The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-01-28
THE PACIFIC
Commercial A0Onbsn.
SATURDAY, January %.
The Midway Island Speculation,
and What Came of it.

To the northwest of the Hawaiian Islands for
a distance of over a thousand miles, stretches a
succession Of coral reefs and shoals, with here
and there a sandy islet, thrown up by the winds
and waves, and mostly bare of vegetation. These
islets are termed atolls" by geographers, a
word taken from the Maldive language, and
signifying a coral island consisting of a strip or
ring of coral reef surrounding a central lagoon.
Professor Dana, who accompanied Wilkes ex-
pIoring expedition around the world during the
years l838-l842, published a book of some $50
pages on . Coral Reefs and Islands" in which
he demonstrates very clearly that these reefs owe
their origin to the mysterious operations of the
zoOphytes or polyps, which be describes as : an
animal of the Radiate type, having in general a
cylindrical body, at one extremity of which there
Is a mouth, surrounded by one or more series Of
arms or tentaeles. 1t has no special organs Of
sense, and il capable of multiplying by buds and
artificial sections, as well as ova. These animals
form coral by the secretion of calcare0us matter"
His theory is that the zoophyres build their
structures on the SUBMITS of submerged noun
tains, which have sunk BENEATH the level of the
ocean in by-gone ages. These coral islands
abound in this ocean, and rising but a few feet
above the surface, surrounded by strong but I'M
certain currents, they are peculiarly dangerous
to nayigators, particularly at night.
It was upon one of these islands known as
Ocean Island, situated in latitude 2So 90 north
and longitude I7S go west, that the United
States steamer Saginaw went ashore on the morn
ing of the 10Th of October last, while on her
way to San Francisco from Midway formerly
Brooke's) Island. There her crew remained,
II
until the Sd Of the present month, when they
were rescued from their halfstarved and p~erilous
situation by the timely arrival of the steamer
RiLqueG, which had been promptly dispatched to
their aid by the Hawaiian Government on the re-
ceipt of the news of the disaster at Honolulu.
In the Hncaian Spectator for July, 1888, we
find the following account of Ocean Island and
the wreck of the Giedstanes, as furnished by the
master
"The Island, in Lat. 28e 90 N. and Long. 1879
go W. which I suppose TO be Ocean Island, is about
three miles in circumference. It is composed of
broken coral and shells, and is covered, near the
shore, with low bushes. In the season, it ahounds
with sea birds, and at times, there is a considerable
number of hair-seals. There is always an abundance
Of fish, and in q great variety. The highest part of
the island Is not more than ten feet above the level of
the sea. The only fresh water is what drains through
the sand after the heavy rains. From the specimens
Of dead shells lying about the beach, there appears to
be a great variety Of shells
The Spectator says:
"The GIedsflnes was wrecked on the 9Th July,
1887, about midnight. Only one man was lost he
jumped overheard, intoxicated. Capt. Brown re-
manned on the island till the 10th Dec, when himself
with his chief mate and eight seaman sailed for the
Sandwich Islands, in a schooner they had, with great
toll, and perseverance, and skill, constructed from
fragments Of the wreck. The other officers and men
who remained several months longer, and endured
great sufFerings, were subsequently brought off by a
vessel despatched for that purpose, By II. 3. Ms
Consul at these Islands,"
Herewith we give a sketch of the island. G
marks the position where the GEedstanes was
wrecked, and 5 that of the Saginaw. The as
terisk shows the line of green water at the en-
trance Of the lagoon.