AGROUND OFF COAST OF FLORIDA

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 88, 8 January 1935, Page 9

AGROUND OFF COAST OF FLORIDA

American Liner on Reef

THREE PASSENGERS NOT * ACCOUNTED FOR

By Telegraph.—Press Astra. —Copyright.

(Received January 7, 10.10 p.m.)

New York, January 6.

The Ward liner Havana, carrying 51 passengers and a crew of 126, en route from New York to Vera Cruz, grounded on the Mantanilla Reef off the Florida coast, near the Bahamas, before daylight this morning. With a strong gale threatening to break up the vessel at any moment the passengers were immediately evacuated in lifeboats, while SOS signals were sent out. Half a dozen nearby craft sped to the assistance of the Havana. According to mid-afternoon reports from (Miami the steamer Oceano and another coastal boat rescued all the passengers, but it is not clear if any members of the crew were there among them. Later the Ward Line offices in New Pork said that as far as they knew the crew was still aboard the Havana, which would probably be a total loss. Among the vessels steaming to the rescue is the Orlente, sister ship of the Morro Castle, which was burned off New Jersey on September 8 with a loss of 134 lives. The Havana was the veteran of the Caribbean trade, having been built in 1907. She was used as a troop transport in the World War and reconditioned at a cost of a million dollars in 1927. A later message states that 12 hours after the vessel grounded, the time of which was placed at 3.40 a.m., 90 of the passengers and crew were accounted for. One passenger, Robert Rittenhouse, New York City, died of apoplexy while lieing removed. Three passengers are not accounted for, although possibly they were saved. About 87 officers and crew, including Captain A. W. Peterson, are remaining aboard the Havana, apparently confident that she will not break up before morning. Three coastguard cutters are standing by in a hard gale to remove them when possible. The rescued persons will probably be taken to Fort Pierce and Miami, Florida, the nearest American ports. As yet there is no communication from the officers as to details of the grounding. Latest advices state that 51 passengers and 47 members of the crew were taken-ashore by rescue boats. Captain Peterson and the remaining members of the crew, stayed aboard waiting for a tug to assist the vessel off the reef.