The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-11-14


fleet offered himself. The captain
told him OF the danger. He said he
knew that. The captain gave him q
keen hunting-knife. and the brave fell
low struggled along the deck to the
hatchway; we awaited the outcome al
most breathiessly: II seemed hours,
when suddenly loud report was heard
as rope parted; then another and
another. and the sails were blown
away. Soon the brave man came back
and reported his duty done. II was a
brave deed.
! was then In the chartroom direct
ly under the bridge. Here | had re-
manned for twenty-eight hours unable
to get down below. Every time the
ship rolled upon aer side the bridge
dipped sea. From the chartroOm I
could look down almost vertically into
the raging, boiling seas below; the ship
labored and groaned, and we held on
for dear life; not a word was spoken;
every face was set with determination,
grim and defiant; the captain of the
vessel, wet to the skin, shot into the
chartroom, glanced at the barometer,
and then, for the first time, saw de-
shouted an order to close the matches
In order to save the ship. Closing the
matches meant sure death to the man.
gled creatures heaped up GOWN there,
but our own lives were then at stake.
1t was difficult task, but soon 1t was
accomplished. The winds increased;
the sea rose higher; down we went into
the trough Of the sea, helpless, as the
vessel would not answer her helm. For
ten minutes we rolled and pitched at
the mercy Of the elements, which
fought with demoniacal fury to bring
us down to the bottom of the sea. First
she lay upon the gtarboard and then
upon the port beam, and each time we
awaited the final summons, but the
good ship rode 1t out Monday all day
we held on; no sleep; nothing to eat
but an occasional nardtack. Monday
night the wind shifted around until It
blew from the East. and Tuesday
morning at IL o'clock the wind died
out. the seas Gained down, the sun
burst through the clouds, and Just five
miles away we discovered the Baling-
tang Islands. Rocks they are-the
rocks throughout the storm were what
we most feared, as we had no way OF
finding out our position. Thus for
sixty hours the Siam fought the ele-
ments and conquered. In that time !
doubt IL any man aboard was able to
catch more than four hours sleep at
the most. They we're all thoroughly
exhausted from their heroic labors, and
some were considerably injured. Every
man, passengers end crew, had to lend
a hand. In the beginning of the storm
your correspondent went to the stoxe-
hold and shoveled ashes, which were
hoisted up to the decks and scattered
In the stalls in lieu of sand. In an at
mosphere registering 11S degrees. the
work was enough to lay me up and put
me on the sicklist in Manila
most horrible sight was presented
upon the decks, where the animals
were stretched out In death; the stencil
| was almost undesirable, and, tired as
the men were, work was Immediately
| commenced to get rid of the carcasses
for two days the winches were kept 60.
ing getting them overheard. Several
had to be shot, and even after we ar.
rived in Manila harbOr several more
died and two were shot upon the dock
The news of our disaster spread rapid
ly throughout the city and the utmost
regret was expressed. With Captain
O'Neil, | called upon the adjutant gen.
eral of the Eighth Army Corps, and he
showed great distress upon hearing the
sorrowful report. He said: You don't
know how much we have counted on
those animals"
General Otis received the news in ST.
lence. Then he stated: why, we
have kept back army operations for the
last week waiting upon those mules;
we need them, and hundreds more"
But when he heard Captain O'Neils re-
port of the terrible struggle even for
our own lives, he said: Il uon't blame
you at all; nothing On EARN could have
saved them. You did your duty"
And SO happened the first great dis
aster in the transport service, and 1t
was an appalling one. Even had the
stables been made as strong as human
ingenuity could have built them, the
animals could not have been saved. The
captain Of the vessel and the two
mates, seamen of over thirty years ex-
perience each, say they never had such
storm and they never want to wit
ness another. They state that we were
going toward the center Of the typhOon
throughout the storm, which accounts
for the barometer falling SO low.
AS we entered the harbor, we heard
firing over at Cavitc, which Dewey cap
tured last year. The rebels are again
there. and for two weeks daily skir-
mishes have been taking place around
there and at linus. The artillery fire
can be plainly heard In Manila, and at
night fires can be seen blazing In ev-
cry direction about Cavite. Only day
before yesterday, October ., drove
out to Iona Church. which is within
the city limits, and the Twenty-ffth
Infantry were Just deploying around
the church into the field and trenches
there. Their outposts had been sud
denly and viciOusly attacked by the In
surgents and sharp firing FROM both
sides was kept up Tor an hour. the in
surgents finally being aislodged by the
artillery fire Of Battery d. Fifth Artil.
lery. Finding that headquarters Of the
rwenty-ffth Infantry were out be-
yond Tondo, near the famous water