The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-02-09
THE CLAUS SPRECKELS.
Runs on Duxberry Reef and becomes
aTOtaI Loss.


22d has the following account of the loss
of the brigantine Claus Spreckels:
''Shortly after II o'clock yesterday the
coasting steamer Emily arrived in port
after a passage of eighteen hours from
Fort Bragg with passengers and mer-
chandise. When she was boarded by
Mr.. Fitzgerald, the Merchants Exchange
marine reporter off Meigs' wharf, it was
ascertained that she had on board the
captain and the crew of the brigantine
Claus Spreckels, which had been
wrecked at o'clock yesterday morning
on Duxburry Reef. The reporter at once
pulled ashore and telephoned the news
to the Exchange, where few minutes
later it was reported on the blackboard
The vessel it was stated, went ashore
during the fog, and when her crew was
picked up by the Emily, she was on her
beams end and half full of water. No
lives were lost, but the men were
thoroughly chilled through.
''Soon after the notice was posted on
Change Mr.. John D. Spreckels entered
and seeing it, Immediately rushed down
to order one of his tugs to proceed to the
the cargo of sugar before it became sat-
urated with salt water. The tug Relief
was got ready as soon as possible, and
at 3 o'clock in the afternoon steamed
out, the captain and crew of the Claus
Spreckels and John D. Spreckels him
self. The weather was thick when the
tug left, and as night fell it became
thicker, and it seemed very improbable
that she would be able to accomplish
anything before daybreak to-day, when
the extra cables and wrecking machinery
she has on board may prove of good
service.
"Before the tug left one of the crew of
Spreckels gave the following account of
the disaster:
owe had had the usual luck of a
Sandwich Island packet on our run up,
and although our trip was a little longer
than usual, still nothing out of the ordi-
nary run of events had occurred, and
last evening we were looking to speedy
and safe ending of our voyage. This
morning the weather was very thick,
with light east wind and heavy swell
from the south. Captain Swift con-
Guided to take advantage of the breeze
and make port, and the vessel was
headed toward the Heads. At that
time there was no noise of surf or
breakers, but just at 4 o'clock, as the
watches changed, the vessel struck.
"The captain Immediately ordered out
the boats and ran out a kedge with the
intention of hauling her off, but the sea
was too heavy and the anchor would not
hold, and finally, between 6 and 8
O'Clock, we left the vessel, it being i'm
possible to do anything with her. At
the time we left she was heeled over
about fifteen degrees and was full of
water. About Z o'clock the steamer
Emily, from Fort Bragg, hove in sight,
and upon our signaling, picked us up.
There we're ten of us in the crew-cap-
tain, first mate, second mate, steward
and six before the mast and none of us
saved anything except the clothes we
had on and some valuables which we
placed in our pockets.
''The Claus Spreckels was brigantine
and was build by Captain Matt Turner
in 1879. She was 246 tons register,
1925 feet long, 81. 8 feet in breadth and
1875 feet in depth. She was rated as
one of the stanchest and best of the
sugar feet. She had aboard cargo of
about $50 tons Of raw sugar. Both YES
sci and cargo were fully insured. She
left Kahului on December 2Sth in COM
mand of Captain E. D. Swift, who is an
old shipmaster, having sailed the waters
of the Pacific for thirty years.
F'The vessel was owned by John D.
Spreckels & Bros, was valued at about |
$12 900, and the cargo was worth about |
SAC, 1000.
"Duxbury Reef, on which the brigan-
tine struck, is ten miles north of the |
north heads and extends out from the |
point at the head of Bolinas Bay. |
There is United States life-saving
station located about mile from the
reef. The last vessel lost on the reef
was the ship Western Home, about
twelve years ago.
-~O-
The American Sugar Refinery Conn