Evening star., 1952-12-23
80 Lose Lives
|0n Pilgrim Ship,
|0thers Saved
20 Perish os They
Jump in Surf and
10 as Boot Upsets
by the Associated Press


cruiser Kenya radioed today that
passengers and crew of the
stricken liner Champollion have
been taken ashore through the
gale-swept surf of the Lebanon
coast-but about 80 of the 23s
persons aboard were reported
drowned.
A dispatch from Beirut said 2C
passengers, possessed with feal
after "a hours of buffeting on the
broken ship, died in a desperate
attempt to swim ashore. Ter
bodies washed ashore when a life
boat capsized.
The Beirut advices said so per.
sons who jumped from the shir
made shore safely by swimming.
Rescued in 40 Hours.
The cruiser Kenya radioed the
Admiralty here:
"All passengers and crew of the
S. S. Champollion have now been
landed. The Kenya anchored -four
cables about half a mile to sea-
ward of the wreck and acted as
communications link while pilot
boats and surfboatS took off pas
sengers and crew with great skill
in heavy surf"
This message was received about
40 hours after the 12,546-ton liner
en- route from France to Beirut,
Lebanon. via Alexandria, grounded
on a reef off Beirut. The strain of
heavy seas split her apart, with
crack of six feet or more ap-
pearing atop the listing hulk.
In Paris the headquarters of the
MesSagerieS Maritimes steamship
line today denied unconfirmed re-
ports that Henri Bourde, captain
OF its stricken liner Champollion
had committed suicide. The COM
pany said the captain had beer
taken off the vessel with other
members Of the crew.
Signals Misinterpreted.
The Champollion went aground
only 500 yards off shore. A heavy
storm and misinterpretation Of
shore signals were believed re.
possible. Crewmen said a new
beacon at Beirut's internationa
airport had been mistaken for 6
light at the entrance of Beirut
harbor.
Operators Of the vessel said sh,
had 108 passengers and 220 crew.
men. Some of the passenger.
were pilgrims bound for Bethle.
hem, in the Jordan section O.
Palestine, for Christmas observ.
ances.
Only one American was believed
to be aboard. He was identified
only as Charles Harris and wa
reported to be a resident O.
France.
For hours high seas handi
capped the efforts of small boat
to rescue the passengers aboard.
A Beirut dispatch, received
prior to the Kenya message to tn,
Admiralty. gave these details:
Three women and 1O-year-olt
boy were among those succeedin!
in their attempt to swim to shore
The sea was still as rough as i
was yesterday when the liner wen
aground on it's voyage from Mar
seille to Beirut. The gales hat
weakened, however.
Passengers Taken to Hospital.
The first small craft able II
nudge alongside the stricken line
and take off passengers was Beiru
ports pilot ship. It loaded /!
passengers, mostly women ant
headed for Beirut Harbor 4 mile
away.
About the same time a small
motor launch put out from tn
surf-pounded beach, successful!
made the 500 yards to the ground
ed and split vessel, and brough
back seven passengers. It thel
turned back for another load.
The rescued passengers wer
shivering and showed signs o
shock. They were taken to hos
pitfalls.
Thousands of persons. including
some relatives of the distressed
passengers aboard, milled arount
on the sandy beach. One of tn
survivors was the small son o
Francois Pugh, a French Embass.
employe here. Mr.. Pugh kept al
all-night vigil on the cold sand.
beach. His wife and another child
who were also aboard, were no
heard from.
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