Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-26
SHIPS
One Dead and Is Injured
AS Liner Crashes Tanker
Continued From First Page


gers might be transferred to a
sister ship. the Santa Clara,
which was standing by. How
ever. ship line officials said
later this was unnecessary.
William Achatz, Associated
Press photographer who few
over and photographed the
scene after daylight. described
the view this way;
Passengers in life jackets
lined the rails Of the Santa
Rosa Coast Guard helicopters
and amphibian planes circled
overhead. Surface craft
steamed through choppy waters
10 the site Of the collision.
"The ships lay several hun
dred yards apart. The port
side of the tanker-20 feet
from the stern-was badly
stove in. The tanker was hit
from its port side, almost at
Ifght angles.
The fire In the bow Of the
Santa Rosa did not appear
violent. Crewmen aboard were
fighting the fire.
1T didn't look as If the
tanker was taking water, al
though it was lying low in the
water, indicating it had taken
on some water"
The Valchem is owned by the,
Heron Steamship Co. and car
ried a crew of AZ. The Santa
Rosa has a crew of 265. |
Passengers on Board
Among those on the cruise
liner were Mrs. Quentin Reyn-
olds, wife Of the writer; Albert
H. Smith, jr,, vice president Of
the American Smelling Co.;
Louis Smadbeck. a vice presi-
dent of the Charles F. Moves
Co., and his wife; Norman l.
Schafler. president of the Con-
solidated Diesel Electric Corp.
and his wife, and Harry Bres-
lau, president of a New York
City meat packing firm and
also owner of the San Carlos
Hotel in New York.
The passenger list also in
Guided Mr.. and Mrs. Stanley
A. Hoffberger. University Park,
Md.
After receiving news Of the
crash, the Coast Guard rushed
a number of vessels and hell
copters to the scene.
First word came from the
Santa Rosa in radio message
at 3:15 am:
Collision with tanker. No
distress.
Tanker Disabled
Later reports reiterated that
there was no particular emer-
gency, although the Coast
Guard said the l0.4l6-ton
Valchem was disabled.
The 16,000-ton Santa Rosa
is a new vessel placed in serv-
ice by the Grace Line last year.
replacing another of the same
name.
The Santa Rosa's last Stop
before the collision was at Port
Everglades. Fla. The ship had
on its cruise from New
York on March 10. Skipper Of I
the vessel is Capt. Frank Siwik l
of Garden City, n. Y. II
In New York, William T. Of I
taway, marine superintendent
for the T. J. Stevenson Co., {
which handles the tanker as
managing agent for the Heron
Steamship Co.. said he had re-
ceived no direct communication
from the Valchem because 1t
had lost Cts power for radio
operation
However, he said he under \
stood from other sources that
the tanker was all right except
for being disabled, and would
be towed to port by tugboats.
Mr.. Getaway described the
Master From Lynchburg
Valchem as a standard To
tanker, carrying a crew Of AZ.
The master is Capt. L. L.
Murphey of Lynchburg. Va.
= The Valchem. carrying only
ballast, was en- route from New
York to Houston and other
Gulf Coast ports.
Five Coast Guard cutters
were dispatched to the crash
scene, as were two tugs of the
Moran Towing and Transporta-
ton Co.. New York.
The Santa Rosa had been ,
scheduled to dock here at 8 am.
today. At that hour a score
of relatives and friends of pas
sengers were at the Hudson
River pier.