The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-12-28
NOSE TOO DEEP IN THE SEA
Tourist Writes of Trip on
the MOnOWai.
Steam Boiler and Potato Salad on
the Side-Bravery of OFF,
GERS and Crew.
(San Jose Mercury

Since the writer of this article has
but one object in view in addressing
the readers of the Mercury, namely to
relate a very remarkable and unusual
incident at sea, an apology for jump
ing into the midst of things is uncalled
for.
On the 18th inst. we took passage On
the trans Pacific steamship Monowai
with Honolulu, II. l., as destination.
We took our departure from San Fran
cisco at 10 minutes past O'Clock in
the afternoon of the date above men
toned. Perhaps no ship sailing out the
heads OF the Golden Gate ever turns
her PROV to a brighter sun and fairer
sea than did the noble Monowai.
Nothing unusual was noticed in her
behavior except that she stuck her nose
too far into the deep blue sea, and for
this she had the excuse of an overload
of freight fore" including among
other things vast cargo of mining ma
chinery for Auckland New Zealand
The second day out found us facing a
brisk sou-western gale, which hour by
hour increased with accelerated speed
and force.
Saturday came, "and the evening and
the morning were the third day" and
the afternoon of the same about $3.50
o'clock was certainly the biggest part
of the aforesaid day, as will be evil
dent from what follows.
The writer was lying on a settee in
the music room at the hour mentioned
sound asleep, when suddenly and with
out a whisper of warning a loud dead
like crash aroused him from pacific
slumber, and he was turned loose in a
wholesale confusion and pandemonium.
All passengers had been ordered on
deck, and there was abundant evidence
that they were not slow to obey orders.
Men, some men were pale; women, not
all of them, were also pale with a
paleness that cometh not from before
the mirror, screaming with hysterical
commissions that made the air caca-
phonous with the angry groans of
furious billoWy ocean. We had
shipped" a terrible sea, followed by
one still more terrible; one that rarely
comes to torment any passing ship.
But it came, rising IS or 20 feet in
deep blue mass above the highest point
of the Monowai's bow, falling upon the
deck fore" driving huge iron boiler
weighing more than six tons, which
was dashed with powerful hawsers TO
the solid deck, through the strong bull
Warks on the edge of the steamer and
there hung on her staTboard side sus-
pended a few feet from the water until
cut loose by the seamen. The mighty
sea spent it's remaining force upon the
Captains cabin, which was next in
course, and crushed it in, though OF
half-inch steel straps to strong iron
supports-crushed through all this as
| if it were an empty handbook; 1t filled
| the Captains domicile in water TO his
| loins. drenching all his papers high and
! low: tore in the front of the bridge on
! the hurricane deck, where stood the
| First Mate. who was knocked down
and driven 10 feet aft by flying steel
ventilator, which the waves tore from
! the lower deck, 70 feet distant. The
volume of water filled all the rooms Of
the steerage passengers and the wo-
men had to be carried from their peril
! Gus positions in the strong arms OF
brave seamen, who all this time made
not a single break from duty and COM
mand.
It was really a great sight for one
who could view the whole consterna-
ton with philosophic GOODNESS. People
rushed for life-boats, ran about the
| decks and passageways like mad or in
-