Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-10-21
19Feared Lost
InCoIIision Of
Ship, Barges

LUTCHER, La, Oct. 20 (AP) I.
The Norwegian motor tanker
Boheme and a string of oil
barges smashed into each other
in the pre-dawn Mississippi
River fog today. One person
was known dead, but reports
on the missing conflicted.
The Coast Guard said 10 were
lost and feared killed after the
crash some 80 miles upstream
from New Orleans. N. D. Tros-
clair, q parish County fire
marshal who boa, jed the ship,
said 10 men were believed
trapped In a burnt hold.
Shipping officials said II were
missing from the tanker's crew
Of Al.
Flaming oil from the string
Of four barges spread across
the river and explosions shook
the 13,500-ton tanker, laden
with a high octane solvent.
Crewmen Leap Overheard
Panic stricken crewme n
leaped into the blazing oil
covered waters. People on the
shore heard their screams. Eight
erewmesl were hospitalized.
The collision occurred about
$40 am. (CST), authorities
said. Hours later, rescuers
fished from the river q crew.
mans body identified as Hans
Wollsen, IS, of Copenhagen,
Denmark.
Flames belched from a gap
ing hole in the tanker's STAR
board bow and from her su-
perstructure at mid-afternoon.
I'm afraid they (missing
crewmen) are either trapped in
there or are in the water" said
Fire Chief Roy A. Breaux of
Vacherie, across the river from
Lutcher. He was at the scene
soon after the crash.
1.-THE whole sky lit up" Chief
Breaux said. 1.-THE fog was so
thick we counldn't see a thing
for a long time except the fire.
We could hear those poor peo-
pie hollering for help"
One Woman Missing
The dead and missing--in-
Guiding one Of five women who
worked as a galley stewardess
were all from the six-year-
old tanker. Crewmen of the tug
Bonnie D, hauling the barge
train, were reported safe.
Chief Breaux quoted tanker
skipper Rolf Gjlstad as saying
he spotted the barges and tow
on his radar screen, but could
MT prevent the collision. Capt.
GjlStad said he blew his warn
ing siren repeatedly.
Sheriff Gordon Martin of st.
James Parish County, who
spoke with q number of crew.
men, said he was told the oil
barges had broken loose from
the tow.
Crewmen said the collision
occurred close to the rivers
west bank and the Norwegian
ship was apparently hit near
her bow.
Capt. Gjlstad turned his ship
from the barges and headed
toward the east bank. He
beached the tanker with her
bow into the bank. The tug
went aground on the west bank.
One barge sank and three 9TH
ers moored on the west bank,
burning themselves out.
Survivors, Account
At the United States Public |
Health Service hospital In New
Orleans, Gisel Magnessen, 49,
year-old seaman on watch, said
he saw q tremendous flash and |
then an exploion.
He ran to the crews quarters
to sound the alarm, he said. BY
the time he got topside, the
deck was on fire. Flames had
raced from bow to stern while
he was below.
With three other seamen, II
jumped into the river" he said,
adding that the current carried
the burning oil downstream.
A crewman identified as KEEL
Fjell Of Norway was also hos
pitahzed at the PHS hospital.
He was reported in serious con-
dition with burns over so per
cent Of his body.
Six survivors were taken to
st. James Parish General Hos
pital. They were reported to