The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-01-14
TYPHOON
Met With by the British Bark
NOrthbrOOk.
Crew Attackedi With Fever and
Sails Blown From the Yards
Time and Again.

been in port since December "a, 1896
but perhaps a very few people outside
of those interested in shipping, know
how she came to be here or, better
still, how near she came to not being
here. Briefly, she set out from Hong
| Kong on October s, 1896, on her way
| to British Columbia. Meeting with
serious misfortune for several weeks.
| the captain decided to steer south and
| reached Honolulu on the date given
above with the ship in very much dis
| tressed condition and II of the crew
down with fever.
Captain Lawton is an amiable man,
and a jolly good fellow to talk with, but
beneath this is the will of ships mas
ter. During his short stay in Honolu-
lu he has made many friends, whom
the narration of his rough experience
from China has never failed to interest
greatly. In a conversation with an
Advertiser reporter aboard his ship
yesterday he said:
you say you would like to hear
something about our last rip. Now,
then, l don't want you to tell people
through your columns that my men
were attacked with scurvy. Why,
man, we have English water still in
our tanks-water, sir, that is as fresh
as it was the day it left Cardiff. The
reports that came out in the papers
after our arrival in port were incor-
rect The men were sick with fever,
and not scurvy. Now, that that point
is explained, / can tell you something
of our rough experience.
I'VE sailed from Hong Kong on Oc-
o l. Loo.
as 1 have ever seen it. Nothing but a
good beginning to a bad ending.
1--WE were two days out from the big
Chinese port when fearful typhoon
struck us. 1t had it's beginning at
midnight, and at o'clock next morn
ing the fury of the storm was increas
ing. At p. m. the iron work of the
main lower and upper topsail yards
was carried away, and the ship leaned
clean over on her starboard side, al
most on her beam ends. The sea swept
fore and aft, right to the lower mast
head. The sails were going to pieces,
and the after compass binnacles were
blown from their positions and smash
ed to pieces.
ION the 18th, the wind began to
moderate enough so that the men
had a little time during which to fix
the sails and gear. Contrary winds
continued on the 18th, the second mate
and two ordinary seamen were taken
down with the fever and the number
OF men on the sick list increased
daily"
ION the 18th, we passed by Balm
tang Island; at noon the next day an
ether typoon struck us. At p. IN.
the worst had passed, but so many
men were down with the fever that
was forced to set calassie watch, in
order that he ship might be enabled TO
proceed. Sickness continued to in
CT tease, and contrary winds kept up FOR
many days.
ION November 9th, as if our misfor-
tunes had not been great enough al
ready, water was found in the fore
peak on top of one of the cables. Upon
examination it was found that the lead
pipe leading from the head pump, con-
nected to the donkey pump pipe, had
broken and the water was pouring in
continuously. Contrary winds contln-
ued to November 22d, when we got
favorable winds for few days. Dur
ing the last of November and the first
week of December heavy gales were
encountered. On the 10th nearly all
the sails were blown away from the
yards again, and it was terrible time
for us. My poor sailors were tossing
about in their hunks in the forecaStle |
suffering intensely, and their wants
could hardly be attended TO with re-
ouisite care. because all of the remain |
der of the crew were busy with the |
ship.
Il thought the worst of our trials had |
been gone through with, but it seems
there was one left to cap the climax.
The ship gave tremendous lurch for
ward, and the medicine chest, contain
ing all that | had to ease the sufferings
OF my crew, was thrown down violently
and the contents scattered in all dl-
rections Even then 1 did not give up.
1--WE continued for days in the same
course. drifting two knots an hour in
a gale from the 10th to 18th. On the
14th. the fury of the wind was still
on, the ship was almost on her beam
ends, and all the sails were blown
away. Night and day we were work
ing. and physical endurance had about
reached it's limit. The only piece of
canvas we had set was a tarpaulin in
the miZZen rigging.
II finally decided to steer South and
put into Honolulu. AS SOon DIS Jne
course had been changed we sailed into
calmer weather, and on December oath
reached Honolulu with IL of the men
sick and the ship badly in need of re-
pairs"
The crew of the Northbrook tell of
the bravery of Captain Lawton and Of
how he worked shoulder to shoulder
with his men, giving orders and him
self assisting in carrying them out,
night and day, giving no heed to his
rest; he stuck by the ship and attend
eel his sick men as best he knew how.
Even in the fiercest raging of the storm
he was ever at the post of duty.
What the Northbrook will do is not
certain, as orders have not yet arrived
from Liverpool In the meantime,
however. the necessary repairs will be