The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-02-01
sEwALL's SEA ADVENTURE.
Narrow Escape From Death In Victory
Island Breakprs


Acknowledgement Harold NJ. Sew
al's account OF his and his brides
narrow escape from death after the
wreck OF the Normandy contains the
GLOWING passages:
"There came some trying moments
then before the boats were launched.
The Captain. told me he had not been
sure of his bearings, and that the last
position he had observed was Victory
Island.
al went forward and found breakers
on both sides of us and what appeared
to be land behind the breakers. The
boats on the starbohrd and port
quarters aft wers swung out and provis-
Toned. Both the Captain and mate did
their work well.
"My wife and went in the mates
boat. The captain and his wife and the
japanese servant went in the second
boat. The third boat was manned by
the carpenter, and as many OF the crew
as could not find places in either OF the
other boats. We had been on the reef
an hour and half before we took to the
boats and had to call out loudly to the
mate to come into our boat and abandon
tne snip. Inc sea was rullulnH nlSH,
though the waves were not breaking
and II was more good luck than anything
which saved the boats from being
dashed to pieces against the side OF the
vessel.
"Soon the boats became separated in
the darkness, and we lost sight of each
other entirely. We stood out to sea, not
daring to brave the breakers in the dark
in al
nothing, the Lascars little more. The
mate steered. The engineer and myself
rowed, all night we rowed, or the tide
would have carried us on the rocks.
1T rained heavily and two men were
kept busy bailing. At twenty minutes
past we looked at the mates watch. 1t
was still dark; daylight would never
come, it seemed. We were tired, wet,
hungry and sleepy. Yet we dared do
nothing but row and bail and steer and
keep out of the way OF the big waves.
when the light did come we agreed
to put the boat about and try to effect a
landing. There was danger, as there
had been all night, OF getting into the
| trough OF the sea and being overturned
or that we might strike rock. When
within about third OF Il mile of shore
we selected place to land, and started
putting the boat on the top OF the break
ers; that was our only hope.
"When we got little nearer we found
it would be impossible to land at this
point. There was reef ahead of us; OF
one side there were sharp rocks anC
there were foaming, kissing breakers
all about us. How we managed to turr
about and get out into the open sea agar
am not able to tell. | only know W,
did it. That was the most trying time
OF the whole experience. To be nae1
land and yet be compelled to put to sea
as tired and worn as we were, made Il!
respondent, almost despairing.
"But we all wanted to live and were
willing to make one more trial; We
could not have made much more thar
one. So we tried to rig up sail, in
tending to go along the shore in hopes
of finding point where it would b,
possible to effect a landing.
"But the iron work at the foot OF the
mast gave away and we were in DANCE
OF being capsized. We broke loo.e thu
mast and gave up the idea OF sailing.
eve rowed again though we wer,
nearly played out. About an hou
afterward we saw, farther up the shore
what appeared to be strip OF sand,
beach.
"When opposite the beach we agail
headed the boat inward and headed he
on the breakers. Soon we were past al
going back. We could never hav
crossed the breakers bow on that w
had safely rode before. This time i
. meant landing or death. Everybod
in the boat realized this. The Lascar
and coolies held their breath. My poo
wife crouched up to me as closely as sh
could and we all waited, not KNOWN
where the next breaker would land u.
The last wave threw us into compara
lively smooth water. | sounded wit
, my oar and touched bottom. We wer