The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-10-03
STRUCK ON A REEF
Close Cali of the Trans
port Leelanaw.
Lay Several Hours on a Reef Near
the South Farailones-Her
Narrow Escape.


United States transport Leelanaw. that
arrived yesterday from Honolulu. mar
rowly escaped total wreck Saturday
on a reef south o. Montara. She came
into port leaking and at once trans
ferred the cargo in her hold to- the
transport Rio Janeiro. preparatory TO
going upon the drydock for inspection
and repairs. She was as-.ore several
hours on the rocks, not far from a
point where several vessels have been
totally wrecked. The sea was luckily
smooth and only a small swell was
stirring from the time she struck TO
the time when she was worked on into
deep water. She is not badly injured.
Yesterday as she lay beside the Rio.
shifting her cargo, she was able to-
pump. The story Of the wreck is told
| by Captain Storrs. who commands the
Leelanaw. --f
The vessel grounded on a reef 10
the south of Montana" he said. about
sixteen miles from the bar, during a
| fog so thick from the bar, during a
lookout We sailed from Honolulu
September IA and had fine weather I'M
til the goth. l was unable to get a per-
feet observation on the 2lst and go;
none on the ODD or 23d and was com
PEELED to run W reckoning. On the
23d there was dense fog with clearing
intervals, but no chance for an obser
lvation. By reckoning | ought To hav,
on the 23d. had the patent lead goin.
every half hour from 11:30 a. m. e
y: 80 p. m. From then on the read was
going every fifteen minutes until w
got bottom in So fathoms at 3:45 p
m. Then, after We got the bottom, tn,
lead was kept going as fast as 1t coul'
be worked.
Il heard fog whistle at A. p. m
which was on the port bow. The pa
tent log was hauled in, and | fount
that one blade of the rotator was miss
ing. The blasts of the fog signal wer
very irregular. could not make tn
intervals between the blasts a~-ee. a
4:45 O'Clock the lead showed thirtyfiv
Ifathoms. We slowed down to a dea
slow to identify the signal. the SCUM
, of which was indistinct and faint. TN
first officer. at 500 o'clock. showed tie
. fathoms. Before the Roadway of tn
? Vessel could be checked she grounde
Tightly on the reef.
THE soundings that were then take
all around the ship showed nothin
less than IA feet at the bow forward
deepening quickly after passing one
third of the length from forward
There were nine fathom1s under III
y stern I gave orders to- pump out y,
1 ballast tank and to fill Nos. 3 and
which were empty. The engines wei
, all the time backing strongly, but II
tide was falling and we could not mo,
her. The engines were slowed just
hold her from going further on wit
!. the small swell that was runnin
Everything was made ready to II
!. again after the tide made. Until H.;
the ship rested easy and then Sieve
around about four points l put Il
helm ,ver to port and ordered fu
-. lspeed astern. After rolling and thum
= ing several times she came off in dee
water. The water was coming in q
No. L ballast tank. but there was !
trouble in Keeping it free. We can
up off the bar. but couldn't find q
light-ship. because it had been reno
ed for repairs"
The reasons that Captain Stor
gives for the accident are: Lack
G opportunity for observations to veri
my position; losing a blade on I
rotator of the patent log. which alt'
= ed it's rate and thereby fouled my de
~ reckoning; running with the wind a
sea abeam for three days set the 81
. further 10 the southeast than allow