The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-01-07
challenger's Rough Experience.

SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 29.-Lying at
anchor off Harrison street, minus main
and mizzen maSts, is the American
ship Challenger, victim of gales and
hurricanes, which for a week beset her
off the northern coast. Early yeSter-
day morning the Challenger appeared
off the harbor and was brought inside
by the tug Relief. Twenty nine days
ago, on December 1st, the ship sailed
from Comox for Kahului, Hawaii, with
cargo OF COAL and in ordinary wealth
er would have been at her destination
discharging by this time. But almost
from the time Cape Flattery was clear
ed the ship was in the midst of storms
of great severity. which continued I'M
til Christmas day, and most of the
time Captain Piltz and the crew We're
doing their utmost to reach a haven
of refuge. AT first it appeared that
some northern port might be reached,
but when day after day the gales con-
tinued, and the masts went by the
board it was decided that San Fran
cisco could be made with more prac-
ticability. The arrival of the Chal-
lenger and the story told by Captain
Piltz is a confirmation of the report
taken to Puget Sound by ship Falk-
land, to the effect that ship believed
TO be the Challenger was spoken ID
storm, partially dismasted and making
for a coast port.
After leaving Flattery, the ship made
fairly good progress until December
18th, when in latitude AZ degrees II
minutes north, longitude 131 degrees 43
minutes west, heavy southeast to
southwest gale came up, with a high
confused sea. Tremendous waves came
from all directions and swept over the
ship until the decks We're full to the
rails, and the wind and sea had no
sooner subsidized from one direction
than they arose from another.
1t seemed that no vessel, however
strong, could Withstand the terrible
pounding of the waves. Laboring
heavily, the Challenger groaned under
the punishment, and all the while the
crew were at the pumps. For ten days,
in fact, they had little rest, and no
opportunity to dry their clothing. 1t
was on the 18th that the sea carried
away the supports of the main top
| mast. On the following day the gales
increased in violence and blew away
several sails, and on the next day, also,
| the gales We're present, with increasing
violence, and the sea was succession
of ragged peaks and dark canyons,
which seemed to re-echo the roar of
| the hurricane through the rigging
| With crash the main topmaSt and
! everything attached went by the board
and had scarcely been thrown high by
the DTedhlnS sea Wnen the mlZZenIndSt
cracked and split and fell away clear
to the deck. 1t was necessary to cut
away the stays to rid the vessel of the
| dangerous Wreckage, and to get clear
of the spars and masts under the
quarter of the ship, where they were
inf1icting damage to the bulwarkS ano
rails The seas stove in a boat on the
port quarter, and caused the Chal-
| lenger to leak. Courageous work was
done by the second officer and the mer
during the worst of the storm in going
aloft to cut away the rigging.
When the ship was left helpless or
the rough sea after the hurricane, 6
| skysail yard was made fast to the
stump of the mizzen, upon which wa!
rugged the main spanker as trysail
to give steerage way to the ship. Will
the foremost in fairly good order, the
Challenger then steered for the coast
1t is said that the vessel will be trans
formed into a bark before leaving port
1t will not be necessary to- discharg,
the coal to make repairs, and withir
a few weeks the ship will be able t
resume her voyage to Kahului