The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-03-22
A SAD TALE OF THE DEEP
SHIP 4. f. OAKER TURNS UP LIKE 4
PHANTOM CRAFT.

Had Been Given Up for Lost-Was 259
Days Out from Hong Kong to New York
Her scurvy Stricken Crew Dying from
Disease and Starvation When Rescued
Six of the Crew Dead.
Quarantine, S. l., March 21.-The long
overdue ship T. f. Oakes, which left
Hong Kong, July A. 259 days ago, with
a general cargo for this port, and which
had been given up, was towed into port
this morning by the British tank
steamer Kasbeck, Captain Miner, which
picked her up last Thursday in latitude
$50, longitude 6S.44.
The Kasbeck was bound Philadelphia
for F'iume, Austria, with cargo of oil
and left the former port on March 13.
On the following evening at II o'clock
blue lights were seen and Captain
Miner ordered the steamers course al
tered and bore up for the distress sig
nails At / o'clock she was close along
side the ship and stood by until day
break, when signals were observed fly
ing from the ship asking aid. Chief
officer Helsehm and three seamen at
once put off in the Kasbecks yawl and
when within speaking distance heard
tale of suffering and sickness from
those on board the ship such as made
them shudder.
Captain Reed of the Oakes reported
that his crew were all laid up with
Mpn niyb
exhausted He was unable to navigate
the ship with the hands at his COM
mand and begged that he be at once
supplied with fresh food and vegetables
and taken in tow for the nearest port
The boat returned to the Kasbeck with
the message and Captain Miner at once
decided to take the vessel in tow.
The weather, which had been threat
ening, now became boisterous and a
northerly gale sprang up. Nevertheless
reparations were made to pass haw-
ser to the Oakes at the same time that
the boat load of provisions were sent.
MANILA hawser was paid out over
the Kasbecks stern to the yaWl, but a
tremendous wave washed it into the
propeller, which was turning slowly at
the time and before the engines could
be stopped the screw was so entangled
that it stopped suddenly and all the
power of the engines was not sufficient
to move it.
An effort was at once made to free
the screw, but 1t was so deeply sub
merged and the sea running so high it
was found to be impossible. For eight
| hours the engineers staff labored to
clear the propeller and finally discon-
nected the shaft and found that by
placing a small block of wood between
the couplings the screw could be made
to turn. BY that time the Oakes had
drifted out of sight and Captain Miner
despairing of being able to tow her with
his disabled crew, determined at least
! to find her and supply her with pro-
visions.
| All night he searched the horizon for
! traces of her and at 6 O'Clock Tuesday
morning she was again sighted. The
sea was boisterous at the time, bat
Chief officer Helsehm again volunteer
cd to attempt to board the Oakes. and
as the engineers reported the propeller
| to be working we'll it was decided to
send a hawser aboard Accordingly a
line was dragged by the boat. and after
deal of hard work two hawsers were
made fast, Mr.. Helsehm and his boats
crew of three doing most of the work
| They found only the second and third
mates able to help.
| The provisions they brought were a
Godsand to the scurvy- stricken surviv-
ors and they began to gather hope that
they might live to see the land. From
last Thursday morning, when the haw-
ser was placed aboard, until the Sandy
Hook bar was reached at o'clock last
evening, no incident of Importance oc-
Cured. The Oakes was anchored or
| the bar and again taken in tow this
morning.
Captain Reed, of the Oakes, when in
terviewed this morning, told story OF
suffering and privation. The Oakes
left Shanghai the 18th of May, and af-
ter completing her cargo at Hong Kong
sailed from that port July 4. The crew
were apparently in the best of health
with the exception of Captain Reed
who had been ailing for some time, but
who, under the careful nursing of his
wife, thought himself on the road tC
recovery. When six days out in the
| China sea a terrific typhoon was en-
couptered, lasting several days, during
which the fore and maintopmasts were
sprung. The vessel was obliged to rur
before the gale, which had no sooner
blown itself out than it was followed
| by second typhoon, which blew with
great fury for twenty-four days.
The vessel was now we'll out in the
north Pacific and so far off her course
that Captain Reed decided to shape his
course via Cape Horn rather than by
the Cape of Good Hope, hoping to make
better time. The weather remained
fine and nothing but light airs ant
calms We're experienced. Cape Horn
was rounded 167 days out. Meantime
the Chinese cook had been taken down
with a severe cold and died November
| II. Afterward q seaman named Thorn
as King was taken down with what ap
peared to be scurvy and died on De-
cember %. Soon afterward Seaman
| Thomas Olsen was taken i'll and dice
January u. Thomas Judge, another
| seaman, was now taken ill with cancer
of the stomach, and later Mate Stepher
G. Bunker showed symptoms OF scurvy
The latter died February and wa:
quickly followed by George King, ar
! old man, who died on the 9Th. On the
| 18th Judge succumbed. making in al
six death One by one the other sail.