The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-12
ALMOST LEFT
HER BONES ON
THE FARALL.ONES
a Close Call of the
Hyderabad.
CAUGHT IN A NORTHWESTERN
FIVE OF HER CREW INJURED
IN THE HURRICANE.
Sails Blown From the Bolt Ropes,
Running Gear Chafed Away and
Vessel Thrown on Her
Beam Ends.
CAUGHT IN A NORTHWESTER
FIVE OF HER CREW INJURED
IN THE HURRICANE.

The overdue British ship Hyderabad
reached port yesterday afternoon. She
was JOG days coming from Newcastle. N
). W. and % per cent premium had been
paid 10 reinsure vessel and cargo. The
Italian bark Mario, which sailed nearly a
month after her, beat the ship six days
into port.
The Hyderabad had most exasper-
ating voyage. Nothing but light winds
and Gains were encountered until the
coast OF California was reached, and then
Northwestern was run into that nearly
piled the vessel up on the Farallones. In
fact in order to wear ship in a hurry
some of the sails had to be cut away and
then it was touch and go with vessel and
all on board.
For weeks the Hyderabad never
changed her position and the wear and
tear on the sails and running gear was
worse than II she was in the hardest gale
that ever blew. In three weeks she only
covered forty-two miles and nearly all
of that was made by drifting with the
current on Nay "a (Queens Birthday
the ship was eighty-nine days out and
1860 miles from San Francisco. Both cap
tain and crew We're sick ana disguised
and il began TO look as though there was
Il hOOdOO on the snip.
A change was coming, however, and
when il started ii came with a rush. Last
Sunday week a breeze Sprang up and
that day the Hyderabad logged POS miles
The next day, June D. II was blowing q
gale and big seas were constantly break
ing aboard. A squat struck the vessel,
bringing her up in the wind and laying
her over until the lee rail was under wa
ter. 1t looked for moment as though
all was up with the Hyderabad. but Cap
tain Scott ordered the tOpgallant and up
per tOpSail halyardS let go and away
went the sheets. This saved the masts
and eased up the ship.
The decks were fun of water TO the
rail- said Captain Scott when speaking
OF the danger. and nothing could be
done to save the sails. Five of the crew
were injured by being washed into the
Scuppers and some of them only escaped
going overheard by miracle. The ship
was lying abaCk in the trough of heavy
sea with her main hatch under water.
All the running gear hdd gone OUT
through the ports and was by degrees
chafed off; BY p. m. it was blowing a
living gale. Three upper tOpSails, three
topgallant sails. the mainsail cross jack,
jib and main topmast staysail We're car
ried away and the braces and running
Just as We got Strengthened out a bit
the Faralones doomed up black and
threatening. All the sail we could carry
was set in order to clear the rock. but at
midnight it seemed as though we We're
going to strike. l had TO wear ship in a
hurry and in order to get her round
had TO order the three lower tOpSailS cut
away. We got out of that scrape, but
the gale did not abate any and the next
day June 81 we lost three royals and two
small staysails. on. tell you We made
up for the months of calm we had gone
through. Why. the wind took those sails
out Of the gaskets as though they were
SO much brown paper. 1t was June
before the gale subsidized and we were
able to lay our course for San Francisco
gain.
ION June the five disabled members Of
my crew We're able to be about again and
then I made an estimate OF the damages
received during the gale. Besides all the
sails ! lost the upper tOpsau and tOpgal-
liant sail chain sheets We're broken. the
jack stays and screw dogs were broken
and torn away from the yards, sheaves
in yardarms broken and wire and chain
gear alOft damaged. How was that for
a wind up to three months Of light winds
and Gains?
had two other encounters with islands,
but thank God. the ship was never in
danger. On April 4 we drifted past So
phia Island and on April Is we were three
miles off Hulls Island. I saw a tall flag
staff and two huts and one building. but
no sign Of life l hoisted our flag and
sgnaled. but no one responded, There
was evidently no one on the island and I
suppose the huts and fagpole We're put
up by a British man-of-war. This has
been about the longest voyage the Hyder-
abad has ever made. On her last trip
from Newcastle to San Francisco she
made the run in fifty-eight days"