The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-01-30
WRECK THEORY
KINAU'S PURSER ADDS MUCH
INFORMATION.
Believes He Saw the Foundered Vessel
Three Weeks Ago Bottom Side Up
Thought 1t a Raft.

George Beckley of the Kinau adds a
number of interesting details to the
information regarding the wreck on
the Hawaii coast He says that three
weeks ago when the Claudine took the
Kinau's route for one trip, as they
were passing Hakalau there was very
heavy swell on and their attention was
attracted to the Helene, which was
working under the wire at that port.
but just as they were getting away,
he noticed off the port bow of the
Claudine what he thought was drift
ing lumber raft. He called Mate
Weisborth's attention to it, and they
both looked at it through glasses
With no thought of a wreck and pro-
possessed with the idea that it was a
lumber raft they thought they saw
ropes such as would be on raft bind
ing it together However, they were
going fast and the. swell was heavy
and they did not really get a good view
of it. They did not stop for it be-
cause they were behind time and they
supposed the Helene or the people on
shore would see it and save it if it were
worth salvage. At Hilo they made
casual inquiries but did not learn of
any lumber raft having broken away
from there. Hearing nothing from the
Helene the matter passed from their
minds.
In the light of the discovery of the
wreck near Kohala, Beckley thinks it
quite probable that what he saw was
not raft, but wrecked vessel bot
tom side up. His theory is that what
ever vessel the wreck is, foundered
somewhere to the eastward of Hawaii,
far enough to the north so that when
she came near Hawaii she was far
enough northward to be caught by the
current running along the northern
shore instead of the one running along
the eastern shore, and that it was
caught on the rocks near the Kohala
coast where it was found.
On the last trip of the Kinau that
vessel sailed within a hundred yards
of the wreck and came to a stop. They
could see it plainly but were not able
to make out anything more than that
1t was very large wooden vessel, too
large, Beckley thinks, for a schooner.
The natives fishing near by told Beck
ley that 1t was a big merchantmen,
but they did not know the name of it.
They had found some of the letters of
the name, but BeGKley could not learn
from them what they were. Several
large iron water tanks had drifted on
shore, and the timbers that were bro
ken and lodged in the rocks showed
the wreck to be large vessel. Wreck
age is scattered all along the shore,
as far as Hakalau.
harmonize with all previous informa-
tion on the subject and reconcile
some things particularly as to dates,
which before seemed contradictory.
The fact that some of the letters of
the vessels name have been found,
makes it very probable that Sheriff
Ovenden, who has gone to the scene.
will be able to learn the name of the
vessel.
The idea prevails that the wreck is
the schooner Emma Claudina. She is
vessel of 1856 tons, while all descrip-
tions of the wreck speak of her as
very large vessel. The Emma Claudi-
ma sailed from Mahukona in ballast,
December End, for Tacoma. The ship
ping guide of San Francisco, up to
January 18th, had not reported her as
arrived. Her captain is V. B. Nelson.
Her last trip from Eureka to Honolu-
lu was made in 20 days.