The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-12-01
HOW SHE STRUCK
Details Of the Wreck Of the Sugar
Ship Commodore.
80 MILES OUT OF THE WAY
investigation By American Consul.
Soundings-In the Night-Cur-
rent-Taking to Boats.
80 MILES OUT OF THE WAY

The loss of the sugar ship Commo-
dore with full cargo of Hawaiian
sugar has been investigated by an
American Consul in a New Zealand
port.
The ships log shows that the Com
modore, which was vessel of 1925
tons register, sailed from Honolulu fol
New York, under the command of Cap
tain James Davidson, on Friday, the
goth August. She was then thoroughly
tight, staunch, and strong; her cargo
was we'll and sufficiently slowed, and
her matches were well covered: she
was sufficiently manned and victuall-
ed; and everything had been furnished
that was needful for vessel in the
merchant service and more particular
ly for the voyage she was about to un-
dertake. The Commodore steered the
usual course with the trade winds, and
nothing unusual happened until she
struck Maiden Island on the Sd Sep
tember.' Observations were taken at
noon on that day showing the ship to
be in latitude 2.0.19 S. and in longi-
tude 154.47 w. There was then a mo-
derate breeze with clear weather. AT
11:20 p. m. the captain went to his
cabin, leaving orders to have every
thing ready to about ship at midnight
At 1850 p. m. the lookout reported
forecastle he saw something unusual
ahead, and ordered the helm hard-up
In returning aft to get the ship off he
saw something like hill or clump OF
trees on the lee beam and close al
hand, and he gave orders to put the
helm down with a view to try and
get the boat back. Two or three
| minutes later the ship struck very
| gently, and everything was braced
| aback and Down headsails and stay
sails was ordered, but there was nc
move astern and the Commodore grad
ually swung broadside on to the reel
| and commenced humping. The car
penter sounded the we'll and found
little water at the pump. AS the ship
was gradually heeling off shore the
boats were, about l a. M, lowered
into the water, dropped astern, and
provisioned. At daylight the ship was
full of water and heeled almost post
rail under water. Immediately on the
vessel striking, the mate had sounded
round tho chin and found rioh
the stern 25 fathoms, at the main
channel 13 fathoms, and at the cathead
four fathoms. At daybreak the captain
and crew found themselves on the
northeast point of Maiden Island, and
were surprised at the discovery, see
ing that they had had such a good OBJ
ServatiOn at noon on the preceding
day, when, according to the chart, they
had 10S miles to run to the island, and
by the patent log they had only run
rs miles up to the time of the vessel
striking. The only way that the Off
| GERS can account for the extra 80 odd
miles which the ship had covered is tC
attribute them to what they describe
as the excessive current that was run
ming with her.
The captain and his wife and the
| whole of the crew got safely ashore
with practically only what they stood
up in, intending if the ship held to-
! gether to return to her and secure
some of their effects. In this the.
were anticipated by the kanakas, wht
with three white men engaged il
gathering the guano form the popula
ton of the island, the settlers visiting
the vessel and helping themselves
The second officer and seven of th'
crew took advantage of the sailing o
a schooner for Melbourne from Nader
Island to leave by her, and the.
arrived at Melbourne on the 1st, bu
| the captain and the balance of tn
crew preferred to remain on the islanC
until they could get a passage 70
New Zealand, their impression bein'
that they would thus be enabled tn
more quickly to return to America
They were for about three weeks OF
the island before the departure of tn
Bark Nor'Wester, and were treated
with every consideration by the thre