The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-12-14
ON THE Sherman
WHAT HER MEN THOUGHT OF
HONOLULU
They Had an Idea That the Dead Were
Piled UP on Street Corners-Extreme
Precautions.

If the tug Eleu had carried a large
cargo of bubonic plague microbes she
could not have been given more gin
geTly reception than she had late last
night from the transport Sherman,
which was anchored outside the harbor,
ready to proceed to Manila without en-
tering this port. 1t was the same with
the pilot boat earlier in the evening.
When he saw the fleet of Guaranteed
vessels Captain Reid came to anchor.
Then he moved little nearer the chan
mel and learned from the pilot boat
that there was bubonic plague in Ho-
nolulu. He didn't want to see any
pilots, or doctors, or newspapermen, or
any body else. Even Louis Kenake of
the Post Office, who is supposed to have
cinch on boarding all mail vessels,
was refused the privilege of stepping
on the Sherman. When the Eleu went
out to her at 8 o'clock, a big search
light was turned on her before she was
out of the channel.
what do you want?" yelled a Sher-
man officer as soon as the tug boat got
near enough. The voice sounded as If
it's owner regarded the tug as a very
unwelcome visitor.
Colonel Ruhlen answered. He want
ed some supplies, some men that were
on board to fill the 9Th artillery, and
the mails. The tug drew closer to the
big transport and tossed about near
her while efforts were made to get lines.
A native crew threw a line and in the
darkness waited for the Shermans
crew to draw up the hawser. Soon a
man could be seen getting a line ready
to throw from the Sherman
There's a line thrown to you al
ready" yelled someone.
I'VE don't want it," was the answer
some cautious individual on the trans
port gave, and the people on the Eleu
then began to realize that they were
just so much plague in the eyes of the
newcomers.
For two hours the Eleu rolled and
pitched near the Sherman, while the
crew of the latter threw bundles of
papers and mail at her and lowered
boxes of potatoes and onions, which
Colonel Ruhlen shouted that he want
ed. Nineteen men We're given a lively
experience climbing down the Sher-
mans side and on a rope ladder and
falling into the arms of the Eleus
crew. Meanwhile the officers and men
on the Sherman were throwing letter
after letter, some of the missives fall
ing into the water and shouting ques-
ton after question. Sometimes the
Eleu would rise high and lurch toward
the steady ship beside her till the two
were near enough for friends to shake
hands. But no hand was outstre tched
from the Sherman.
II anyone on ner ndu dared 10 snake
hands with a Honolulu man he would
have been hanged or thrown overheard.
The men on the Sherman had an idea
| that Honolulu was a stricken city, a
sort of huge graveyard. They pictured
Fort street with upturned corpses In
the cutters. They thought that the I'M
dertaker's business must be the only
one not suspended in the city. Looking
along the Shermans searchlight they
saw buildings in which people We're I'M
doubtedly huddled together in terror
waiting for the last painful summons.
and they shuddered and We're thankful
that they were on the Sherman and
not in Honolulu.
Captain Reid was glad he had not ar
| rived as the Warren did and he was
sorry for the Warren. He announced
his intention to go away from this hor-
| rible place as soon as daylight would
| let him. Had it not been for mails he
would have turned westward and I'M
tremendously left the place without
! any stop at all.
AS the Eleu moved away in the dark
ness at about midnight the men on
the Sherman We're still firing at them
the oft-repeated question: How many
| cases?"