DRAMA OFF ALASKA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26631, 29 November 1947, Page 7

DRAMA OFF ALASKA

AMERICAN TRANSPORT, WRECK SURVIVORS’ DESCRIPTION SEATTLE, Nov. 27. A 23-year-old Honduran seaman, Carlos Sanabria, one of the four survivors from the wrecked ti'ansport Clarksdale Victor, described to coastguard rescuers at Ketchikan (Alaska) how the ship split in half 10 minutes after she struck a rock about 25 miles ''off tiny Hippa Island. Sanabria said the vessel was travelling south from Whittier (Alaska) to Seattle. She was suddenly lifted by a gigantic swell. “She shuddered as she struck the rock,” he said, “then heaved and struck once or twice more. All hands were called to the boatdeck to abandon ship, but because of the mountainous breakers it was thought safer to remain on board than to attempt to take to the boats. Ten minutes later the ship split in two at No. 3 hatch—the section containing the lifeboats and crew.” . Sanabria said the stern settled in the water as tremendous seas crashed over the deck. The boats were swept away, and some of the crew went overboard. Sanabria last saw Captain Laugeson clinging to the boatdeck with about half the crew, then a crashing wave sent Sanabria over the side. Sanabria was stunned by the icy water, and regained consciousness to find himself being battered among the rocks. After what seemed a nightmare of cold and rocks, Sanabria was tossed on to the beach, where he collapsed. The next morning he met three other survivors nearby. The United Press points out that Sanabria’s story does not tally with earlier i-eports that the survivors were found on the ship's bow, but the coastguard commander said Sanabria was probably delirious for several hours, and his first remembrance of seeing his fellow sui'vivoi's could have followed the long rescue attempts that ended last night. The list of the crew aboard the ti-ansport was raised to 53 when the coastguai'd announced that there were also on board two unidentified men working their passage.