Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-12-01
THE SHIP SPRUNG A LEAK
Pumps Were Useless and a Bucket
Brigade Saved the Ship.
THE MACHINERY COLLAPSED
Electric Light Plant Gave Out and for
IL Nights the Men Worked i'm Dark
ness ktremon Wnded I'm Water UP
TO Their Waists-A Terrific storm.

Manila, Nov. 29.-When the trans
port Mlanauense anchored in Manila
bay yesterday, 33 days from San Fran
cisco, there were several feet of
water in her hold and 400 grimy,
greasy, hungry, exhausted soldiers
and sailors had been passing buckets
of water since November II, night and
day. First Assistant Engineer Dun
leavy was under arrest and, according
to Col. Webb Hayes official report, the
chief engineer would also have been
under arrest if there had been any one
to replace him.
The coIonels report also declares
that the captain of the vessel told him
that the only thing which brought
them through was the fact that the
men were greenhorns and failed to
realize their danger. while experienced
seamen would have deserted the ship
and taken to the boats in mid-ocean.
The Manaucnse is a chartered ship
flying the British flag. She belongs
to firm of which Senator Perkins, of
San Francisco, is alleged to be MEM
ber. The officers say the firm bought
her for $45,000, and they claim efforts
were made to sell her to the govern
ment for $150,00O.
She started from San Francisco ac-
companied by the transport Pekin,
| which carried the remainder of the
regiment, and encountered heavy seas
to Honolulu, without accident. After
starting, it developed that she was un-
der-manned and soldiers had to be de-
tailed to act as firemen, coal passers
and walters and to do other work.
Before reaching Honolulu the crew
concluded that the ship was not safe
and the majority agreed to desert.
Though they were closely watched,
many of the crew got away and the
Manauense left Honolulu with less
than half her crew.
The captain of the transport on No
vember II told Col Hayes that the
vessel had sprung leak, and an in
vestigation resulted in finding several
feet of water in her hold. The steam
| pumps were tried, but failed to work
and there were no hand pumps on
board. However, 46 buckets were
found, others were improvised and the
soldiers not employed in working the
ship were organized into five shifts,
and, stripped and forming lines, they
began bailing, the officers working
with the men, passing the buckets
which were sent mp to the deck by a
windlass. The longest time shift
could stand was two hours, and often
the period was not longer than half an
hour. The bailing continued until
the ship anchored here.
The same day the leaking was dis
covered the machinery collapsed and
| hn al frto ;c.I,
Grating, distilling and refrigerating
apparatus failed to work. There were
no lamps and the few candles found
were exhausted after few days. Dur
ing the last week of the passage the
Manauense was in utter darkness at
night. She had been rolling in heavy
seas all the way, but November 22 she
encountered typhoon and pitched
and tossed alarmingly. The Pekin be-
came separated from the Manauense in
| the storm.
The water rose rapidly and the bail
ing force was doubled. But the buck
cts were gradually smashed and bar
rels and boxes were substituted for
them, the men working in darkness,
planks and pieces of iron shafting be-
ing violently washed among them-
The firemen could only feed the fires
by being lifted on the shoulders Of the
other men, through water waist deep.
The typhoon lasted two Gays and a
half and in the midst of it the engines
stopped. The officers then held a coun-
ell and found that there were 420 per-
sons on board, with life boat accom-
modations for 213.
In the meantime the men below. ig-
norant of their extreme peril, were
passing buckets and singing, while the
ship rolled helpless on the ocean, with
matches closed.
The heat was intense until the ty,
phon passed, and then the Pellin
which had retraced her course about
20 miles, came alongside the Manau
ense, which was rolling so heavily thai
the soldiers in the hold could ut eacf
roll see the Pellin through the matches
overhead.
The meat and vegetables rotted be-
cause of the failure of the refriger-
ators and were thrown overheard.
After the storm the water supplied
to the ship at Honolulu had to be used
for the boilers and there was little OF
none for drinking. 1t is asserted thai
during the last week of the voyage the
men lived almost entirely on whisky
beer and hard tack.
Bell's Victory.
Manila, Nov. 29.-Col. Bell has de
| faata1 tho Of 10 in ~, Il ,;,,1 m -,