The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-01-25
DEATH AT SEA
FREIGHT Clerk II. n. Kennedy
Loses His Life.
ATTENDING To HIS DUTY
Boat Capsized ar a Hamakua
Landing Overwhelmed by
Heavy Breakers.
ATTENDING TO HIS DUTY


morning. January 18th, while making
for The steamer in boat The body.
arrived on the hinau yesterday. The
Hawaii Herald tells the correct story
as follows:
Il was difficult TO get the exact de-
tails OF the accident as there were sew
eraI different stories. Ernest Thrum
was an eye witness TO it, and though
his story differs somewhat from the
one told by the boat boys il may be
accepted as correct From him II Ii
learned that Kennedy came ashore
early. that Is about 7 o'clock. in the
first boat and went Immediately up
the bluff remaining there about half
hour. Several boat loads OF freight
came II while he was away, all the
freight. in fact, except an iron planer
and about 800 fire bricks. The sea
was not dangerously rough and at 20
minutes TO 5 plantation time), Ken
nedy came down TO the landing and
was lowered 10 the boat and started,
sitting asrride Of a bundle OF sings,
for The steamer; there was no freight
IN the boat. One other boat, loaded
with freight, was then coming ashore.
Besides Kennedy. who sat in the bow,
there were four Oarsmen and one boat
steere-.
M Thrum stepped inside the ware
house for q moment, and while there
he heard the men on the wharf shout
warning 20 those in the boat This
was because they saw q tremendous
roller coming in. Mr.. ThTum ran out
10 the landing and saw the boat Ken
nedy was IN being forced toward the
rocks on this big roller Three Of the
boat boys had evidently jumped over
board Al the first indication OF trouble,
Tor when Nj Thrum got out they
were swimming out 10 sea. Kennedy.
one oarsman and the boat steerer were
IN the boat still
The first wave did not take the
boat on the rocks; the second one did
for Il was so large that IL swept clear
over the wharf which is about 20 feet
higher than sea level. This wave car
One man. the oarsman. jumped into
the water after the first wave and
before the second came in, leaving
only Kennedy and jim Crow, the steer
er. IN the boat. As soon as the boat
was washed onto the rocks, Jim Crow
Jumped out and climbed higher, bare
II escaping being washed out by the
third wave which came in almost i'm
mediateIy afterward Had Kennedy
followed the natives course he would
have. been alive today. but he was evil
IDENTIFY fearful Of being dashed onto
the rocks and being injured, so he
jumped into the sea and with the full
force OF the third wave was washed
against the rocks which line the liver
Al Papaikou. From Kennedy's actions
II could be seen that he was not stun
ned for he was making frantic efforts
10 climb out OF the wafer and up the
rocks. but he was evidently exhausted
and had not the strength TO battle with
the waves and each successive one
coming in washed him of almost as
soon as he would gain any ground
The native men working al the
landing shouted 10 him 70 keep on the
rocks and swim out 10 sea, but either
ne did not hear them or would not
take their advice There is q high
fiume crossing the river al the point
Of the accident. and the natives climb
ed the supports 70 this. something like
20 feet high, ran across the top and
slid down the piles on the other side
intending 70 render him assistance,
but when they reached the spot he
threw up both hands and went down
for the last tine. This was Al q point
close 10 the rocks but about two hun
dred feet from where he jumped into
the water. showing how far he had
struggled and been washed by the sea
II his efforts 70 get out In his strug-
giles he was evidently hampered by the
heavy clothing ne wore.
About two hours after the roller
carried deceased upon the rocks, his
body was found near the old landing
up The river at Papaikou. Purser
Beckley who was in Hilo at the time
was Immediately notified and he went
10 PapaikOU post haste. The body OF
deceased was put into q carriage and
Mr.. Beckley personally saw TO its safe
arrival in HilO. Odd Fellows. OF which
order deceased was a member were
Immediately notified It had been tht
intention 10 bury deceased in HiIo but
the Odd Fellows took hold Of the mat
ter. had the body prepared and ship
ped 10 Honolulu in charge OF TWO o.
the members Of the local lodge, Messrs
P. McKinnon and c. Sawyer.
In the meantime the foreign vessel.
and Island steamers in Hilo all placed
their flags ar half mast
Mark y. Kennedy was resident o.
the Islands for Is years He was frs
in the employ OF the Pacific Hardwar,
Company, then went 10 San Franciscl
on account of i'll health and returned
shortly afterwards Returning agaiI
to San Francisco, he came back one
more 70 Honolulu TO remain perma
nently. Gaining a position in tn
Wilder Steamship Company, he re
NAMED until his death, in the mean
time reaching the position Of freigh
clerk of the Kinau
Deceased was we'll thought Of by hi
many friends and in his work for tn