The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-02-10
A GREAT CATASTROPHE.
EIGHTEEN LIVES LOST In
THE GRINDING SURF.
The Bark TdmellanB Becomes a Total
Loss on the Cliffs Of
puOa, Hawaii.
Full Lists Of Those Saved
and Drowned.


reer, and which has borne many a
gallant crew safely, finally laid her
bones ON the rocks of Puma at ~ 80
a. IN. of Feb. I'd, 1892, and sent to
their long home eighteen of the Off
GERS and crew. This is, without
doubt, the most appalling catastrophe
that has happened on these islands.
We have had serious wrecks of our
coasting vessels, but they have usu-
ally been unattended by loss of life.
We have had wrecks of deep-sea
going ships both south and north Of
the group and yet unattended by
serious loss of life, as witness the
Norval, burned thousand miles
south of Hawaii, the Dunnottar Cas-
tie wrecked 2200 miles north, in
which cases every man was saved.
The U. S. S. Saginaw had all saved
when she was lost on Ocean Island,
except the boats crew that came
down to bring the news, and Of that
one man got ashore ON Kauai And
one might go on with similar reminis-
cences. Enough has been said,
however, to show that previous TO
this no such disaster has ever oc-
Cured to foreign vessel on our
shores.
The bark Tamerlane was built at
Wiscasset, Maine, in the year 1924.
Her late captain, Walter Howland,
had had considerable experience on
the Atlantic coast but had had none
in the Pacific till this fatal voyage.
The vessel cleared from San Fran
cisco, January l3, 1892, with crew
of 3S, officers included. She carried
the usual ships stores and proper
whaling outfit. The voyage down was
fairly satisfactory, the weather being
good the whole way. Eight days out
from San Francisco whale was struck
which yielded lis barrels of oil.
One man was lost while the boat was
struggling with the whale ana the boat
was badly damaged. On February
1st they knew they were near the Is
lands, but how near it is perfectly
evident no one on board did know.
AS far as your correspondent can find
out from careful examination of each
one of the survivors it is nearly GER
tain that the idea was that the vessel
was in the vicinity of Kealakeakua
Bay, almost two degrees to the west
ward. This would account for the
course steered when the vessel struck,
viz: S. S. E. On the west of Hawaii
such course would take ship off
shore, while ON the east side it would
run her plumb on, as it did.
Whatever the trouble in navigation
was, no land was sighted on Febru-
ary 1st. Mr.. Pardee, the 3rd officer,
had charge of the ship from to IL
p. m. When he turned in everything
was in shape and the End mate, Mr..
Allen WILDER, took charge. The lat
ter is among the lost. The catastro-
| phe came on in moment. There
was no warning, hardly an order be-
fore the ship went onto the cruelest
of rocks.
The watch was on deck, sitting for
ward, and many of them almost doz-
ing. The lookout on the forecastle
was Jack Raney, a lad who had
shipped from San Francisco, three
weeks before, on his first voyage. At
the wheel was Emil Johnson, Swede,
who had had seven years experience
of seafaring life and knew what he
was about.
Quietly and calmly the vessel was
gliding through the water, little bit of
Il roll on, but not much. The lookout
was bracing himself against the bell
as the ship gave lurch and was wide
awake, but through the darkness of
the night no CLINT of cruel breakers
came; no sound of waves upon a
rock-bound coast reached his ear.
Suddenly the calm was broken. Both
officers on deck shouted, "Hard up
with the wheel J" then came the com
mand, "Wear ship" and instantly
after that cry of "All hahds on
deck - What had been calm and
peaceful before became in moment
n scene of the widest confusion. The
rest of the officers and crew came
tumbling up on deck to find their
floating home grinding her poor bones
upon the most pililess of black rocks,
while the soft-looking, creamy foam
of the breakers only added horror to
the scene.
Nothing could be done, there was
no "wear ship"-there was nothing
to be done with putting up the wheel,
and though Emil johnson did his
best he merely succeeded in injuring
his hand and arm. How he was saved
is almost mystery.
Only two boats were available and
of these, in the hurry and confusion,
one was lowered and drifted away
with no one in her. The other had .
more tragic fate in store. In this
the boat steerer, Hawaiian, and the
boat header went. The first mate,
the captain, the carpenter, the cook
were successfully lowered and it is
thought that one other of the crew
got in. The ship was rolling heavily
and the boat, as it went down in the
falls, fouled. She probably was
stove before she reached the water.
A cry from those In the boat to cut
her loose. which WAS done and aWaV