The Portland daily press., 1892-10-18
TOSSED LIKE 4 BOTTLE.
Wreck Of tile III Fated BokIlara in
the Chinese Sea.
FOR HOURS HER CREW FOUGHT
THE TERRIBLE TYPHOON.

Then with Tons of Water in Hcr Hold, the
fires Out and Small Boats Smashed,
the Steamer Struck-One by One Pas
sengcrs and Crew We're Swept Away
Until Only Thirty-four Remained when
the Storm Ceased.
HONG KONG, October 17.-Intelligence
has been received here confirming the
worst fears entertained regarding the
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navlga-
ton Company's steamer Bokhara, re-
ported Saturday as being several lays
overdue at this port from Shanghai. The
Bokhara sailed from Shanghai October
s for Hong Kong, and should have ar
rived here October 12 at the latest. 1t
was known that typhoon had swept
over the China Sea, and the agents of
the steamer thought that her machinery
| had become disabled in the gale and
| that she was proceeding under sail. The
| steamer Bombay and the British cruiser
| POrpoise were sent to search for her, and
| news has been received that the Bokhara
was found total wreck on Sand Island,
one of the Pheng Hoo or Pescadores
| group, lying in the Channel of Fo Kien,
between the Island of Formosa and the
Chinese mainland. Only "a persons on
board the Bokhara were saved, the lost
including the commander of the steamer
| and the greater part of her officers and
| crew. The number of passengers she
mad on board is not yet known. She
carried the mails, and these without
doubt are lost
1t has been learned that some time af-
ter the Bokhara left Shanghai the barom-
eter began to fall, and the vessel was
made ready to ride out the gale that was
known to be approaching. Soon terri
BILE high cross sea was running and the
steamer was
Pitched About Like an Empty Bottle.
Her matches were closely battened down,
but the seas that boarded her tore the
tarpaulins off, and soon the matches
themselves were lifted and carried over
board. Spare sails were then lashed over
the openings, but these were of little ser
vice in preventing the seas from entering
the hold, and soon tons of water had en-
tered the steamer. Water began to pour
into the fire-room, and though every ef-
fort was made to keep it out it began to
gain on the pumps, which were working
| at their utmost capacity.
CONSERVATION prevailed among the
passengers. None of them were allowed
on deck. Those in the cabin. though
| they fully realized their danger, were
far more calm than the steerage passen-
gers. Among the latter pandemonium
reigned. They were mostly Chinese. and
habit not been for the fact that they
were locked below, many of them
would undoubtedly have thrown them
csra1x IL. IL
ers and firemen were drowne94 out by the
water rising in the fire room, and a few
minutes later the fires were extingushed.
The donkey boiler on the main deck was
kept going, however. and the pumps con-
tinued to work, keeping the water from
gaining as rapidly as it otherwise would
have done. Once the fires. were out the
vessel became unmanageable. 1t was i'm
possible to set any canvas. Storm stay
sails had been set to steady the steamer
at the beginning of the gale, but. they
had been blown from the bolt ropes and
carried away. The situation of the ship
was now most precarious. Hawsers
were thrown out to keep the vessel head
up to the wind, but Size preached to and
was soon rolling and pitching fearfully
in the cross sea that was pounding her,
and very often making clean breaches
over her.
Suddenly, above the bowling and
shrieking of the wind,
A Dull Booming was Heard.
and those on board knew they were drift
ing on a lee shore, and that the noise
they heard was the sound of the great
rollers crashing upon the land. Soon,
through the binding rain, land was seen
close aboard, and in a few minutes the
steamer struck. Everybody was ordered
on deck. The passengers had put on
life preservers, but these -s~-S of little
use, as many of the people were swept
overheard and drowned by the seas
breaking over them. 1t was was impos-
sible to lower the boats. Those on the
windward side of the steamer were
smashed to pieces soon after she stranded
while those on the lee side could not be
approached because of the seas that were
sweeping the steamers decks. All
hands huddled under the lee of the deck
houses for what little shelter they afford
ed, but every time a sea surged over the
vessel their number grew less, some of
them having been carried away.
The 81 who were saved managed by al
most superhuman efforts to hold on un-
til the storm subsidized. Then they were
taken off in an exhausted condition.
The Bokhara was three-masted iron
screw steamer IF 1855 gross tons. She
was built at Greenock in 1873 by Laird &
Co., and hailed from that port. Her
cargo was very valuable. ESf