The evening times., 1899-06-22
pER1Lous VOYAGE OF A BARK.
Risky Pacific Ocean Trip of the
HPaD(P.

Hesper.
| New York, June 22.-In a letter just re-
eeived in this city John l. Stousland. chief
officer Of the transport Pennsylvania, now
at Manila, tells of an extraordinary trip
of nearly $500 knots in the Pacific Ocean.
made by the American bark Hesper, after
she had run into a hurricane. which left
her almost wreck.
The Pennsylvania met the Hesper eight
cen days after the latter's encounter with
the hurricane, during which time she had
made 1000 knots, and as the bark was
then waterIogged and in danger Of going
down, an Offer was made to take on the
officers and men. This was refused. Cap
tain Sodergren's wife was with him on rh 2
bark. and special effort was made to have
her leave the vessel. but she declared she
would stay by her husband.
After the Pennsylvania had furnished
necessary food and supplies to the Hesper.
she continued her voyage to Manila. The
letter from Mr.. Stousiand is dated May l6.
II says:
Il must write you Immediately about a
thrilling experience l had this forenoon
We stopped near a large waterlogged bark,
and in the considerable swell and cross
sea it was not without difficulty that
made three trips to her in our boat. OF
course / thought we were in for large
salvage, but she turned out to be the
well-known murder ship Hesper whose
captain and mate were murdered some
years ago.
The Hesper. Captain SOdergren, leit
Fort Townsend March 9. loaded with lum-
Der bound fer Kyanchen. a new German
naval station on the coast of China. Her
owner is C. E. Billings. No. Is California
Street San Francisco. On April rs, not
far from the Ladrone Islands, she ran into
hurricane and shifted her immense deck
load which consisted OF large and heavy
logs, ever to port, breaking all the stanch-
ions and bulwarks, after which it took her
twelve hours TO run full OF water S-e
listed over TO port fully eighty pla2ks. anu
the CABIN storerooms, sail locker, AMI III
OF the other rooms were filled with Tc-e-.
All OF the provisions, instruments, charts,
books, clothes, and. in fact, everything
excepting a large quantity CT cannei
goods, were ruined. The captains wife
lost everything but the clothing she wore.
and the officers and sailors Jared the same
way.
with the ship full of water. half-cap-
sized and handicapped as he was all
around. Captain Sodergren pfoceeled TO-
ward his destination. and when | boarded
port than when he met with the accident
Imagine it, In eighteen days he h2d sail
ed 900 miles under such conditions
When | asked him If he would Eot aban-
don her or let US take him in tow TO Nag
asalli he said that after sailing l,O0J miles
he thought the $50 could be accomplished
as we'll He was short, however, OF beei
pork. sugar. and oil, and told him he
could have all he wanted. and went back
TO cur ship for barrel of each and a bag
CT sugar. | also put in twelve cans OF
milk for the captains wife and her Two
beautiful cats This, however, she de-
cIined. with thanks, without consulting
her feline pets.
while the men were unloading the boat
had a talk with the captain and his wife
All the shelter they had was piece OF
canvas on top OF The lJcklOad. The cap
tain and his wife occupied one end and
the first and second mates the other and
it was very easy to see that with the
slightest bad weather the deckload must so
and they with It, In a gale their lives
would not be worth cents. tried to
persuade the captains wife TO leave the
snip and come on the Pennsylvania; i'll
fact. | asked the captain to let her go. He
replied She must please herself. Sne
did not entertain the proposition for mo-
ment declaring she would stay with him
no matter what the outcome would be II
is not possible for me to describe how das-
perate their situation was and what a risH
they took.
My thoughts about salvage all vanished
before heroism like this. If ever there was
heroine here was one. She realized that
if she left it was all up with the crew. and
on that account she remained | spoke to
the men cheered them up. and said that |
wished | was one of them. which was
something of fb. and praised their con-
duct in abiding by the captains decision.
and told them to stick TO him to the end.
and that | had no doubt but that he would
make port. do not know whether it was
my words the sight OF provisions or their
disposition. but more cheerful crew you
never have seen. They were all bright
and happy no complaints or any murmur-
ings | went back the third time TO fetch
the captain over some cigars Now she
ha sabout $50 miles 10 go. Her position
today was so degrees 33 minutes north,
1850 east. and if should bet about her
destiny | would not know what to bet on
her arrival or her destruction. " he es-
cangs had weather | think he will make
port but that Is big IL"
According to the Maritime Register the
Hesper arrived at her port of destination
on May IS. twelve days after the Pennsyl
vania left her. The bark registers 66i
tons and was built in iSs2 by Hall Broth
ers at Port Blakesly. State of Washington.
She is 1.2 feet long with beam of IS feet.
and depth of II ID feet. She halls from
San Francisco.