The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-11-29
I'm AN ANGRY SEA
Almost a Loss Of Life on The
Trip to Mol0kai.
WERE CAPSIzED IN THE SURF
Peril of Miss Carrot and Purser Guy
KelIy-Natives Injured-An Un-
satisfactory Voyage.
WERE CAPSIzED IN THE SURF

Late Friday evening, members of the
Board of Health, accompanied by a
number of physicians from the city,
some trained nurses and number of
people on visit to friends at the
leper settlement and others, left for
Molokai on the steamer Noeau. There
| were so passengers in all. The trip
| was a very smooth one and everything
looked promising for fine day at the
settlement 1t was not long before the
calculations were all upset. The Noe
au arrived at Kalaupapa at about 3
| O'Clock Saturday morning and at day
break it was noticed that there was a
very heavy swell from the north and
that the waves were breaking over the
. pitching and the members of the party
| who had stood the trials of the jour
ney with great bravery up to that time,
began to have thoughts OF home and
mother. Worse and worse came the
swells. until it became absolutely ne
cessary for a number to take to their
| berths.
At about 6 o'clock, boat containing
Chas. Wilcox, secretary Of the Board
of Health, and Geo. Bruins, went
ashore. 1t could be seen from the
steamer, that it would not be safe for
another boat to venture ashore just at
| that time, so the Noeau steamed over
to Waikolu, where Attorney General
Smith and Deputy Marshal Hitchcock
went ashore to take Chas. Wilcox
aboard again. then the steamer pro-
ceeded back to Kalaupapa. Things did
not seem to have changed much during
the interval, but toward noon, boats
were gotten ready and those who wish
! ed it, taken ashore. This proceeding
was not without certain amount OF
| danger. The native women who had
gone up to see their friends, were
warned of the danger of the undertak-
ing. and told that they had better re-
main aboard ship. They would have
very little time with their friends as it
was. However, they were very obsti-
nate and refusing to be put Off, almost
jumped into the boats, saying that if
| they were going to get killed it was
all right. They would risk death to see
their friends.
| When most of the people had gotten
off the steamer, Attorney General
Smith went ashore, asking Deputy
Marshal Hitchcock to accompany him.
| The latter refused, saying that the
time was so short it would hardly pay
| to go ashore. However, after a while
he changed his mind and calling a
| boat, started off. Just as the men were
| pulling away from the steamer, Mr..
Hitchcock noticed kamaaipa standing
on the wharf. He was motioning fran
tically for them to go back. Mr.. Hitch
cock had heard too much of the place
to disregard the mans motions, and
ordered the sailors to back water.
This they did with little hesitancy,
deeming it perfectly safe to proceed.
| 1t was a matter of a very few seconds
before there seemed to come out of the
very sea itself, couple of blind rollers
one on top Of the other and in quick
succession. They broke directly under
the bow of the boat. Had they disre-
garded the kamaaina, they would have
been capsiZed in an angry sea. When
this danger was past, the man on the
wharf beckoned to advance and the
boat got ashore without further trOll-
BILE.
Just before leaving the steamer. Mr.
Hitchcock had asked Miss Carol. E
young trained nurse who went up tt
see some of the worst cases of leprosy
to go ashore. She replied that sht
was a little afraid to venture out. a.
she had presentment that in cas-
she did, something would happen tt
her. It will be seen that her present
ment was not without meaning. It go
along pretty well toward O'Clock whel
Captain Peterson and Purser Kelly de
cided TO go ashore. They spoke t,
Miss Carol and this time the youn,
lady consented
All went we'll until just before reach
ing the shore, when roller after role
came along and threw the boat to tn
right hand side of the wharf. Th
men lost control and the waves kep
! dashing over with great force, unit
> there was great danger of being dashe
i to pieces on the rocks. close at hand.
Suddenly there was wave highe
and more fierce than the rest. and tn
boat went over. Captain Peterson an
3 the crew managed to extricate them
selves from the boat, but Miss Carrc
q and Purser Kelly were pinned under
$ meath, as both We're holding on wit
i death-like grip, when the boat wen
over
Soon Kelly was seen to emerge fro1