The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-18
Iolani Sunk.

Iolani Sunk.
ASTORIA, May 9.-On the night of
May the Hawaiian bark Iolani, bound
from Hilo for San Francisco, collided
with the British ship Argus. The Iolani
was badly damaged and sank in fifteen
minutes. Her passengers and crew
numbering nineteen persons, were saw
ed. The story of the disaster reached
this city when the Argus arrived in
port today with the passengers and
crew of the wrecked vessel.
The lolani was sugar laden, and on
the night of May 8 encountered a heavy
rain storm. The rain came in SQUALLS.
ana at times the lookout was unable to
see fifty feet ahead. About midnight.
during one of the squalls, the Argus
suddenly doomed up in the darkness,
bearing down on the bark. The second
mate of the Iolani was on watch and
hailed the Argus, both vessels putting
their helms nard down. IL was impos-
sible to avoid the collision, however.
and the big Britisher struck the bark
first amidships and then aft
Il was below at the time" said Can
tain Mcclure of the Iolani, but the cry
of the lookout awakened me and |
reached the deck just as the vessels
struck. After striking us the first time
the shock sent the Argus back and she
struck us again, tearing away a portion
or the stern. We at once examined the
vessel, but could find no damage except
aft, and for a few minutes | thought
the bark was all right To make sure.
we examined below, and found five Ictt
or water in the hold. The ship was sink
ing rapidly, too. There was no time to
attempt to save anything, and | O dered
the boats lowered. We managed to get
one into the water, but the ship was SO
low that the others could net be launch
ed. Into this boat the nineteen passnn-
gers and crew jumped, and with all
haste we rowed away from the sinllir g
snip. We had proceeded less than 200
yards when with lurch the IOlani dis
appeared beneath the waves. IL was
pitch dark on the ocean, and the rain
fell in torrents, but fortuna ely for Us a
long swell was on and we had no trou-
bic in keeping afloat. Just as day broke,
five hours after the collision, we sighted
was indeed a narrow escape, and | mar
vel that no lives were lost.
when the collision occurred nearly
all of US were asleep below but the
warning cries of the lookout awoke us
and we managed to dress and reach
deck before the crash came"
The passengers and crews of the two
vessels agree that the disaster was I'M
n mir oh hA Tn1a -; ha;,
laden, minded her helm well. but the
Argus was light and did not come
around as we'll as the bark. The coils
ion occurred in latitude 40 west, longi-
tude SO north. The damage to the Ar
gus is not great.
1t is probable an investigation will
be held at once. The passengers of the
Iolani were Mr.. and Mrs. c. c. Wood
man and J. d. Sweetser of Maine and
A. w. Heydemann of Kau, Hawaii. who
was returning from a visit to the ISL
ands. They lost everything hey had
on the Iolani. but were well cared for
by Captain Gibson of the Argus
Mrs. Woodman was cool and collect
ed throughout her thrilling experience
and was of much assistance in launch
ing the boat. The passengers speak in
the highest terms of the bravery of the
Iolani's crew, who quietly obeyed or
ders and at all times were collected.
When the boat was launched they
stood aside while the passengers were
placed into it and at no time was there
the least undue excitement Captain
Mcclure was the last man to leave the
ship.
The Iolani was formerly the British
ship Thurland Castle. She was pur-
chased few years ago by Welch & Co.
Of San Francisco, but in order to obtain
a Hawaiian registry she appears in
Lloyd's under the ownership of C.
Brewer & Co.
Ever since her purchase she has been