BIG LINER AGROUND.

Wairarapa Age, 2 October 1935, Page 5

BIG LINER AGROUND.

MISHAP IN WEST INDIES. DURING HOLIDAY CRUISE. CAPTAIN REPORTS NO DANGER. NEW YORK, September 30. The Holland-Amerika liner Rotterdam (24,149 tons), carrying 600 passengers on a cruise to the West Indies, grounded on a reef 60 miles south-east of Kingston, Jamaica. Captain van Dulken asked nearby ships to stand by for possible assistance. i( Everybody is well and! quiet and, thfere is no danger,” he said. The liner left New York on September 21. FAST ON REEF. ALL PASSENGERSi TRANSFERRED TO RESCUE SHIP. (Received Tuesday, 7.35 p.m.) KINGSTON (Jamaica!), Sfept. 30. Gripped by » coral fanged reef the liner Rotterdam .to-night transferred her 450 passengers to the rescue ship Ariguani, which put out from Kingston. The crew of the Rotterdam, numbering 526, are not believed to be in immediate danger.

The passengers took the shipwreck more or less as an experience. They changed ships without mishap. Perfect discipline was maintained. . The cause of the grounding is unknown. It is not attributed to the week-end hurricane, as the Rotterdam was coming up behind its tail. The sea was smoothed into a comparative calm after the weekend storm that inflicted damage amounting 1,250,000 dollars to Jamaica’s banana crops. A swell is still running. Messages' from the Ariguani reported that the Rotterdam was pounding lightly and leaks had opened in the bottom of the vessel, which was making water in four compartments.. Almost the full length of the ship is lying on a jagged reef.