ABOARD BURNING LINER

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 91, 14 October 1922, Page 7

ABOARD BURNING LINER

RADIO MAN STICKS TO POST

TTT.T. FLAMES DRIVE HIM OFF.

SHIP,

(UNUED: PBESS- ASSOCIATION—COPTRIGHT.)

(ATJSIKALIAS --HEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.) SAN FRANCISCO, 13th October.

The passenger liner City of Honolulu, taking 73 passengers, mostly residents of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other Californian cities, to Honolulu, caught fire when 500 miles west erf Los Angeles.

The vessel sent out a wireless S.O.S. message, but the flames quickly became uncontrollable, and the passengers and the crew, which numbered 145, had to abandon the ship, and embark in the life-boats. . .

The freight-steamer West Fawalon rescued all in the life-boats, the yacht Cassiana, on hgr way to Honolulu, standing

by. The radio operator on the City of Honolulu, W. H. Bell, ,was on his first sea assignment, but bravely remained at his post until the flames drove him and Captain Lester off the ship, which was a veritable furnace.

The West Farralon has wel»Sse(T a* waiting army-transport, the Thomas, to which the passengers will be transhipped, enabling the West Farralon to resume her voyage. >

A later message received to-day states that the weather was calm. The yaoht Cassiana is owned by Mr. F. L. Doheny. The passengers are. also said to number 76 and the drew 200.

[The (Sty of Honolulu was the former North German Lloyd liner Friedrick der Grosse, built in 1896 by the Vulcan Works, Stettin, 10,695 tons, twin-screw.. She was in the North German Lloyd's Pacific service at the outbreak of war in 1914, and ran /for Honolulu, where she was interned until America entered the war. Subsequently she was handed over to America-after the Armistice, and was making her first voyage as the City of Honolulu. Very many of the ex-Ger-man ships developed trouble under their new owners owing to' sabotage in the engines or boilers.]