The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-02-19
EIGHTEEN DROWNED.
Loss Of The Whaling Bark Tanner
lane Near HilO.
Brave Sailors Whose Graves Are in the Sea.
Captain Rowland Among the Dead-The
Story Told by the Survivors.

The mail steamer Mariposa arrived from
Honolulu yesterday and brought the terri
Die news Of the wreck Of the whaling bark
Tamerlane and the loss OF eighteen of her
crew. The bark struck on the rocks on the
Puma coast, about sixteen miles from Hilo,
Sandwich Islands, at place called keone-
poke, about half an hour after midnight on
the morning of February 2. Captain How
land and seventeen Of his crew were
drowned.
The place where the Inflated bark went
ashore is what is known as bold shore,
with deep water right up to the cliffs, which
rise straight up like the wall OF a house. 1t
was dark and foggy, and gale of wind
was blowing at the time, raising a terrible
sea, so that within two hours after the bark
struck she was broken TO pieces on the
rocks.
The men who were saved reached the
shore by means of long plank, while those
that took to the boats or tried to swim
ashore were all lost Mr.. Pardee. third
mate OF the Tamerlane, and eight OF the
survivors, came up on the Mariposa, the
others remaining at the islands. The story
of the terrible wreck was told dozens Of
times yesterday by the sailors, and crowds
of seafariHg men listened to their account
OF their thrilling escape.
ONE STORY WAS TOLD.
The men all told the same story because
all that reached the shore did so by means
of the same friendly plank-all except one.
an Indian named Jim, who was washed ont
of the mizzen rigging and who managed 10
climb up the face OF the cliff where goat
could not have made lis way.
The story as told By John San Francisco
who was fifth mate Of tn vessel, is as fol-
lows: The IameTlane sailed from San
Francisco on January Is, bound on a whal-
ing cruise to Behring Sea. 1t is the custom
OF the whalers TO spend the time until the
sea is open in cruising in tile Pacific Ocean,
near the Hawaiian Islands, and then fitting
out with fresh water and provisions at
Honolulu before going north.
This was the plan laid out by Captain
Rowland, and accordingly after leaving
san Francisco the vessel steered for the
Hawaiian Islands. Soon after leaving this
port, where all the crew had been shipped.
and which so many never Will see again,
a large sperm whale was sighted and
the boats were lowered TO effect its capture
This was accomplished, but not until the
monster had smashed the first boat that
sent a harpoOn into him, and killed one of
the crew.
THE VOYAGE WE'LL BEGUN.
The whale yielded 100 barrels of oil, and
all hands were glad that the voyage had
begun so well. The weather was thick and
fOggy from the time port was left until the
bark was wrecked. On the evening Of
February l Captain Rowland knew he was
close TO the land and ordered the vessel to
lie hove TO, Sail was reduced 10 thu
lower t0psails, foresail, jib, spanker and
mizzen staysail, and the ship then headed
about southeast half east.
80 WAS bplQW' said tho narrator 'AWlAn
the bark struck, but as the shock nearly
threw me out Of my berth did not wait to
lie called. When l got on deck the vessel
was pounding heavily and the sea breaking
over her. l heard the order given TO lower
the boats and atterwaTd heard it was the
first mate who gave the order. Two boats
were soon lowered and Captain Rowland
and the first mate, MT. Tucker, slid down a
rope into one of them; the boat-header,
bOat-steerer. cook and carpenter also got in
and the boat was then cast off from the
vessel
THAT was the last ever seen of them,
and no one knows whether they were
dashed to pieces on the rocks or swanped
before the shore was reached. The second
boat was smashed against the ships side.
THE NIGHT WAS VERY DARK.
1.-THE night was very dark, but we could
see the high land very close to us. | saw
one poor fellow strip of his clothing and
the shore. Several others followed his ex-
ample, but not one Of them, except the In
dian jim got ashore alive. About an
hour after the vessel struck she turned over
on her side, and all of us that could got
out on her side and chung to the chain
plates.
''Soon after / heard some one shout, we
can get ashore here and, making my way
aft, / found long plank, one end Of which
had been thrown up on the rocks by the sea,
while the other end rested on some wreck
age aft Up this / climbed and managed
TO reach the shore ia safety. / was about
the fourth man TO get ashore. and Mr.. Par
dee, the third mate, was the last
How many were washed off the wreck
and drowned no one knows; but when dav-
light broke nineteen Of the crew were
counted ashore alive and we'll The rest,
numbering eighteen, including the captain
and tie first and second mates, were
drowned. The bark must have broken up
soon after we got ashore, as when daylight
came she was total wreck.
CLAD IN UNDERG ARAIENTs.
Our condition was pitisbe, as none of
Us had more than our undeTclothing on, and
OF course we were wet to the skin. The
first party of natives we met carried the
news Of the wreck into HiIO. and Deputv
Sheriff Hitchcock took care of us, and at
his residence, about six miles from the scene
Of the wreck, gave us food and what cloth
ing he could spare. We were taken TO Hilo
oil horseback and cared for by the Consul"
Mr.. PaTdee, who was third mate of the
Inflated vessel told substantially the same
story. He said he went below soon after II
o'clock on the fatal night. 1.-THE vessel was
then close hauled under short canvas as we
knew we were close to the land. / was not
long in getting to sleep, but was awakened
by feeling the vessel pounding on the rocks.
L did not want to dress. but ran on deck in
my underclothes.
''Mr. Lacker ordered the boats lowered
and soon after Captain Rowland and N.Y.
self came on deck, each with a valise in his
hand he and got into one of the boats. with n
boat-steerer or boat header, the cook, car
penter and another man. but | did not
notice who he was. The boat was cast off
from the side and must have been smashed
to pieces on the rocks. as | never saw any
of them again.
| shouted to the men not to take to the
boats, As | could see that no boat could
land, as there was no beach and the bluff
was IS steep as the side of house.
" How many of the men were drowned
while trying to reach the shore l do not
know, but several of them tried it as the
shore looked so near-not more than fifty
feet away. / was nearly washed off the
vessel when she turned over, but managed
to cling. upon her side. saw the men
crawl ashore on the plank aud went ashore
In the same manner"
PARDEE WELL SPOKEN OF.
The men who came up ON the Mariposa
speak in the highest terms of Mr. Pardee,
and say that TO him they owe their lives,
and that most of those who were drowned
would have been saved had they followed
his advice. Those who were saved were ON
the side OF the vessel fully three-auarters of
an hour before the plank that proved their
salvation was discovered
During that time many poor fellow was
swept 10 his death In the seething mass OF
foam and breakers that swept over the
doomed bark and pounded her TO pieces on
the rOck-bound coast.
Thomas Welsh, the boat steerer, says the