The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-09-10

idly to sea under steam and sail in order
to cross the shoals at high tide. The pa
trolmun saw that her course lay wide of
the channel, and suspocting danger
alarmed the crew. The keeper happened
to be absent, but the surfmen immediate
ly manned the boat and rowed out toward
the shoals. The wind blew gale from
the southeast, heaping up the waters of the
bay in angry breakers along the bar, and
the strong tide setting in shore from the
ocean made a rough sea for the boat to
contend against. On reaching the first
line of breakers the surfmen, whose
thoughts and eyes had been ccntercd upon
the stranded ship, were amazed to see upon
the crest OF huge wave in front of them
n small boat full of water with two men
clinging to it. Changing their course. the
narsnen pulled heartily toward the boat
but before they could reach it another one
lifted the frail craft and rolled it over like
log, dashing the men into the boiling
surf Tho sea was covered with wrcckage
and it tested the strength of the surfmcn
to the utmost to make hcadway through
it, but they finally hauled the two men on
board. The poor follows had just strength
enough left TO say that five others, includ
ing woman and child had been cast
overheard from the boat when it swampcd
Urging the surfbnat through the breakers
the life savers picked up IA man and won.
an, the latter unmindful of her own con
dition, pitcpusly hcgging the rescuers to
save her child. On, ON, through the break
ers, the wind driving one way and the tide
surging the other the brave men urQcd
the boat toward small object, which
driftcd, helpless plaything, upon the an
CRY waves. suddenly n comber lifted II
md dashed it past the boat far astcrn, and
then the surilncn saw that it was "A child
wrapped in life prcscrver and nontinl
face downward. The contrary currents
and heavy wind wouldn't admit of turn
ing the boat short in the breakers, aud
heroic efforts to back her through the surf
proved useless. Far astcrn and driven
even farther by the lashing tide, the child
could be seen passing hopelessly beyond
reach. There was one chance of rescue
and acting on his own inspiration surf
man John Regnier leaped into the sea and
struck out fc" the haplcss waif, which he
soon held in his strong grasp. Then fol
lowed "a battle with the breakers and the
adverse tide to reach the boat. No help
whatever could be given, but at last he
swan alongside and handed the uncun-
sciOus babe TO his mates just rs the moth
long peril and suspense Again the boat
was urged forward over the shoals aud
two moro men picked up, making the
whole Of the boat party rescued. All ui
the victims Were helpless from their terri
bic struggle in the chilling sea and The
boat put back to the station, where rCstor
ativcs might be applied. Not moment
was passed by the life savers on shore
longer than necessary to secure attention
for the sufferers taken QUO of the surf
Then the crew headed once more for the
ship on the shoals. She could be soon ".
ing brOadbidC to the beach, with heavy
seas lashing over her amidships. Mean
while the captain ana the sailors remain
ing on board attempted to float her.
The vessel was the Mcndocino, newly
built schooner equipped with auxiliary
steam power and laden with lumber. He
skipper had intended to cross the bar at
high tide without pilot and had missed
the ocean channel by nearly mile soon
after she struck her steam pipes burst, and
she foundered on the bar with such vic
lcnco that. her hull spread its seams, let
ting in water at an alarming rate. The
captain ordered the lashings OF the deck,
load cut in order To tighten ship, but tho
sailors mutiniod and began to lower the
boats. The small boat, manned by four
sailors and carrying, besides the engineer,
his wife and child, was first to put off,
but before ii travelled dozen lengths in
the boiling currents IL swampcd, casting
all on board into the sea. The sailors on
shipboard took warning from the catas-
trophe and returned TO duty, but all efforts
TO ease the ship We're useless. She was
fast upon the bar, surrounded by shoals
which would repel any vessel and over
which the sea whirled and eddied in cur
rents which no surfboat could resist
On second attempt the life savers
found their oars perfectly useless, and
their boat was driven past the wreck In
spite of thom. They returned TO the sta