The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-02
PERILS OF THE SEA.
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Loss of Life-A Heroic Commander.
The Japan Gazette gives the following account
of a disastrous occurrence in Japanese waters:-
The steamer Haya-maro was wrecked on n
rock, some seventy miles from Yokohama, June
IL and went down. She was steaming at n speed
of about fourteen knots, and when about two
hundred yards to the eastward of the Plymouth
rocks she struck violently on sunken rock.
After striking, the vessel grated surged to and
fro, and suddenly stopped-but for an instant
from the shock. Captain Hill then gave orders
to run her in shore, but the moment she was
clear of the rocll-or three revolutions afterwards
the stem took the water, and she went down
bodily in about forty fathoms.
At the moment she struck nearly all hands
were on deck, but perfect GOODNESS and discipline
were maintained, there being only rush to the
boats on the part of the Chinese. Captain Hill
was calmly giving further orders in the hope of
saving his passengers and cargo when he was
accOsted by the chief officer, who said:-"You
had better look after yourself, Captain Hill; it is
all over with the vessel" to which the brave man
replied:-'Never mind me-look after YOURSELF
and few moments later was engulfed with his
ship One boat was lowered and got away in
safety from the wreck, picking up those of the
survivors whom they could find, and then making
for the shore, their progress being, however,
slow, as they were pulling but two oars.
Some went overheard with the violence of the
shock One of the survivors seated on the
deck with Mr.. Wainwright, and went down with
the vessel, but fortunately came up unharmed
and managed to swim clear of the wreck: he
then endeavored to make for the shore, but the
current setting out rendered it impossible. SO,
reserying his strength he kept himself atloat for
some time on an that had been given him in
the water by one of the officers. At one time
he was pulled under the water by some poor
soul struggling for life. The other passenger
who was saved was also pulled under water in
the same manner, and twice nearly drowned.
They remained in the water upwards of an hour,
and at the moment when exhaustion was over
powering them, were picked up by the boat,
which had put off again from the shore to the
rescue.
made on the beach for anything that might have
washed up from the wreck but nothing was
found except a bale of cotton yarn, by means of
which the chief officer had hoated for a conside-
rable time towards the shore, when he was
picked up. Two large native boats were pro-
cured and the coast searched for three or four
miles on either side of the bay, but without any
result. landing was not made, as the senodes
did not like to take their boat into the surf, but
Vacuum who was sent to make inquiries, re-
| ported that the villagers knew nothing of the
wreck, nor had they seen anything wash up on
| the beach. About o'clock the Olago weighed
anchor, and being joined by those who had been
engaged in the search along the coast, headed
| for Yokohama where, with colors at half-mast,
| she arrived about o'clock
The following is a list of those who are miss
ing
Crew-Captaln Hill Mr.. Watt, Second En-
gineer; two Japanese tiremen; one Chinese fire.
man; two cooks; one carpenter; one steward.
Passengers-Messrs. Marrison, Wainwright
Kale, Muller, Jachimek, u pianist: one China
man; six Japanese.
The rock on which the vessel struck was found
| to be about six feet below water, and about 200
| yards to the eastward of the Plymouth Rocks,
| with deep soundings all around it; the same
account is given of it by the native fishermen,
who added that at high tide it is covered by
! twelve feet of water 1t is supposed to be the
| spot where the Nepaul struck two or three years
| lnlf. =, L
the charts, there being merely 'shoal" marked
| in the vicinity of the Plymouth Rocks. When
| examined yesterday, there were marks where
| the steamer had struck and shattered the rock.
The japanese Times gives the following addi-
| tional particulars
The disaster appears to be DUE as in the case
| of the Nepaul in 1865 to skirtng the Well-known
| plymouth Rock" too closely. A little after 8
P. NJ, when dinner was over, and passengers
and officers on deck enjoying the hour after their
meal, while the vessel was going fourteen knots,
her engines making ninety-eight revolutions per
minute, she struck upon the same danger as the
Nepaul. Apparently she went right over the
| rock, and went down almost immediately
according to the best information we can
| get in seven minutes. Had the engines been at
once reversed, SO that the ship could have been
retained in her position on the rock, she might
| have remained suspended there long enough to
have enabled all in her to have got away from
her at leisure; but it would seem that Captain
| Hill hoped to be able to run her ashore after
| clearing the point on which she was hanging,
and directed his efforts to that end Slightly
built, however (she was originally constructed
for blockade-runner in the American civil war;,
her bottom was literally torn out of her, and she
sank as soon as she got over into deep water,
| and has left not a rack behind
One solitary bale of cotton is all that remains
of her cargo; this must have come up through
her side and was of some service in supporting
the first mate, until finding it rolling too much
he abandoned it for floating spar.
| yVav in yyh ha
met their death was pitiable. All, except NJ
Jachimek, who would not leave his cabin, were
being lowered from the side of the sinking yes
sci, in one of the boats, and fully content with
their position, the sea being smooth and shore
within three miles of them, when one of the falls
was cat or let go, slipped through the block al
the davit, and the boat, instantly perpendicular
shot them all out into sea. NJ lie Conde dc
Mouton, strong swimmer, struck out at once
for shore, which he reached after being nearly
two hours in the water, and Mr.. Cream was
picked up by the Quartermasters boat which,
after landing her freight of Cinnamon and Japa-
nese returned to look for survivors from the
wreck Those of the crew who were saved had
mostly reached the land in another boat.
| A0TInES.