7OO-ton schooner seeking
Ia bring them to Palestine develop
~ q dangerous list and began TAX
ing water. ~
The schooner, named Moledeth
(Hebrew for "Fatherland') and
formerly called the San Felipe
sent out a distress message. British
naval vessels, which had been
shadowing the Moledeth through
the Eastern Mediterranean, raced
to the scene and removed 75 OF
the passengers crammed on He
schooner's decks. This action was
believed to have averted a mayor
disaster.
Area BACKED Out
Jews in Haifa were aware that
the Moledeth was in trouble. When
the distress message Was inter-
cepted by radio receivers there,
GO, 600 Jewish residents BACKED out
their section of the port city as a
gesture of sympathy. British
troops Immediately took UP de-
tense positions awaiting the arrival
Of the refugees.
The explosions occurred after a
British destroyer brought 400 OF
the $50 immigrants removed from
the Moledeth. The rest OF the refill
gees were following on another
destroyer and on the Mo1edeth
herself. The schooner was being
lowed to Haifa by a minesweeper.
The Moledeth, built in 1875, has
normal passenger Accommodations
for 80 persons. When British sailors
came alongside to aid her they
found 1850 persons damned into
the ship.
Engineers from a British destroy
or boarded the Moledeth with
pumps and removed a considerable
amount of water which the schoon-
er had been taking rapidly.
Unofficial reports said the IN
certified immigrants would be
transshipped to Cyprus as soon as
the Moledeth reached Haifa.
In Modern City
The sympathy blackout in Haifa
occurred in the modern Jewish
section Of the city. Cafes and night
clubs went dark. Lights went off III
residences and the streets were
emptied.
In downtown areas British
troops, in an operation that is be-
coming routine, moved barged
wire barriers and guns into place.
Troops, of the Sixth Airborne di-
vision, equipped with pick handles,
were aIerted to begin transferring
the refugees to waiting transports
for Cyprus when the Moledeth and
the British naval vessels arrived.
The rescue Of the uncertlfled
immigrants followed a renewed
Jewish agency denunciation OF
terrorism in Palestine and an an
nouncement that Mayor Israel Ro-
kach Of the all-Jewish city of Tel
Aviv had started legal action to
challenge the whole structure OF
the British mandate government S
Law in the Holy Land.
The new Jewish agency state
ment against terrorism followed
the death of a British police in
spector from wounds received
when he was aunbushed near the
Ramle military camp yesterday.
A British army officer also was
killed in the attack, which au-
thorities blamed on Jewish terror
lists.
A LOCAL LADY SPIT