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Show THRONG SAVED FROMJESSEL Waves Pound Ship on Pacific Reef MANILA, Dec 11 Pounded by waves and reported leaking badly, bad-ly, the transpacific liner President Hoover was feared to be In a desperate des-perate condition today after several sev-eral hundred passengers had been rescued from ths 18,000,000 vessel. Captain E. Stepbauch, master of the German freighter Preussen, first ship to reach ths Hoover after she went aground early this morning on reefs of a small Island near Formosa, For-mosa, messaged the first definite Word of the liner's plight The German captain. In a message to the Associated Press here, said the Hoover was "bumping heavily" en ths reef and "leaking badly forward." for-ward." Few Remain Only a skeleton crew remained aboard the liner, whoss position is approximately 500 miles from Manila, Ma-nila, the passengers and most of ths crew having been removed to the bland. Three United States ' destroyers, streaking northward from Manila, the liner Empreas of Asia and two tugs from Formosa were expected to reach the grounded ship late tonight to-night Captain 8tepbauch's message said: "We srrived at Hoover's position posi-tion at 1:30 a. m. Saturday (10:30 p. m. Friday, Salt Lake City time). 6o far as could see, ship in bad position po-sition on rocks northwest side Hoishoto island. On request stood by until daylight ready to take passengers over and make attempt at towing off. Hoover's captain decided de-cided to land passengers, crew on Island. Sounding ahowed impossible impos-sible towing off." His messags did not make clear whether it would be impossible for the liner to be towed off at all, or whether It was impossible for the German craft to free ths Dollar ship. Te Refloat Liner Later messsges said ths weather wss calm and Dollar Steamship company officials stated they expected ex-pected to refloat the liner. Many hours after the 21,300-ton liner struck in the darkness. Globe Wireless received a messsge saying say-ing the passengers, numbering at least 380, had been landed on the (Continued on Pee Twnl . Column Seven) THRONG SAVED FR0M VESSEL (CoetlaueS Ilea Pe Om) volcanic Island, some 80 miles northeast of Formosa's southern tip. and .IS miles offshore. Sources conflicted regsrding the number aboard the luxury liner and her predicament. In San Francisco It was reported there were S0 passengers and 40 crew. Information here aaid approximately ap-proximately MO passengers, Including Includ-ing 300 Chinese steerage, and 133 crew. Hole la Bow Hong Kong dispatches reported the liner, one of the American merchant mer-chant marine's five major ships, was pounding heavily with a large hole in her bow. but line officials here ters aaid they were without such information. in-formation. Dollar Line officials said they had not received information concerning concern-ing the cause of the grounding, but the liner was making ita first journey jour-ney over a new course between Japan and Manila, where she was due today. She piled up on an island, where maps indicate treacherous coral ahoala extend out from half to three-quarters of a mile. The Japanese navy reported at Shanghai that a Japanese cruiser had taken 200 first class passengers to Hayake" island. The three United Statu destroyers, John D. Edwarda, Alden and Baker, were expected to reach the grounded vessel about 6 a. m. Sunday, which would be 4 p. m. today (Saturday) eastern standard time. Navy department information Indicated In-dicated the island where passengers passen-gers of the stranded liner President Hoover were landed la a rocky, sparsely inhabited bit of land three and one-half by two and one-half milea in area. The subtropical latitude lati-tude makea the climate mild. |