Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-18


Through the misrepresentation of interested
parties, backed by the recommendations of ma
val officer who was either incompetent to Judge
or who was influenced by unworthy feelings of
prejudice andSpite against the government and
people of these islands, the north Pacific mail
steamship company was led to believe that, by
the expenditure of reasonable sum, a good
harbor could be made at Midway island, a bar
rem sand-batk enclosed in coral reef, situated
in north latitude % deg. 19m and west longitude
III deg. 28m distant from Honolulu about / 100
miles, and fOrty-eight miles from Ocean island.
This was to be the coaling station for the COM
pany's steamers on their voyages between San
Francisco and China. As a commencement,
congress appropriated $4,000 for the work of
blasting ship channel through the reef. The
Saginaw was detailed for the service, and on the
22d day of February, 1870, left San Francisco
for Midway Island via Honolulu, having on
board party of experienced divers, and all the
necessary machinery, apparatus and stores for
carrying on the work of blasting and eXcavating
the proposed channel She arrived at the is
land on March oath, and after putting up the
necessary buildings, the business of blasting
the bar was commenced, and the first trial was
considered satisfactory, fifty pounds of powder
having been used in two charges, each dislodg-
ing about i've tons of rock. This was to be
hoiSted into Scow and then dumped on the
reef on either side of the proposed cut. The
channel was to he over 600 feet in length, with
a general average width of 200 feet and depth
of "a feet.
On the 14th day of May the Saginaw sailed
for Honolulu, and up to the date of her loss,
October 18th, had made four trips to and from
the island. On her last return from Honolulu,
Captain Sicard brought orders to the working
party to discontinue operations, as the appro.
pTatiOn (S50,000) had been exhausted. After
toilng laboIiouSly and constantly, whenever the
weather and health of the men permitted, under
water and in boats and scows for six months,
using large quantities of powder and fuse, they
had eXcavated a channel near the centre of the
cut about Is feet wide and $50 feet in length,
and the $4,000 was extended, and the work
brought to a stop. AT this rate the work will
cost, when completed, at least the sum of ST.
0000Ol 1t is very much to be doubted whether
the United States government will consent to
the throwing away of any more money in the
useless attempt to make an available harbOr at
Midway, after the experience of the past year.
If congress is again prevailed upon to aid the in
sane project by approprating more funds, it will
certainly require vast deal of lobbying and cor
ruptiOn.
The prevailing winds at Midway during the
summer months, were the northeast trades So
called, varying from Z. by n. to L. S. L. In the
fall aud winter, the wind was mostly from the
north, with occasional strong gales from the
west. When the westerly gales blew, the mouth
of the lagoon, being as in all coral islands, on
that side, the sea broke heavily all over the la
coon, and no work could be done. On one &C.
casion, the workmen were returning to the ISL
and from the entrance of TIE channel when one
of these gales came on, "and,' said our infor-
mant, cit was Il mighty big cORundrunl at one
time whether she would ever reach the shore"
During the month of April, the thermometer
ranged from IS at sunrise to sc at noon and so
at shutdown. Twenty-eight days in July, mark
ed 10, "a, and 81, morning, noon and night, and
for twenty-five days in October, 49, 81, and 70.
Having taken on board the working party and
their materials on Friday, additionally unucky
for sailors,) the Saginaw left Midway Island for
San Francisco. 1t was determined, however, to
visit Ocean Island, about forty-eight miles to the
west where it was possible that some vessel
might have been wrecked. II was upon this
island that the British ship Gledstanes was
wrecked in 1887, and the American ship Parker
in September, 1912. The crew of the latter ship
were taken from the island in May, 1913. But
the Saginaw, on her humane mission, became
herself wreck. The wind was fair, and the en-
gines were running slowly, and it was expected
that they would be near the island about four in
the morning. AT half-past two the engines were
stopped entirely. At haf-past three the man
on the lookout reported that he saw something
ahead which he thought to be breakers. The
| order was given Immediately to back the en-
| gines, which was done, and continued for about
| ten minutes, when the wheels refused to move,
| the difficulty being evidently that some of the
| steam connections were broken. During this
time the tOpsals were still set, and could not be
| got in before she struck. When the breakers
were reported and the engines backed, the men
| were sent aloft to furl the topsails, but they
| were not got in soon enough to prevent their
| giving the ship more Roadway than the engines
| with the steam they had could counterfeit.
