BURNING SHIP

Hokitika Guardian, 19 May 1932, Page 5

BURNING SHIP

A VIVID STORY

100 NOT YET ACCOUNTED FOR

(United Press Association—By Electri

Telegraph.—(JopyrigiiL.j

ADEN, May 17. The Otranto’s Master, Captain fcn,anton, wirelessed, and offered to take the ■steamer Soviotskaia’s survivors, but the Russians were unable to understand. The Otranto .searched for rafts and boats, 1 but saw hone and it w.-s prejumed ’that all 1 pi' those rescued proceeded to Colombo. '

The Maritime,s Coy., does not kriovFtlie exact number of the lineir’s passengers;; The latest estimate i« 506. The crew numbered 3d.

The police declare that the warnings as to sabotage have been investigated, but revealed nothing suspicious. They believe the fire was accidental.

“The Times’ ” Rome correspondent says that a message from Mogadiscio states the death roll on the liner was 110.

According to the “Daily Mail,” the Contractoi* and the Mahsud landed i 177 survivors. Four French girls died of injuries. Other estimates of the missing vary from 114 to 2CO.

HOW THE ALARM WAS RAWED.

SEVERAL TRAPPED IN FLAMES

(Received this dky at 11.15 a.tn.) ’LONDON, May 18

The Otranto and’Kaiser-l-Hind have wirelessed that they have no Georges Bhillipar survivors aboard. Reports reaching Paris indicate that approximately one .hundred passengers are rot accounted for, including Doctor Sze. An Aden message .says that the Phillipar is still burning. A dramatic story of how the alarm was raised is told by Madame Valentin. The fire started in her cabin while she had been on deck. Returning at two in the morning, the cabin fights went cut and she rang for a steward but the --witch dropped off into her hand. The ends of the wires felt hot and she r-snod fo call the officer on watch. When she returned to her cabin Hie heard the wires crackling inside He vail of the cabin which was soon filled with smoke, and flames burst through the walls of adjacent cabins. Some passengers must have been trapped by the flames which spread with amazing rapidity. It is revealed that music and the gaiety of the dancers prevented most of the passengers from hearing the fire alarm, and the loss Of valinib’ minutes added to the difficulties of escape, An epic .story la told of a brave stewardess, MUe. Helbut, vainly darting into the burning cabins t» find liei parents badly burned. A girl of twelve, who was afterwards lowered into a. boat, died en route. Mile. Helbut later succoured two burned men all the way to Aden and then collapsed from shock and exposure.