The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-11-09
TOTAL WRECK ON THE MAIDEN
ISLAND REEF.
Officers and Crew Saved-No Details
of the Disaster Obtainable-An I'm
lucky Vessel.

The American ship Comodore, the
last of the New York sugar fleet, and
which sailed from here on August 20,
was wrecked on Maiden Island reef,
in the South Pacific, within a fort
night after leaving here, and became
a total wreck The officers and crew
were all saved. The news of the dis
aster was received at San Francisco
on the 1st inst, by "A cable from Tas-
mania. where eight of the crew were
landed by guano vessel arriving
there from the scene of the wreck.
The Chronicle gives the following
particulars:
The Commodore was loaded with
sugar from the Hawaiian Islands and
bound for New York. She sailed from
San Francisco on July 23rd last for
Honolulu, and after taking her cargo
there, left August Goth for New York
The date of her loss was not given in
the dispatch telling of her running
on the reef, but it is thought that it
must have been within two weeks af-
ter she sailed from the Hawaiian
port, as she could have easily have
made the distance within that time
from where she took on her load to
where she put her keel on the shores
of the coral island.
Maiden Island. where the Commo-
dore was wrecked, is in latitude deg.
3 min. south. longitude 155 deg. west.
1t is directly in the course of vessels
bound from Honolulu around Cape
Horn. but as its position is well
known and as fogs are unknown in
that part of the globe, it has never
been considered a dangerous spot in
the ocean. 1t is 106 miles north-north-
east from Starbuck island and about
SIS miles northwest of Tahiti. 1t is
low coral island almost circular N
form and about four miles in dame
ter. No part of it is more than thirty
feet above sea level and reefs, expos
ed only at low tide, extend far out in
to the sea from its shores. 1t is num-
bered among the British possessions
in the South Seas and a phosphate
company of New Zealand claims the
guano deposit on it, The company
has a settlement on the Island and the
schooners make regular trips from ii
to ports in australia, Tasmania and
New Zealand. 1t is thought that il
was one of the company's vessels that
carried part of the crew to Tasmania.
The cargo of the Commodore was
insured for S25O,OOO and an insurah ace
of $4,000 was placed on the charter
price. The vessel was also insured
for a good amount and all the poll
cies were issued by local agents. The
vessel was owned by San Francisco
capitalists. among whom were Cap
tain w. \. Boole, George MiddIemess
Charles Hugg, \. b. Patrick. Isadore
Burns, Captain Collins and Captain
James Davidson. The owners value
the ship at $4,000.
The Commodore was the vessel that
was caught by the flames when the
Folsome street wharf was burned in
June last and considerably damaged
| She was then. charatered to take the
sugar cargo and was p 1parng to O.
| TO Honolulu to load when she was
damaged by fire. She was delayed 70,
| about six weeks while repairs were
being made, and the expense of refit
| ting her cost the insurance companie!
several thou anI dollars. The vesSe
was commanded by Captain Davidson
one of her owners, who was accom-
| panied by his wife.