| There was sixteen pounds of steam when the
| engines were first backed, and the fires were
| banked Steam was used down to seven pounds,
but in the meantime the fires were opened, and
| at the time the vessel became finally fast on the
rocks the steam was rising. The topsails
q al In r,.1r
the time of striking, the foretopsail
being only clewed up. Shortly after striking for
| ward, the ship swung round brOadside on, and
huge breakers were pounding at her bow and
starboard side. As the engine ceased work ing
she struck under the fire-rOOm, raising the fire
room plates and the starboard boiler. The water
came in in torrents, and in a few moments was
up to the grate-bars. Every wave that struck
the ship threatened to break her to pieces. The
| smoke-stack went over the side, and The ship
gradually careened over to port, toward the reef
| She was being lifted bodily upon the rocks, and
in little time the after part of the vessel was
| above the water level, so that the men cnu Id
climb directly from the ship to the rocks, with
| out danger. At one time the order was given to
| clear away the boats, and some one let 90 the
| alter fall of the launch hOSted on the starboard
| side of the quarterback. The order having been
| cOuntermanded, the launch remained with her
| stern lowered some six feet and all the gripes
| cut. In short time she was carried away,
! davits and ALL Gangs went to work at once to
get provisions out of the fore and main holds
Not great deal was obtained from the fore
hold, as the forward part of the vessel was not
on the rocks, as was the after part, and the hold
was tull of water. This was before daylight
When day broke, an island appeared, less than
mile from the ship, surrounded by the reef
This was Ocean Island, to which the Saginaw
had come in search of shipwrecked people, and
they were undoubtedly found in the persons of
her own crew.
As soon as it was light, the boats were got out
and taken over the reef to the lagoon with little
or no damage. The ship was evidently going to
break up somewhere near the engine, as the for
ward portion of her had already much greater
heel than the after, and the deck was to a con-
siderable extent broken up. The water was
nearly up to the matches. Lines of men were
formed to carry the provisions that had been
saved to the boats. About seven or eight O'Clock,
the ship labored so much that the mainmast
was ordered to be cut away. The heel of the
vessel was such that the mast broke short off at
the deck with simply cutting the shrouds on the
starboard side, the mast falling so as 10 make
gangway to the reef, and so remained until the
vessel finally broke up. In a short time, the
forward part of the ship separated, as it had
threatened, just forward of the engines, and
swung around against the reef The mast fell,
and very soon that part of the ship lost all re-
semblance to what it had been. Very fortunate
ly, good portion of the provisions were in the
tive ease. The day was spent in saving and
conveying to the island what provisions tools,
sails, etc, could be got at But few articles of
clothing were saved, and with great difficulty.
10 add to the disagreeable character of the sit
uatiOn, many of the men became utterly unable
to work on account of drink. In clearing out
the hold they had discovered the wine lockers
in the ward-roOm, and had helped themselves,
and although there was nothing in it stronger
than ale and claret, on men who are debarred
from all liquors, and who were fasting, the effect
was soon apparent.
At 5 O'Clock p. NJ, word was passed to aban-
don the ship. All hands accordingly went on
shore. The damaged provisions were spread
out on awnings and such sails as could be got
at. Much oil the bread had been placed in bags
and the wash of the sea running through the
holes in the ships side had reduced it to a mere
pulp, such as to be absolutely UNBEATABLE, except
TO people in danger of starvation. The bread
in boxes Jared BETTER since it was kept in shape,
and was not so thoroughly saturated. Much of
the beef and pork was broken out of the bar
rels, and everything was adrift. On getting to
the shore, tired, wet and hungry, after twenty
four hours of fasting and fourteen of severe
labor, no Que felt any ambition to provide for
shelter, but sunk to rest in the sand. During