Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-23
LOTS OF HARDSHIPS.
The Steamer Oaks Reaches Quaran-
tine After Most Terrible Voyage.
Six Of Crew Died on Voyage Captains Vile
Very Valiant.

given up dS lOSt, was tOWeQ INTO port,
Sunday morning, by the British tank
steamer Kasbek. which picked her up,
Thursday, in latitude 1910, longitude
6S.44. The Kasbek was bound from
Philadelphia for Fiume, Austria, with
a cargo of Oil. March IA at II p. NJ,
blue lights were seen, and Captain
Muir ordered the steamers course
altered and bore up for distress signals.
At one time she was alongside the ship
and stood by until dhybreak, when the
signals were observed flying from the
ship asking the boat be sent along
side, as the ships crew was so dis
abled as to be unable to man the boats.
Chief Officer Helshem and three sea-
men put off in the kasbeke's yawl. When
within speaking distance they heard the
tale of the suffering and sickness from
those on board the ship, such as made
them shudder. Captain Reed Of the
Oaks, reported that his crew was laid up
well nigh exhausted. He was unable to
navigate the ship with the hands at ms
command and begged that he be at once
supplied with fresh food ana vegetapieS
The boat returned to the kesbek with
the message, and Capt. Muir decided TO
take the vessel in tow.
The weather became boisterous ana
northerly gale sprang up, am. prepara-
tons were made to pass the hawser to
the Oaks at the same time that boatload
hawser was paid out over the Kasbek S
stern to the yawl, and a tremendous
wave washed it into the propeller, which
was turning slowly at the time, and be-
fore the engines could be stopped the
screw became so entangled that it sud-
denly stopped and all the power of the
engines. was not sufficient to move it.
An effort was made to free the screw,
but 1t was SO deeply submerged and the
sea was running SO high, that it was
found impossible. For eight hours the
shaft and it was found that by placing
a small block of wood between the
couplings the screw could be made TO
turn. BY that time the Oaks had drifted
out, of sight and Captain Muir despairing
of being able to tow her with a disabled
screw, determined to find her and supply
searched for traces of her, and at II A.
NJ. Tuesday. she was again sighted.
The sea was boisterous, but Chief Officer
Helshem again volunteered to attempt
to board the Oaks, and as the engineers
reported the propeller working well, it
was decided to send the hawser aboard.
Accordingly "a line was dragged by the
boat and after deal of hard work the
two hawsers were made fast. Helshem
and the boats crew of three doing most
of the work. They found only the second
provisions they brought were a Godsend
to the scurvy-stricken survivors and
they began to gather hope that they
might live to see the land
From Thursday morning. when the
hawser was passed aboard, until the
Sandy Hook bar was reached at P. M.
last evening, no incident Of importance
occurred. The Oaks anchored on the bar
and was again taken in tow, this morn
ing.
Captain Reed of the Oaks. this morn
ing said: THE Oaks left Shanghai the
18th of May and after completing its car
go at Hong Kong sailed from that port,
July 4th. The crew was apparently in
the exception of Captain Reed. who had
been ailing some time, but who under the
careful nursing of his wife thought him
self on the road to recovery. After six
phoon was encountered, lasting several
days, during which the fore and maintop-
masts We're sprung. The. vessel was
obliged to run before the gale, whic-- had
no sooner blow itself out than it was fol-
lowed by a second typhoon, which blew
with great fury a days out. The vessel
was now well out in the North Pacific and
SO far Off it's course that Capt. Reed de-
cided to shape his course via. Cape Horn
rather than by the Cape of Good Hope
hoping thereby to make better time The
weather remained fine and nothing but
light airs and calms We're experienced
until Cape Horn was rounded 16l days
out. In the meantime the Chinese cook
had been taken down with a severe cold
and died. Novf. II.
afterwards seaman named Thomas
King was taken down with what APP
peared to be scurvy and died. Dec. 26
Soon afterwards a seaman. Thomas Oh
sen. was taken i'll and died, Jan. H.
Thomas Judge, another seaman, was
taken i'll with cancer in the stomach, and
later the mate Stephen G. Bunker showed
symptoms of scurvy. The latter died.
Feb. 4; quickly followed by George King
18th, Judge succumbed, making in all six
deaths. One by one the other sailors
We're Obliged to quit work until March l.
nobody was left except the second and
third mates. The captain and his wife
were nigh exhausted. when strong north
crly gale sprang W. on that day the brave
woman was obliged to take the wheel for
eight hours without relief. without as
much as Il drink of water she kept the
ship on her course. Provisions We're run
ming short. although a supply was OBJ
tanned Jan. Y. from the American ship
Gov. ROBBIE, of New York for Melbourne
when off the island of Trinidad, and the
barcSt ncceSSarieS.
A sharp lookout was kept for passing
steamers. but nothing was. seer. until
sci sighted during the entire voyage,
with the exception of the ship Governor
Kobie. was the northbound Lamport and
Pernambuco, too far off to distinguish
signals. For the past 20 days the Oaks
encountered a succession of north and
northwest gales with hisn. turbulent
seas. On the arrival at Quarantine the
vessel was visited by a health officer and
placed in strict quarantine. The crew
leave their hunks.
Mrs. Reed is woman of great pluck
ana endurance. and was born in New
Hampshire about SO years ago. direct
descendant of Mollie Stark wife of Gen.
Stark of Revolutionary fame. For the
last Ia years SIC has accompanied her
husband on az his voyages. having been
nine. years with him in the Oaks Mrs.
Reed labored day and night to ameliorate
the condition of the stricken sailors and
although all the fresh provisions had
run out she made broths and gruels OF
corn meal and oatmeal for them, often
making as much as five gallons a day.
Mrs. Reed. today said that after hte
vessel became short-handed she was
often Obliged to turn to and help work
the ship. She knew how to steer a
straight course by the compass. She
generally relieved her husband at the
wheel while he turned to with the crew
and made or furled sail. At other times
she hauled at the ropes with the men.
March !. 1t came on to blow a brisk
gale said Mrs. Reed. About in the
morning went on deck and asked Capt.
Reed If | could help him. Mr.. Abrams
and Mr.. Raglan. the two mates and one
seaman We're aloft trying to furl the
maintOpsail. and the two Chinese ser
wants We're doing their best to haul the
clew lines. Capt. heed asked me to take
the. wheel while he helped those or
deck. did so. 1t was bitterly cold and
was not prepared for the weather.
stuck it out until my husband ran aft to
see how l was gettir~ on and gave me
a chance to run below and get a biz
ulster to wraD myself in From that