The Portland daily press., 1897-03-22


Thrilling Voyage of the Ship T. f.
Oakes.
|. Quarantine, 8. l., March 21.-The long
over due ship 4. F. Cakes, which left
hong Kong, July 4th, with cargo for
this port and which had been given up
as lost, was towad into port this morn
ing by British tank steamer Kasbek,
which picked her up Thursday in lati-
tude SO. 10, longitude g. "A. The Kasbek
was bound from Philadelphia for. Flume,
Austria, with cargo of oil. March IA
at II p. m. q blue light were seen.
Capt. Muier ordereh the steamers
course altered and bore up for the dis
tress signals. At one she was alongside
the ship and stood by until day break,
when signals were observed flying from
the.ship asking that boat be sent along
side the ship as the ships crew was so
disabled as to be unable to man the
boats. Chief officer Helshem and three
seamen put off in the Kasbek's yawl.
When within speaking distance they
heard tale of suffering and sickness
from those on board the ship such as
made them shudder. Capt. Reed of the
Oakes, r reported his Grew laid.up with
scurvy and provisions well night sx-
hausted. He was unable to navigate the
ship with the hands at his command
and begged he be at once supplied with
fresh food and vegetables, and taken in
tow for the nearest port. The boat re-
turned to the Kasbek with the message
and Capt. Muier decided to take the
vessel in tow. Tne weather became
boisterous and northerly gales sprang
up. Preparations were made to pass
hawser to the Oakes, at the same time
that the boat load Of provisions was
sent. A MANILA hawser was paid out
over the Kasbek' S stern to the yawl. A
tremendous wave washed 1t into the pro-
peller which was turning slowly at the
time and before the engines could be
stopped the screw SO entagled stopped
suddenly and all the power of the en-
gines was not sufficient to move it. An
effort was made to free the screw, but
it was so deeply submerged and. the sea
WAS running SO high, that it was found
Impossible. For eight hours theengi-
neer's 8 staff labored to clear the propeller
and finally disconnected the shaft and
found thatby placing small block ofwood
between the couplings the screw could
be made to turn. BY that time the Oaks
had drifted out of sight and Capt. Muier
despairing of being able to tow her with
his disabled screw, determined to find
her and supply her with provisions. All
night he searched for traces of her and
at 6 a. m. Tuesday morning she WAS
agafnssig hted. The sen was boisterous,
but Chief Officer Helshem again volun-
teered to attempt to board the Oakes,
and as the engineers reported the pro-
2ellor working we'll. 1t was decided to
send the hawser aboard. Accordingly
a line was dragged by the boat and after
asgood deal of hard work two hawsers
were made fast, Helshem and the boats
Grew of three doing most of the work.
They found only the second and third
mates able to help them. The provisions
they brought were Go5-send to. the
sourvy stricken survivors and they began
to gather hope that they might live to
see land. FromSThursday.m morning when
the hawser was passed aboard until
Sandy Hook bar was reached at 2 o'clock
last evening no incident of Importance
occurred. The Cakes anchored on the
bar and was again taken in tow this
morning.
Cap. Reed of the Cakes this morning
said: The Oakes left Shanghai the 18th
of May, and after completing her cargo
at Hong Kong sailed from that port July
4th. The cew was apparently In the best
of health with the exception of Capt.
Reed who had been ailing some time,
but who under careful nursing of his
wife thought himself on the road to re-
covery. Six days out In the China sea
terrific typhoon was encountered lasting
several days, during which the fora and
main topmast wsre sprung, and the
vessel obliged to run before the gale,
which had no sooner blown itself out
than it was followed by second
typhoon, which blew with great fury.
Thirty-four days out the vessel was
we'll out in the. North Pacific and SO far
off the course that Cant Read decfdad