The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-13
TOWED BACK
FOR REPAIRS.
Rough Experience Of the Steamer
WetmOre.
Captain Hastings Tells How She Tossed
RudderleSS on the Ocean Until Picked
Up by the zambeSi.
srtcial to The MORNING CALL.

ASTORIA. Dec. 12.-Captain Hastings Of
the whaleback steamer Wetmore furnished
the following report from the ships log to-
night: On Sunday morning, December 9th,
the barometer commenced to fall rapidly
with increasing wind from the south-south-
west. the sea rising with a heavy westerly
swell during the forenoon. We had no
difficulty in steering a good course, but as
the wind and sea increased the vessel
steered badly until 80 o'clock in the eYen-
ing, when the vessel refused to answer her
helm. BY this time 1t was blowing gale,
but we experienced no difficulty in heaving
the ship to and bringing her head to the sea,
which position was maintained during the
night, the steamer riding the seas easily.
The wind increased to hurricane. The
sea became so heavy that the steamer fell
off into the trough of it and while between
the seas the sails would become becalmed.
By daylight on the morning of the 7th We
succeeded in bending the starboard anchor
to harbor tow-line to try and club-haul
her off shore, but in consequence of the force
of wind and sea it had NO effect. We kept
the engines going astern all Monday night
and thus prevented the ship driving on lee
shore. which at this time was less than two
miles distant. BY o'clock on the morning
of the 8th the weather and sea moderated
some. At o'clock we stopped the engines
to try and bring the vessels head to the sea
and this time succeeded in doing so. and,
when she headed off shore. hauled in our
anchor. started the engines ahead and KEEP.
her going further off shore.
during the night we had all hands working
on the temporary rudder which we at
tached to the rudder chains. At o'clock
we had this work going and the ship under
control, the first time since Sunday night.
At 10 o'clock the British steamer Zambesi
was sighted heading for us. The weather
was m"deratirg, but as the barometer was
lower than it had been any time during the
gale, Captain hastings decided to get tewed
into the nearest port and have the rudder
fixed. He hOiSted signals, signifying that
his rudder was damaged aud the ship could
not be steered, and asking the Zambasi for
tow into Astoria, where she was bound, to
which the captain of the Zambesi signaled
"Yes"
We then lowered the Wetmore's boat and
passed our hawser to the Zambesi, when
she commenced towing on us, our engines
working ahead. After towing for about two
hours we arrived off the Columbia River
bar, when the Zambesi displayed the signal
''the bar cannot be crossed until daylight"
and she hove to until morning. At day.
break the captain of the Zambesi made a
start, and before fair strain could be got
on our hawser nine-inch MANILA, it
parted in our towing chock. The Zambesi
came around and we put our small boat out
again aud got the tow-line attached. The
Zambesi kept to wing us around while waiting
for pilot Tie pilot boarded the ZambeSi
from a pilot schooner before starting in
ever the bar. At $50 p. NJ we started to
cross the bar, the Zambesi steering US, and
the Wetmore working her engin es. At
o'clock the warp parted, which made no
perceptible difference in our progress or
steering. We crossed the bar safely, and at
8 o'clock anchored at Astoria.