The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-10-26
NOT A NAVIGATOR ABOARD
Drifting AimIessIy About for Three
Dreadful Weeks
Rescue Comes at Length-The British Ship
Lord Brrssey Long Overdue-Be-
Iieved to Be Lost

SAN FRANCISCO. Oct. 25.-The British
ship Aberfoyle, Captain Wallace, has
arrived, seventy-four days from New
castle. N. s. W.. with a cargo of coal.
Early this year the Aberfoyle sailed from
Frederickstadt for Newcastle, arriving in
the latter port after most thrilling vov-
age. Captain George NJ. Robertson was
then in command of the ship. She was
| only out few days when the master
began drinking and wound up with big
spree. lie wes totally Unfit 10 heraIs
the vessel, and shutting himself up in
his cabin, he resigned the command
temporarily to First Officer Percy Nor
ton. In severe storm Mate Norton was
washed hverboard and the Aberfoyle was
| left to Ne mercies of the elements with
out pilot to steer her through to her
port.
The man at the wheel knew enough to
keep the vessels head to the sea, but
more than once the crew dsspaired of
their lives as wave after wave broke over
her bow ana sides. The captain still
kept up his spree and finally became so
violent that the crew placed him under
restraint. He was made a prisoner in
tents of bottle of carbolio acid and in
a few minutes fell dead.
The body of tile captain was buried on
the following day and the boatswain as
sumed command of the ship. But the
vessel might as well have been without
compass, there being no one left vi no un-
derstood navigation. For three weeks
the ship drlfted about aimlessly on the
ocean, there being not the slightest no.
tion of their whereabouts The steamer
Tagliaferro was finally sighted and sig
mails of distress were raised. The cap
tain OF the steamer lowered a boat and
sent the second mate to the Aberfoyle.
On learning the cause of the vessels dis
tress the master placed the second mate
in charge of her and she was SAILED to
Melbourne. At the latter port Captain
Wallace took command.
The British ship Lord Bassey is out
from Hongkong bound for Puget Sound
eighty days and the English underwrit-
ers are much alarmed over the vessels
non appearance. A cablegram has been
received from London Offering Is per cent
for re e'insnIance on the overdue ship.
The Lord Brassey sailed from Hong
kong for Port Blakeley on August 9Th
She has been chartered to take a 3argO of
lum Der at the later place and if she does
not arrive shortly the charter will be en-
forced. The vessel is IN ballast and it
Is feared by some that she has founoered
IN a typhoon. 1t is possible that the ap-
prehensions of the English underwriters
have been intensified by the fact that she
is owned by John Heron & Co., owners
of the missing Lord Spencer, which is
now nearly 200 days out from this port
bound for Queenstown. Local under
writer's have apparently as much faith in
the Lord Brassey as they have in the
Lord Spencer, all reinsurance being
bought up as fast as it has been offered.
fhe average length of a voyage from
Hongkong to the Pacific coast is only
fifty-nine days. but the Somali, the
largest snip that has ever been in this
port. was l47 days on the trip. The
shortest voyage was forty-two DAYS.