The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-11-30
BURN|NGOF THE STARBUCK
FURTHER DETAILS or THE LOSS
OF THE SHIP.
Four Hours Fight Against Fire-Tale
of Death in the Sea and Desperate
Battle for Life.

Battle for Life.
The Mauna Loa, bringing the news
of the disaster to the snip William II.
Starbuck. arrived so late yesterday
afternoon that it was Impossible TO
rive the details of the terrible catas-
trophe at the time. Captain McDon-
aid, Mrs. Mcdonald. their three chill
dren and nine members of the crew OF
the i'll fated vessel have been taken
care of by the American Consul, ana
are at the Queen and Eagle hotels, on
Nuuanu street.
The burned ship was "A wooden YES
sci. three masted. and of Lara tons.
She was built at Bath. Maine, and is
owned by the Starbuck Company of
Portland. Her present voyage into
the Pacific began in December, 1897,
when she sailed from New York to
Yokohama with Il cargo of oil for the
Standard Oil Company. From Japan
she went to the Sound and there took
on cargo of little over 100000 feet
of lumber for Dclagao Bay.
She sailed from Port Blakcly on Dc
tober 18th. About 10 o'clock on the
night of November 5th fire was dis
covered i'm a forward hold. This place
was filled with door and sash material,
all of which was dry and il was known
would burn like finder. Water in
great quantities was turned into the
place but without any noticeable eff
feet. The flames had a strong draft
of air and it was impossible to shut
it off.
At a. m. Captain Mcdonald decid-
ed that there was no hope and gave
orders to have the three boats low
cred and proysioned for thirty days.
MI the hands, except few engaged
in an effort to stay the flames as long
as possible, turned to. At 4 a. IN.
the boats put off. Captain Mcdonald,
his wife. three children, three seamen
and the ships carpenter, took the first
boat; First Mate c. Mcdonald. five
seamen and the cook. the second. and
Second Mate Howard. four seamen.
steward and the cabin boy. the third.
At s a. IN. there was nothing left of
the Starbucli above the water line ev-
cept the masts and il was a question
of but a short time when these must
come down. The boats left the vessel
i'm that position and struck out for the
Island of Hawaii, nearly 1000 miles
away.
On the night of the 10th, after hav-
ing been out four days. the boat con-
tanning the second mate parted COM
pany with the others and was never
seen afterwards. AS the boat had no
nautical instruments and the second
mate was not Il navigator, about
the only hope for the safety of
the party is that they may be picked
up by some passing vessel. The boat
was the best one of the three. being
the captains own boat just before
dark the captain Signalled the second
mate to come alongside and told him
not to lose sight of the other boats. It
is the captains opinion that the men
must have gone to sleep.
Captain Mcdonald kept bright
light burning on his boat to guide the
second mate in case he was still in
sight.
On the 18th. when twelve days from
the wreck, the boat containing the
first mate and party capsized. and the
cook, Portuguese named Da Costa,
was drowned. The other occupants of
the boat were rescued and taken into
the boat occupied by Captain McDon-
aid and party. y large amount of pro-
visions and trinkets saved from the
wreck had to be thrown overheard TO
make room for the seamen.
Last Saturday morning, November
Goth, the boat came to land at Hoo
kena, Hawaii, after having been on the
open sea twenty days. The voyage
was attended by the most narrowing
circumstances, and was one the whole
party will remember wildly all their
| lives. The sun was very hot and at
times the sea was dangerously high
and intentionally rough. Water was
scarce Nearly every night it rained,
however, giving a little extra supply.
The last few days the allowance to
each person was cut down to a half
| pint in twenty-four hours and was ia
ken precious sip at time. On the
| long voyage the men were devoted to
the woman and children aboard, deny
/ ing themselves in all ways for their
comfort and health