International: Down to the Bottom

South Korean peasants, fearful of Communist guerrillas lurking in the hills, often go to market by sea. Last week 300 or 400 peasants, bound for hungry Pusan, squeezed aboard the 146-ton steamer Chang Kyong Ho (Prosperous Joy) cramming its hold with 400 sacks of rice. Off the Korean coast, the overladen Prosperous Joy encountered mountainous seas; a crashing wall of water cascaded into the hold, and the ancient vessel sank. Seven passengers, including the captain, swam to safety; the rest (perhaps 350) went to the bottom with the ship.