The Hawaiian gazette., 1898-01-04
Hard Fight to Keep the S. S.
KaGna on the Water.
SHE WAS ALL BUT SWAMPED
Men Have to Work for Their Lives
and the Steamer at the Same
Time-Were Narrow Escapes.

The steamer Kaena arrived yester-
day morning in state of dilapidation
after having been absent from this
port since last Monday morning. At
that time she started out for her usual
Oahu landings with freight In the
afternoon of the same day she stopped
at Makua and, the weather looking
very bad around the point, Captain
Wilson determined TO remain there
over night. The morning would be
Plenty OF time TO proceed. When the
next day dawned, the weather had not
frightened a bit but the captain
thought best to proceed, so the Kaena
started out. She was on her way to
Waialua, but the weather was so bad
that it was deemed best to put in at
Waianae. Here the Kaena lay over
night with the wind blowing and the
rain pouring down in torrents.
On Wednesday morning, the Kaena
set out again and made for Puuiki.
The seas were quite high along the
way but the sailors say that the pass
age into the place was all right and
that the Kaena could have gone into
Puuiki without any trouble. However.
when half way up the channel, the
command, "Starboard" was given and
the men at the wheel obeyed. There
was trouble at once. A huge sea
struck the Kaena on the port side and
the bow with quite serious results.
The rail and the guard of boards above
it, were smashed and would have been
carried to sea had it not been for the
pieces. of iron that refused to be de-
tached.
Meanwhile the captain and the sail
ors were trying their best to get hold
OF some object on the steamer to keep
them from being washed overheard.
The second mate was washed from
the bow to the wheel house where he
fortunately caught hold of the steps
leading to the upper deck and was
saved. One of the sailors was washed
overheard but luckily the force of the |
water had driven the main sheet out
into the sea just in time for the native !
10 grasp it and thereby get aboard the |
steamer again.
The chief engineer, George Frieden- |
berg, was one of the men who had
very narrow escape from being drown
ed. He was hard at his work in the
engine roomwhen the sea struck and |
was of couse thrown down. He Jump |
ed to his feet and grabbed for the door |
thinking to keep the water out and |
thereby save the fires. The water was !
too strong, the door was burst open
and the engineer again thrown down. |
Nothing daunted, he made another at |
tempt at the door and succeeded in |
closing it, but by this time there was a
crack overhead and the water came |
down in perfect flood Mr. Frieden-
berg thought it was about time TO get
out, so he took the other door and |
made his escape to the deck above.
There, everything was in confusion.
The sailors were all in the boats ready
to be lowered away in case the Kaena
should happen to go down. The com
mands were given just in time to save
the ship. The men were made to go
to work with whatever they could lay
their hands on to bail out the water.
and the sails were hoisted. Buckets
and al other utensils were washed |
overheard. The fires had been put out |
by the water and it was deemed very
TO get the steamer where she
would be in no immediate danger. In
a very short time, such a place had
been reached and the men continued
their work. When this was done, and
things were dried up a bit, the fires
were again started and the Kaena put
into place of safety.
The chief engineer tells of the very
escape of two japanese
fremen. He had just gotten up on
deck when he discovered that they
were not present Remembering that
they were in the room with him be- /
fore the sea struck the steamer, he /
opened the door and there found the |
poor fellows cooped up and in a very
precarious condition. He pulled them |
out to place of safety and in a little |
while they were all right again.
1t was not advisable that the Kaena /
should take on any freight as she was I
in no proper condition, so, when all /
things were in as good condition as
possible, the Kaena put back again /
into port. 1t will be quite number |
of days before she will be able to get
to sea again.