The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-02-24
THE KEARSARGES CREW.
IT Is RESCUED FROM THE RON
CADoR REEF.
Only One Man Lost-The City of Para
Finds the Survivors in Good
Health aud Spirits.

]
NEW YORK, Feb. 12.-The Worlds
correspondent at Panama cables: The
steamship City of Para, which left Co
lon on Friday for Roncador reef, to at
tempt the rescue of the crew of the
United States corvette Kearsarge, re-
turned to Colon last night shortly before
u o'clock. She had on board all of the
officers and crew of the Kearsarge ex.
cept one of the second-Class firemen,
Anderson Robbins, colored, who was
drowned. The men saved by the Para
are all well.
1t was noon on Saturday when the
Para reached Roncador Cay, which is
i'm the caribbean sea. about $50 miles
north of Colon, The sea was calm when
the relief ship arrived at the cay, where
the survivors of the wreck were huddled
on a small spur of coral at the north
end of the reef. The castaways sent
hearty cheer as a salute to the rescuers,
and the guns of the Para banged appro-
| priately in reply, while the crew and
! Lieutenant Brainard yelled themselves
| hoarse.
Favored by weather and smooth water,
the work of taking on board the gallant
tars proceeded rapidly and without diff.
Guilty or mishap. The Para had only
| four boats, but several of the boats from
the Kearsarge were available in the
calm sea. and they were utilized in get.
ting the 115 men from the cay to the
relief ship. At the time Lieutenant
| Brainard sailed from Roncador to Old
| Providence island, seventy-five miles
southwest, the small boats of the Kear-
sarge were in a half-damaged condition,
but while waiting for aid the castaways
devoted great deal of their time to
patching them.
The Kearsarge's people did not suffer
as much during tn ir stay on the cay as
it was feared they might They had an
abundance of provisions which they had
saved from the wreck, and they got
little fresh water from the corvette. BY
digging in the sand a brackish water
suitable for culinary purposes was
secured.
The greatest suffering experienced by
the Castaways was caused by the intense
heat. which blistered the unfortunates,
unacCustOmed as they had been to expos
ure. The sun beat down on them like "A
triphammer. Two old huts were found
on the cay, and boards and wreckage
were used to provide partial shelter, but
it was impossible for all the men to get
under cover at one time. The company
divided into watches and turns were
taken in hiding from the scorching
rays.
So intolerable became the situation
that the desperate eXpedient of attempt
ing to reach old Providence island in
the boats of the Kearsarge was deter
mined upon the day on which the relief
lei 81, &c
had such trip been undertaken, many
lives would have been lost, because, it
would have been impossible TO land the
crowded small boats on old Providence
on account of the treacherous currents.
After taking ON board the officers and
crew of the Kearsarge found on Ron
cador cay, the City OF Para steamed to
Old Providence to pick up Lieutenant
Brainard's boats crew. The strong cur
rents running there rendered the task a
most difficult one, and so much time
was consumed in getting the handful off
the island that it was feared in Colon
that the City of Para might have been
lost Then it was that arrangements
were made to fit out second relief
ship.
At no time did it occur to the cast
Always that the delay in sending succor
w lIAtll " az OIIdSlDll6i ny lth tape II
was thought Lieutenant Brainard and
his brave crew might have persisted be-
fore reaching old Providence, as that
was the only thing, it was imagined
that could prevent speedy attempt at
rescue.
In order to prevent any unpleasant
ness on the trip from Roncador to
| Colon the members of the crew were
not informed of the cause of the tardi-
ness of the departure of the Para on her
errand of mercy.
Nothing but an inquiry will solve the
mystery of the presence of the Kear-
sarge in such dangerous proximity TO
Roncador reef. That her loss resulted,
is the only statement that can be gotten
from any of the Kearsarge people. The
belief is general one that the ship was
away out of her reckoning, and that the
wreck was brought about by gross
error in calculating the force and di-
rection of the terrific currents that pre-
vail in that section.
That the sea was running appallingly
high and that the night was dark at the
time the ship struck has hitherto been
the belief, but the surprising statement
is now made that the weather was not
bad.
The wreck of the Kearsarge is total,
but the hull will not go to pieces en-
tirely for a long time unless broken up
by hurricane. 1t is said, though, that
nothing can be saved from the hulk on
account of the impossibility of approach /
to it, surrounded as it is by rugged |
rocks and sharp coral strands. The
Kearsarge struck the reef on the north |
east side, more than a mile south of the |
ledge of coral called Roncador cay, the |
spot upon which the castaways were
perched for over week. The ship went /
clear in amid coral columns which stand .
out of the water like collonades. The .
Kearsarge's company saved nothing but .
the clothing they wore at the time they .
abandoned the wreck.
The British Consul at Colon told Lieu
tenant Brainard he would send man
of-war from Jamaica to rescue the
American sailors, but the lieutenant
courteously declined the offer, he being
at hat hot H.. ]