The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-09-14
Wreck of the Vessel on
Ocean Island.
The Lifeboat's Crew of Seven Men
Picked Up by the James
Makee.
story of the Disaster and the Voyage
of I.2OO Miles.

Yesterday afternoon, shortly after ,
O'Clock, Messrs. J. NJ. Dat Jr., < Co,
received a telephone from Waianae that
British ship, the Donnotter Castle,
had been wrecked at Ocean ISL
and, and that a boats crew OF
the men had been picked up by the
James Makee, and would be brought to
! Honolulu last night. The James Makee
left Waianae about Is o'clock in the even
ing and arrived here last night about
/ half-past 8 o'clock.
/ When the Makee came into port a
/ large crowd had gathered to meet her.
! II. B. Ms Consul General Major James
( Hay Wodehouse, and other officials
connected with the British Consulate,
were on the wharf, and boarded the
steamer as soon as she was locked. The
boats crew which were picked up were
| as follows: Henry Norman, Chief Officer,
of Lowestatf, Suffolk, England Henry
Thompson, of Holland; William Boggis,
of England; Henry Weeks, of England /;
Charles Brandt, of Germany; Edward
Hall, Of England, and Jacob Hume, OF
Norway.
The shipwrecked sailors were warmly
welcomed by Major Wodehouse, who
gave directions to have them taken to
the Consulate, where their report was
taken down. They were afterwards
taken to the Sailors Home, where
everything had been prepared to make
them comfortable.
The following is the substance of the
story of the wreck and the subsequent
rescue OF portion of the crew, the re-
mainder OF whom are still on Cure or
Ocean Island, situated in latitude %
deg. % min, longitude 178 deg. % min.
west
The Dunnotter Castle left Sydney,
Australia, on the 9th of June for Will
mington, San Pedro Bay, Lower Cali
fornia. She was vessel of LOO tons,
and was loa ded with coal for the latter
place and San Francisco, and was owned
by Messrs. Skinner & Co. of London and
Glasgow. The Dunnotter Castle was
commanded by Captain III. a. Martin
and had a complement of % men. 1t is
supposed that the cause of the disaster
was owing to the ships chronometers
getting out of order, and on the 18th of
July, near midnight, the vessel struck on
Cure or Ocean Island, between two
reefs, on coral bottom The
reefs ran from both sides of the
island from north and south, and the
vessel was securely aground and re-
sisted all efforts to get her afoat, al
though the crew worked from Thursday
until the following Monday to jettson
the cargo and to stop the leak with can
vas, which was caused by large hole
in the bottom made by the rocks.
All attempts to save the ship, how
ever, failed, and by noon the next day
there were twenty-five feet OF water in
her and she was resting on the coral
bottom. She was not abandoned by the
officers and crew until there were ten
feet of water in her hold. Soon after the
ship struck and filled, her water tanks
all got ahoat, and the most of the water
was spoiled by mixing with the salt
water, so that but comparatively small
quantity was saved. All the water and
provisions that could be got at were
landed on the island, which was desti-
tute of water, except a few brackish
pools.
On the Path of July it was determined
to send a boats crew to seek assistance,
and the First Mate took the boatswain
and five sailors, and left Ocean Island in
the life boat, steering northward for
these Islands. The boats crew took %
days provisions and quantity of water,
and left % days provisions and 283 gal
Ions of water with those who remained
on Ocean Island, who were Captain
Martin, Second and Third Officers, 10
sailors and four boys. The boats crew
set sail and were out 81 days. The first /
land sighted was Necker Island, which
was seen last Tuesday a week ago,
but as they could not get nearer than
four miles to the island all attempts to
land were abandoned, and the boat
steered for Bird Island, which was
sighted on the following Sunday
On last Tuesday the boat was pulled
entirely around Bird Island, but as it
was seen there was no water on the
Island, they did not land. They then |
directed their course for the Island of |
Kauai, and reached Kalihiwai, eighteen |
miles from Hanalei, about II 80 or u /
O'Clock on the 18th instant, and as they /
could not land on account of the break ]
ers, some natives came off in their I
canoes and helped them in. The first |
mate, Mr.. Norman, then procured
whale boat and came to Hanalei, where /
he found the steamer James Makee,
which Immediately went to the assist
ance of the shipwrecked crew and
brought them to Honolulu.
The crew in the lifeboat suffered
greatly during the latter part of the voy-
age. For three weeks they had but
half rations, and from the 23d of August
to the LIST of September they had but a
biscuit day and a pint OF water. From
the LIST of September they had but half