The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-09-20
THE CAPTAINS STORY.
He BIames the Strong Current
for the Disaster.

for the Disaster.
Captain Wolters, the master of the
Inflated bark, naturally feels some
what respondent over the wreck, but
he bears up under his loss, and the
terrible physical exertion he has un-
dergone, like a stole. He said, COM
ing back on the Iwaiani:
"If it hadn't been for the westerly
current, which flows around Lac ka
lilo point, all would have been right,
and the ship would have been saved.
s'I had been laying off shore, as L
did not want to get abreast of Oahu
until the next morning. We were
hove to, and when we were within
three miles of shore, i concluded 1t
was time to get around. 1 started
to wear ship, but was caught
by the current, aid grad
ually carried in shore. All the
time I expected the ship to get around
hut the current was too strong, ana
before knew it she had struck. Al
most Immediately she got oil the nrst
rock, and i still thought she would get
| out of danger. But in few minutes
she struck again, and soon settleu'
listing heavily to port.
az have made the same maneuVTe
nrobabIv twenty times. / thought L
| knew the islands, and it took me
twenty-three years to find out that L
| didn't"
There has been, both among the sea-
| farinp men of the town and those VINO
visited the scene of the wreck, con
| siderable adverse comment on the
fact that Captain Wolters did not
drop his anchors when he touno nls
ship was so close in shore. Seyerai Oh
| those who saw the wreck, ana they are
,,,an wbo should know what they are
talking about, claim that, had he let
oo one of the anchors, his ship would
have swung round, caught the wlnd,
and have now been safe in port. Ihey
all realize tEat it is very easy 10 say
afterwards lust what should have been
done, but nevertheless 1T does seem
peculiar that a man of captain VOL
ter's experience should nave !ailen
such an easy victim. The captain ex-
pIained this by saying that had 1t not
hean for the current he would nave
had plenty of wind to carry him away,
and that he thought any minute
his vessel would veer around ana
he practically out of danger. But she
didn't, and is now irretrievaoly iost:
Captain Wolters Is a man apout
fifty-five years old. he mas De pee
sailing to the Islands ,,, since loii,
twenty-three years. This Is the
first shin he has ever lost. de Is
considered the Commodore of Hack
, field & Company's fleet, and IS man
in whom the company has every con
. fidence. The first ship he ever brought
here was the Elsie Wylie. Since thai
time he has had command OF the Ole
G. II. Bishop, and the ii. Hack1elo
, A few years ago, he gave up going to
sea for some time, ana superihIeLuet
E the building of the Company's shlpS
! When the Wilcox was completed, {
little over two years ago, he was giVel
. the command of her, and brought ne
here on her maiden voyage. Inc IN
fortunate trip which ended Tuesday
, evening was her second and last.
, At present no one knows just VIVA
, | will be done with the wreck. IL II
: more than probable that IL VII
q be sold at auction, tnough !ee - :
: possibility that it may be olspose9
Of nrivate sale. Just what 1t would o.
= worth to buy her is at present moot
ed question, although the genera
: oIinion of those who have seen he
I, seems to be that $500 would D.
: eneugh, if not too much. All the per
isha6le portion of the cargo Is ehtire
=, ! w ruined. 1t cOnIalueuJ 'iiO
: things, large consignment OF Cnrlst
I mas mas goois, which being delicate
e would not pay to even try and save
e There was also considerable ,galvan
e ized iron in the cargo, which alte
Z living i'm salt water, Will be OF no Us
: whatever. The only part OF the carg
u which, in the opinion of most peoPl'
{ itwouid pay TO save, il about I'VE hut
Ii dred cases of liquor. These, OF cours
if not broken, would not be damage
a Captain Wolters claims that I'll
/ rasseI as she is, is worth at lea'
Is sSOO0 He says her keel is still VI
= broken. as is shown by the soildlty
n the masts, which rest on the keelsol
10 The captain owns one sixth OF u
d vessel, which is insured Tor Soo'0o
= and which he says is worth eIo,uo
~ He will probably go to the COAST g
~ the next Australia, and then on 10 II II
" hrme i'm Germany, after seeing u
ie owners The crew Will be palu
IS here. They can demand about Iol
~ months wages in advance, as the
as We're engaged for the voyage. \
e. matters of that kind, however, WI
ae be settled by the German CONSUL