The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-01-25
STORY Of TIE NANAUENSE
AN OCEAN SENSATION FADES
AWAY.
Facts About the Reported Typhoon and
Leak and the Bucket Brigade-Col-
onl Hayes Bad Discipline.

Here is the story of the trip Of the
transport Manauense from Honolulu to
Manila, as related by Captain Barneson
and First officer Barneson, his son, and
confirmed by the log of the vessel. |
There is nothing in it about leak that |
nearly sunk the steamer before she !
could make Manila harbor nothing J
about terrOr-stricken bucket brigadcs |
working in darkness mid a terrible |
typhoon to save the leaking vessel !
after the lights had given out, nothing !
about shortage of provisions. The Off !
GERS have to tell only of a trifing acci- !
dent to a donkey engine and the cleo !
trio light plant and of very wretched !
military discipline under Colonel Webb |
g. Hayes, things being so bad ia Ma
Mia harbor on the arrival of the ves-
sci that officer Barnesoh interfered tC
stop the soldiers opening beer barrels
and drinking too much.
! We left Honolulu on the 9Th of No
vember and made the trip to Manila in
average time, twenty-five days" say
! the officers. "On December 24th three
| days from Manila our donkey engine.
which was used to pump bilge water
and water that naturally comes in over
the tail shaft, became disabled 1t was
necessary to put the crew and thirty OF
/ the soldiers on duty with buckets to
keep the water down. They worked
in two hours shifts. The electric light
machinery had given out, but we had
an unlimited supply of candles and can
die sticks, and lamps for the decks and
! hatchways. For a day the bucket
work was kept UP and then it was stop
ped as the water was low enough.
Work was resumed the next day the
last of the journey, and we arrived at
Manila at about two o'clock on the
morning of the 9th, in good condition.
I'VE had rations for sixty days on
board when we left San Francisco and
discharged nearly a thousand tons of
stores at Manila. At the present day
We are living on foods that were in the
vessel when we last left Honolulu. The
men had not only all the ordinary ra-
tions, but were actually given beer and
other liquors when they helped the
crew. There was not a single case of
sickness on the trip, which is conclu-
sive proof if the other things are not,
that the rations were all right The
amount and variety of the commissary
stores was something surprising. The
men were actually able to draw candy
from the canteen a thing probably
never heard of in an army before.
After arriving at Manila we dis
charged the troops and went to Yoko-
hama to have the donkey engine re
asked for from Lloyds and a survey
was made, resulting in the report that
she was i'm absolutely first class con-
0ttion. Without any repairs whatever.
since the terrible leak and nights Of
terror we started back and here we
, are. For four days on the return trip
, we had a real gale and we passed
through a slight typhoon. Yet the
leaky old transport did not sink. In
the teeth of a southeaster she made
from eight to ten knots a day, and on
other days though she is rated as n
ten knot vessel she made twelve and
thirteen knots.
'The story of disaster is simply due
to the drink the men were allowed "a
imbibe and to the fact that many Of
| them had never even seen the sea be-
D fore and thought every ocean ripple
! was blllow of water. The statement
: that the steamer was not in proper
{ condition before she left San Francis.
: co is dlsproved by our returning rs
l we are, with no repairs, and passinl
1 safely through a typhoon, and by the
complete report of the committee ~
> on hulls and boilers at San Francisco
; Colonel Webb c. Hayes, who is a soT
' of the President Hayes is declared by
J.. the officers of the Manauense to have
Il been utterly unfit to command the mel
; under him, and to have maintained M
> discipline. snubbing every officer WHIT
came to him with a suggestion. Mos
of the officers are spoken of very high
ly, however, and the men were a splen
+ did lot, though utterly uncontrolled. II
y Manila harbor while anchored along
y side a British man-of-war, they wer
It allowed to bring beer barrels on deci
\ and open them, till the ships officer
- feeling it a disgrace, gave the Orde
that no more should be opened on tn
vessel
The Manauense is owned by tn,
t Western Commercial Company of Sar
/, Francisco. She was at one time a Rec
r Cross liner of the famous Liverpool
= line. Her officers are: Captain J
- RarnesOn: First officer j. B. Barneson
:, Second officer ]. Hughes Third Om
= Ger ]. Johnson; Purser A. Hart; Chic
= Engineer Macdonald; First Agsistan
Z J. Walters: Second Assistant G. VIII
Il liams. She is taking coal from the holt
Of a deep water vessel at the Pacif
Mail wharf and viii leave for Sal
Francisco tonight. On board is quar-
e termaster clerk Palmer, who was ol
: the vessel the last time she passe,
3, through He confirms the story toll
3 by the ships officers and the captain
s of the City of Peking. which vessel ac
q companied the Manauense to Manila
d with the 31st infantry, Is quoted I
e the same effect. The account of tn
Manauense's horrible experience wa
u published all over the states. The on
:, GERS are very indignant and would III,
- to meet the Manila correspondent VIII
nut 1t on the wire without coming nea
the vessel to investigate.
le FOR CAMARTNOS' ATOT