The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-28

heavy westerly gales Of long duration.
During this time the vessel suffered
terribly in the loss Of sails and run
ming gear. We made every effort pos
sible to get around the cape, and car
ried every inch of canvas she would
stand in order to gain our end, but the
winds and waves were too much for
u.s. During the first round the bark
lost part of her mizzen stays, the
main topmast stays, the inner jib and
the fore lower topsails
"On August % a heavy sea broke
aboard and tore the tArpaulins from
the main hatch. damaged the forecastle
house and carried the washboards
from the poop. The forecastle and
cabin were flooded, but no other seri-
Gus damage was done. The cargo of
creosote in the tween decks was we'll
checked up and kept its place during
the first gale. When storm after storm
followed each other in quick succession,
however, the cargo could not stand the
strain and the casks in the wings were
thrown out of their tiers. These made
room for the others to work and in
consequence a number of the barrels
burst. Every piece of spare wood on
the vessel was used to keep the casks
In place, but as they were very greasy
1t was hard to get them back in posi-
ton again. The ventilation of the
hold was strictly attended to, but very
little could be done below as the hold
was full of creosote gas and everything
was covered with thick white frost
from it. The sailors could not stay
very long in the hold, so you can see
that the work of securing the cargo
was done under difficulties
During the next storm we ran into
the mate and carpenter were injured.
The carpenter was soon about again,
but the mate has been confined to his
room ever since August 10. He was
standing under the forecastle head and
a tremendous sea threw him backward
His head struck the anchor chain and
he was unconscious for a time. The
next day Hugo Koope, an A. B., fell
from the lower topsail yard and in
jured both his legs. Everything pos
sible was done for him. but he is not
able to be about as yet"
The quarantine officer examined
Koope yesterday and he will have to
go to the United. States Marine Hos
pital. There his right leg will be re-
broken and reset or else the man will
be cripple for life. Mate Johnson was
much better yesterday and the doc
tors do not think he was hurt very
badly.
August %, 20 and "a the ship was al
most constantly flooded, and the men
were worn out with the constant work,
continued Captain Fretwurst. ION
August 20 the weather moderated, and
as much sail as could be carried was
set. 1t did not last very long, however,
and soon the ship was laboring and
straining as badly as ever. The creo-
sote casks broke loose again, and de-
termined to stand away for smooth
water, in order to get the cargo Sc
cured. This was on August % at /
p IN oh
August 81 we were able to open up the
ship. We found all the tiers of creo-
sote casks out OF shape and loose, and
restowed them as well as possible. AS
there was nothing else to block them
with we took our worst deck spar and
used it, I still had hopes or rounding
the Horn, but, finding 1T impossible, /
set back eastward to run around the
Cape of Good Hope. While setting sail
1 found the panel of the upper topsail
yard broke, and had to lash it with
chain and wire. We then proceeded on
our way, and had no remarkable oc-
currences from that time until port
was reached. We were off Good Hope
on September 19, off New Zealand on
October 81. and on that date ran into
a strong westerly gale, which did no
damage. From New Zealand to port
had light variable Winds"
The Natuna does not look like a YES
sci that has suffered very much, nor
does she bear any outward marks of
her four attempts at rounding the cape
of storms. On July % she was in COM
pany with the bark Kilmeny, which ar
rived here on October %, and has since
loaded and sailed again. The latter
vessel had a very hard time of it, but
still she got around the Horn and made
the run to San Francisco in 1873 days
from Swansea. When she was safe in
port the Natuna was off the coast of
New Zealand battling with a westerly
gale. No sign was seen of the British
bark Taymount, now out 240 days from
Liverpool and on which So per cent re-
insurance has been paid. The arrival
of the Natuna has put hope into the