The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-10-13

First Authentic Account
of the Wreck,
Am svioan Reputation for bravery
and Discipline In Tina Of OAR
ger Was rudy sustained.


City has been wrecked on the shores
Of the Inland Sea at a spot some ten
miles distant from the town OF Ono
michi, which Is equi- distant between
the well-known Japanese ports of Yo-
kohama and Nagasaki. A disaster
which might have been a dramatic
tragedy of the war, the loss Of the ship.
owing to favorable circumstances, has
been unattended with any serious loss
Of life or scene Of panic such as often
times accompanies the sinking Of
great ocean vessel crowded. as was the
Morgan City. literally to the coamings
Of the matches with human beings.
The manner in which the disaster has
been saved from leaving the slightest
stigma on the name of American SOL
diers looking death in the face Is quite
level with the reputation they have
achieved and retained throughout their
nations present war troubles. a
The Morgan City left San Francisco
on August 10, carrying 900 officers and
men of the United States regular army
with 81 Of crew. The regiments rep
the army in the Philippines are the
Third, Fourth, Fourteenth. Eighteenth.
Twenty-flrst. Twenty-third, Twenty
fifth; Fourth Cavalry and one COM
paDy Of the signal corps. Major Wit
itch Is in command of the troops. First
Lieutenant easier Is the managing
commander Of the ship. and Captain
Doris Is In full command. Arriving at
Kobe on Friday evening, direct from
San Francisco. the Morgan City lay an
hour there before proceeding on her
voyage. Her course was through the
Inland Sea to reach Nagasaki, where
she was due to ship coal and water. A
pilot was taken from Kobe, and 1t is
stated in explanation of what befell
the vessel that the pilot had been on
duty without sleep for thirty-six hours
on and previous to taking charge of
the Morgan City.
The night 'twixt Friday and Satur-
day proved dull, foggy and rainy as
midnight passed. The difficulties in
the navigation of the Inland Sea were,
however. safely passed for some hun
bred or SO miles Of the way. The ships
striking occurred at about 3: 40 on Sat-
urday morning, when, as stated, the
transport was within eight or ten
miles Of being abreast of Onomichi.
The signal Of her danger was conveyed
to the guard on duty by the sounding
of the SLOW" and full speed astern"
gongs. AS 1t afterwards appeared, the
ship was discovered to be working for
the point Of an island, on striking
which, according to the calculation Of
the pilot, SO 1t Is stated, she would
have ripped open her side and sunk at
once in deep water, with what result
to the vast ships company can easily
be imagined. 1t was seen that 1t was
impossible to clear the point, so the
helm was put up hard a-pOrt and as
speedily as 1t might. The effect of
porting the helm, 1t was seen, would
be the ripping open Of the vessels side
as described. The course decided on
to save this catastrophe was that OF
keeping the ships head straight on to
the land with the order previously CIV
EN- of course for full speed astern. The
transport took the land with heavy
jar which awoke everybody on board
and indicated that her speed must have
been but about half reduced from the
time the order for full speed astern
was given. The grounding brought
the troops on deck at once, but from
all accounts there was neither confu-
sion nor panic, nor even great alarm,
from the time the ship first struck to
the time when the shipwrecked men
bivouacked under shreds of her can
vas on the beach. The officers were
around directing their men simply to
obey orders, there being no immediate
danger or call for excitement. These
orders were taken In the spirit In
orally observed. The land was easily
seen from the ships deck. the vessel
being. in fact, to all appearance right
on top Of the rocks lining the shore of
the island.
An examination forward with the
view Of determining the state of the
vessel was the first step. It was found
that she was not making water, and
It was decided to attempt to get her
back to deep water again. The en-
gines were set to full speed astern and
to aid this movement the troops were
shifted from port to starb0ard and
starb0ard to port alternately several
times, so that the swing thus induced
In the hull Of the ship might assist in
working her on her position on the
rocks. This was finally accomplished
In about an hours time. and the big
transport with her great human freight
came smoothly into deep water again.
The case proved the worse for the
shift. however. 1t was speedily dis
covered that she now made water for
ward at great rate. the shifting OF the
hull from Its previous elevation hav-
Ing apparently left open rip In her
plates. So quickly was she now fll-
Ing. In fact, that In only q short time
nine feet OF water was reported for
ward. II was evident to the officers
that the vessel must go down at very
short notice. and the decision was ia
ken to head her straight for the sandy
beach on the starbOard side-several
miles across the intervening channel.
All the way To this beach the ship was
drawing down lower into the water.
she lowered ~ quickly indeed that she
was soon flooded forward, and In u
short time her stoke hold ana engine
room were flooded. the fires being