The San Francisco call., 1896-05-06
SUDDEN DEATHS
AND DISASTERS,
Grewsome News From the
South Seas by the
Viking.
HURRICANE AND STORM.
A Catholic Church Burnt by
Natives in the Gilbert
Group.
TWO TRADERS DIE SUDDENLY.
Missionaries Who Cannot Stand the
Climate-Three Are Dead and
Others Very Sick.
TWO TRADERS DIE SUDDENLY.

terday morning and it took Captain Lut-
trell nearly all of the forenoon answering
the congratulations of his host of friends.
Everybody had almost given up hope, and
when the arrival of the schooner was an
nounced there was an inn mmediate rush to
Meiggs wharf to welcome home the cap
tain and his wife.
John S. Kittle, son of Mrs. Nicholas G.
Kittle of this City, who was a passenger,
also received hearty welcome home.
When the fact that the schooner was long
overdue was announced in THE CALL the
mother was almost prostrated, but now
that the Viking has arrived in safety all is
well.
The trading schooner had terrible time.
She was in three storms, went on the rocks
near Kusai and was in q hurricane for
three days. during which time not stitch
of canvas could be carried. The provi-
sions began to give out and sooner than
run any risks Captain Luttrell spoke the
barkentine Jane A. Falkenberg and Sc
cured extra supplies from her. While the
Viking was in the hurricane the seas broke
all over her at first. Then Captain Lut-
trell got three oil bags out astern, and
although the schooner wallowed In the
trough of the sea for three days thereafter
not a wave broke aboard. The hull of the
vessel is patched up with canvas and the
crew all show the signs of their battles
with the elements, but then all are in good
health and safe in port, and that is great
thing.
The Viking brings the biggest buoget of
news that has come from the South Seas
for long time. I'VE left Apia Samoa,
on January last and expected to reach
San Francisco the latter part of March,
said EQntaIn I,nttrau uaefnrHou tfWa
were bound for Taputeoues and expected
to make the run IN a week. Instead of
that we ran into storm and it took us
seventeen days. We had a hard time of
it. and / tell you l was glad to reach the
island. We had bad weather all through
the Gilbert group, and it was February
before we reached Kusai in the Carolines.
attempted to sail for San Francisco on
the 18th, but went on the rocks instead
The current in the channel, as it is called
ran like mill race, and the wind dying
out all we could do was to stand idly by
and watch the vessel drift ashore. She
pounded there for an hour, and had she
not been a remarkably strong schooner
she would have gone to pieces.
"As it was fifty natives came to our
assistance. Some of them swan out
through the breakers and brought lines
ashore. Then they went to work with a
will and soon had the Viking in deep
water. Then / beached her and we
patched up the damage and put canvas
over it. In order TO fully repair her we
had to discharge the cargo, and it was
March z before we got away. From
that time to April Is we had nothing but
head winds, and three storms one after
another battered US about. In latitude az
north, longitude liz west, we ran into a
hurricane. The only canvas we had out
was what composed the three oil bags,
and for three days and three nights we lay
in the trough of the sea. The schooner
rolled fearfulIy and at times | was afraid
the masts would 20 by the board. The oil
prevented the waves from breaking aboard
and the hurricane kept us scudding nnder
bare poles.
From the start we had nothing bat
contrary winds, and when in latitude As
north, l57 west, l sighted the barkentine
Jane A Falken berg, bound for the Okhotsk
Sea, | boarded her. We were making
awful slow time so 1 thought it was better
to be sure than sorry, and got some pro-
visions from her. From that time we
made quick run to port and here we are.
NOW as to matters in the islands. The
schooner Norma, Captain Rosehill, left
kusal for Honolulu on February 10, and
as she has not been reported am afraid
she is gone. The captain mad his wife
and three children with him, and he took
letters from me to the agents of the
Viking in San Francisco. Those lettes
should have been here month ago. SO 1
am afraid for Captain Rosehill, more es-
pecially as he would be right in the course
OF the storms that proved so disastrous
to the steamer Rio De Janeiro. | hope
the Monowai when she gets in will bring
some news of the missing vessel, as Cap
tain RosehllI, his vile and children
formed one of the happiest little families
/ ever met afloat.
''Our old friend Captain Kustel, who
left San Francisco in the little schooner
Fleur de Lis, met with an accident at
Tarawa on December % that will make
him cripple for life. He was out fishing
and not meeting with a great amount of
success proceeded to use dynamite. Three
natives were with him, and when they
saw what he was going to do they got
into another cano'. KusteI lit the fuse.
but il was damp and would not burn. He
proceeded to blow on it when 1t rapidIy
began TO burn. He had barely got the
little stick at arm length before il went
off and blew his hand clean off Had he
been blowing the fuse when the explosion
came his head instead of the hand would
have gone.
Alter the explosion the5natives fed,
but AFTER some persuasion from the
manned skipper they came back. He got
them to tear his shirt into strips, and,
making tourniquet out of a piece OF
wood, succeeded in stopping the flow of
S'NON' ~ ehO AAlAC nc POI OdCk 10 lana
he was nearly dead, but the traders fixed
him up, and when / left he was out of
danger. There are no anesthetics in the
outlying islands and no surgeons. so
KustePs arm was trimmed off with a
razor and the stuff poured over the wound
was friars' balsam."
Captain Kuste is cousin of Captain
Luttreil, and is well known to every
trader and South Sea Island merchant in
San Francisco.
The Catholics are doing great mis-
sionary work in the Gilbert group" con-
tinued Captain Luttrell. "a great many
priests, sisters and teachers have gone
there during the past six months, but the
climate does not agree with them, and
three had died and several were danger
ousiy ill when left Tarawa. At Tapatne
the natives burned down the Catholic
Church. and next day the British High
Commissioner was on their trail He
called all the chiefs together and notified
them that the offenders m ust be given up
before the 1st of July next, or else a fine
of f1a00 must be paid. In the interval a
british man-Of-war will arrive IN tho