678 SAVED

Hokitika Guardian, 19 May 1932, Page 6

678 SAVED

91 AT PRESENT MISSING.

(United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

(Received this day at 11.15 a.m.)

LONDON, May 18,

The arrival of the Andre Lebon at Djibouti with the survivors, including Captain Vieq, enabled the Messagerias Maritimes to state there were altogether 769 passengers and crew aboard the Phillipar. : Thus far 678 ar e accounted for. Therefore ninety-one are missing.

It is now reported that Dr Sze disembarked at Hong Kong. Those missing include Albert Londres, a well-known Paris journalist, also the daughter and son-in-law of the Chief Justice of Indo-Cliina. Mesdames Vincente and Bouvfer are convinced that many first class passengers were burnt to death. They discovered then- own escape cut off. When the last boat left without them, “we screamed but the roar of the flames drowned our voices, so we rushed to the bridge and clanged, the ship’s bell until a boat put back and rescued us through a porthole, near the water's edge.” A passenger, N Brault } helped to rescue eighty children aboard. He thinks nearly ail were saved. He saw Alvis Wendling . jump into the sea with a three year old, Jacquet Bernard, in his arms. The Sovietskaia picked up both. Wendling is now fathering the child who cries for his missing. mother, but won’t leave the rescuer for the women who rush to take care of him.

All accounts emphasise the amazing rapidity of the fire spreading. There is no explanation why it could not be isolated.