The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-02-28
American Ship Edward O'Brien
On The Reef.
NEAR THE nARBoR ENTRANCE
An Anchor Dragged-EffortS to Re-
lease the Vessel-Some Cargo
Will Be Saved.

The American ship Edward O'Brien
is hard and fast on the reef Eva of
The mouth of the channel. Rolling in
the heavy swell from off shore she is
making a furrow in the coral for the
bottom OF the vessel and the keel is
all smashed and worn off.
| 1t was about o'clock yesterday
morning that the Edward O'Brien came
TO an anchorage directly off the mouth
of the channel and pilot Macauley was
soon on his way to her. But by the
time he was aboard she had drifted
across the entrance of the channel and
| lay broadside to the reef. The tug
Eleu had been notified and had haw
ser attached to the distressed ship i'm
mediately. At 9 o'clock the steamer
Maui was sent out and shortly after
the Z. S. tug Iroquois was dispatched
All day long these steamers tugged at
the doomed vessel. Laden with $40
tons OF coal it proved useless and at
Z O'Clock at night the Maui, Eleu and
| Iroquois returned to the harbor Capt.
|
save his vessel. This morning a don
key engine will be placed aboard and
scows will attempt to take off coal.
But the best that can be done in a
day is a few hundred tons and it is
only question of a few days when
the Edward O'Brien will be a thing of
the past
The cause of this disaster is thought
to be broken starboard anchor which
permitted the ship to swing around
and loosen the hold OF the anchor to
port The opinions of a few of the
men along the water front ON the Ed
ward O'Brien's pilikia may be interest
ing.
Captain Hilbus. master of the tug
Eleu: Il broke two 9-inch 'hawsers in
attempting to haul her off and / am
Of the opinion it will be very hard
to save TINS vessel without taking most
of the coal OUT
Watchman Ben Whitney, of the pilot
Office: Il consider it useless to try and
; and save the vessel with her cargo on
board. She will sink as soon as she
is towed off the reef
j j. A. Gilman, of the local Board of
Underwriters who was a visitor to the
wrecked vessel yesterday, considers
fher as in very serious way and prob
ably total loss.
Captain Freeman of the steamer
Maui is sure the ship will sink the
minute she is taken off and the course
he thinks most sensible is to save what
can be saved of the coal on board
i Health agent Louis Reynolds, who
was aboard of the Edward O'Brien a
good portion of yesterday, says she will
probably be total loss.
Last night the ship had S feet in
ches of water in the hold and about
&c feet of water on the starboard side
which is about her mean draught.
: There is no insurance on the Edward
O'Brien which was built at Thomaston,
: Maine, in 1882 by E. OBrien who is
also her registered owner.
II Capt Lothrop, who has lately as
sumed command of the ship, had the
: American ship Conqueror in the China
. Seas. He is we'll known and highly es-
: teemed by many of the mariners in
port and all express a hearty sympa-
: thy for his last misfortune. Though
!. a deep water man all right and good
shipmaster," says Capt. Goodman OF
the schooner Robert Levers, ''he never
: was like some other captains afraid OF
the shore and never hesitated 10 come
: pretty close in. ! suppose this time M
was a little far in. but if the fluke o.
his starboard anchor had held hi
would have been safe where he was.
From the time when the blue light:
were sent up from the O'Brien yes
: terday morning until the tugs left he
last night every assistance was givel
q Capt Lothrop by Observation-Disclosures
Pilot Macauley and Captain Pond o
g the Iroquois The IroQuois like Nh
Eleu snapped a 9-inch hawser Will
g pulling at the O'Brien.
Capt. Lothrop himself was scmewha
6 discouraged last evening over the out
L
. afternoon and, as he supposed. mad
| arrangements for one of the govern
S ment scows and an anchor in place
| the one broken. Nothing had come o
S however and he was waiting until tn
| morning to attend further 10 the iii.
6 position of the ship.
The Edward OBrien sailed frol
< Departure Bay about February Ind an