The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-16
THE LOST SAGINAW.
Particulars of the Wreck-How and When the
Vessel Strnck-The Crew Paralyzed with
Pear-Names of the Wrecked Officers.

Particulars of the Wreck-How and When the
Vessel strnck-She Crew ParaIyzed with
Fear-Names of the Wrecked Officers.
From the Alta California, Januarys.
A passenger from Honolulu by the Moses Tay-
lor, which arrived last evening, gives the follow
ing account of the loss of the United States
ship-of-war Saginaw
News reached Honolulu on the Oath of De
cember of the total loss on the goth of October
last, of the United States ship-of.war Saginaw,
on that desolate sand bank called Ocean Island
situated 1900 miles w. n. w. from Honolulu
and about midway between San Francisco and
Yoaahama. The intelligence was conveyed to
the Hawaiian Islands on board the captains
gig, which had been detached from the
scene of the wreck, and on board of which
were Lieutenant Talbot Peter Francis, John
Andrews, James Muir, and William Halford, all
of whom nobly volunteered to attempt to reach
Honolulu. After o lengthy voyage of over
thirty days, during which much rough weather
and many severe hardships were encountered,
Bay, on the Island of Kauii, in t1e Hawaiian
group, on the 10Th of December last. The
heartrending scene that then occurred cannot
be better described than in the simple state
ment of
WILLIAM HALFoRD, SOLE SURVIVOR
of the boats crew, as made before H. A. Pierce,
Esq, United States Minister Resident at Homo
lulo:-"Sailed from Midway Island at z. NJ,
October 28; vessel met good weather, but cloudy
and dark; speed two and a half to three
knots an hour; fires banked; topsail and jib
set running with fair wind; captain came
on deck at 2 A. NJ; / was sitting down
aft when the vessel struck; officer of deck, Mr..
CAST (who relieved Coles) had just informed
captain of breakers ahead; captain ordered top
sails to be lowered just at that moment vessel
struck; topsails were ordered to be furled crew
paralyzed with fear, and the orders were not
obeyed; surf then breaking over vessel, aid
hove her higher up; all hands put to work to
get boats and save provisions and other things
(worked all day carrying things to the shore);
at break of day saw sand island about one and
a half or two miles Oft; removed two very sick
men ashore, and four or five others slightly
so from time of wreck (nearly three weeks) all
hands employed getting up tents, saving provi-
sions and rigging, making fresh water With
apparatus and decking over and preparing
captains gig to go to Honolulu; the launch was
lost at the time the vessel struck; the former
was raised about ten inches amidships, taperlng
fore and aft, and wooden deck was placed
over all, with spaces for men to row, with
movable matches; volunteers were called to go
in the gig to Honolulu; Lieutenant Talbot, Peter
Francis, Jr.; Master belonging to Manila; and
John Andrews, seaman, OF Boston; James Muir,
seaman, of Glasgow, Scotland; and William Hal
ford (mysel), coXswain of captains gig, Volun-
teered to go in the boat to Honolulu.
FRIGRTFUL SUFFERING.
Five days out lost all light and fire, and no
means of making either-no dry tinder or wood,
but had flint and steel. About five or six days
before making Kauii, we succeeded in getting
light with the glasses taken from an opera
glass. Suffered much from wet, cold, and want
of food.
We drifted towards the shore at place
called Kalihi Kai, about five miles from Haualei.
landed with the water breast high, aud TOOK
with me a tin box on board, with It's cover
broken, containing navigation books, charts,
etc: also Captain Sicard's Instructions TO Lieu
tenant Talbot, and other papers, among which
was Muir's and Andrews discharge papers, they
having shipped November Is, for one month
thew belonged to the contractors, as their
employees, previous to that time-also, my
and Francis transfer papers, aud accounts
destined for Mare Island Navy Yard The above
named box, with everything not lAshed, fell into
the water when we were first upset. / landed
at about A. NJ. and saw no one until daybreak
when seeing some huts | went to them and got
assistance to get the boat into beach. had
preyiously,!by by making five trips to the boat,
succeeded in bringing ashore the long tin
case aforementioned, chronometer
OpeTa-gass, barometer, one ships
compass, boats binnacle and compass
and also assisted Muir to the shore. he was
insane, and said bnt little, incoherently. We
sailed for Honolulu on the evening of Tuesday
December 90 and arrived at Honolulu at III A.
M, December "a, bringing with me the effects
as aforementioned. Went on landing imme-
diately to the United States Consals office,
where saw him and the Minister Resident and
told my story to them.