The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1886-09-16
THE SAGINAW .
A Correct Account of the
Event.
On Humane Mission PrivatiOns
on Ocean Island.
Trip OF the Hilauen Relief Ves-
soils Sont-The Rescue and
Return.

AS some garing errors have been
published regarding the wreck of the
United States steamship Saginaw on
Ocean Island in 1870, the following
account is summarized from authentic
reports Of that time.
The Saginaw commanded by Cap
tain Sicard, had been at Midway Isl
and with party sent to construct a
harbor and make surveys there. These
works having been abandoned, the
steamer left Midway Island on Friday,
October 18th, 1870, for San Francisco,
with the working party on board. 1t was
deemed advisable, however, to pass
Ocean Island, sixty miles west of Mid
way, to ascertain if any vessels were
wrecked there ard assistance required.
The following morning, at quarter to
three o'clock, the Saginaw went ashore
on Ocean Island. Comparatively little
of the ships provisions was saved, and
of that a proportion was damaged by
the sea water. 1t was not until the
18th of November, however, that the
vessel broke up. Fortunately, among
the articles saved from the wreck was
boiler, in which the shipwrecked party
were enabled to distil water. But in
digging a hole for flagstaff fresh
water was found in sufficient abund-
ance to supply the company without
the necessity of distilling The food
supplies saved were replenished from
time to time with seal, turtle and fish
caught in the lagoon.
Knowing that they could not very
long subsist on a barren island, a
scheme OF sending boats party out in
quest of relief was devised. The ships
gig was raised six inches and decked
over, and in this frail craft five men
embarked, namely: Lieutenant Tai
bot, executive officer; Peter Francis,
quartermaster; VIM. Halford, coXswain;
James Muir and John Andrews. The
last named was the principal diver of
the working party and belonged to
Boston. This boat left Ocean Island
on the 18th day of November
Kauai was sighted on the 9Th of De
cember, near Hanalei, but the boat
driited away from land that day. In
attempting to land, on the morning of
the 10th, Talbot and two Others were
drowned, and a fourth died shortly
after coming ashore, the four men
being buried the next day by Mr.
Bindt, manager of the Hanalei planta-
ton Halford was the sole survivor,
and is now warrant officer in the
American navy. The party had taken
from Ocean Island provisions for thirty
five days, but, although they were
only at sea thirty days, their supply was
spoiled with salt water, leaving them
only few spoonsful of preparation OF
potatoes with water when they sighted
land.
News of the disaster reached Homo
lulu on Saturday, December 24th, and
the same day the schooner Kona
Packet was despatched, with provi-
sions and water, to Ocean Island, by
\ the American Minister Resident. Fear
ing that the schooner might not make
the trip fast enough, the Minister pre-
ferred request to the Government for
the steamer Kilauea, which was
promptly granted, and the steamer
being amply supplied sailed at $50 P.
NJ. on Monday, December goth.
Thomas Long was put in charge of the
expedition, Harrison being master OF
the steamer. For the first four days
out light winds were experienced, not
lgiving sufficient draught for the fur
naces. On the 3Ist of December the
vessel took strong trade winds, that on
Sunday, January Ist, increased to a
severe N. E. gale with thick weather
and rain. The night of the end she
was hove to with view to sighting
Midway Island. By observation on
the morning of the grid she was found
to be to the leeward of Midway
Island, and being anxious to reach
Ocean Island that day they steered for
it They could not get a meridian
altitude, but at 2 p NJ by double alti-
tudes they found they were twelve
miles north of the destined island.
The course was changed, and at 3;45
the breakers were sighted and next the
flagstaff erected by the wrecked party,
the island being so low as not to be
visible until long after the surf and
flagstaff were seen. At 1870 the Ri
lauea was sufficiently near the island,
and the anchorage being five miles
along the reef from where she APP
Iproached, it was concluded to lay of
and communicate with the distressed
people by dipping the flag and firing
rockets. On the morning Of the 18th
of January they anchored at the mouth
of the lagoon and found everybody