The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-02-26
THE SURPRISE WRECKED

/
pany. IL a wreck on tho. rect at kyioa,
Island OF Kauai.
she was driven on the reef ny a
heavy sOuthwesterly gale IN the even
ing Of FRIDAY last. The news OF her
unhappy fate was brought here yes
terday morning by the steamer James
| Makee OF tie lnter-Island steam Nayl-
| cation Company.
| when the schooner Surprise arrived
at koloa last week there was "a very
heavy wind blowing from the south
west. which gradually developed into
| bowling gale. The Surprise was load
| ed with general merchandise and car
ried a deckload OF LUMBER. She was
anchored outside OF the little harbor,
IL 1t can be called a harbor, near to "A
very dangerous reef Before the wind
! had become "A gale the Surprise was
engaged in rafting the lumber and
sending ii ashore! II was seen at the
! time that the schooner would be bet
! ter off If she were anchored further
out from the reef, but the captain was
DESTROYS of getting couple of RATS
of lumber ashore before he shifted
the schooners position. The TWO lum-
Der RATS were alongside the schooner
at the time. One of these RATS was
sent ashore and then, before the other
was sent after it, ii was decided to
move the Surprise further away from
the dangerous reef.
BY this time the gale had commenced
in all its strength and the little
schooner had all she could do to keep
from going on the reef then and there.
The anchor was hoisted, however, and
the Surprise commenced to struggle
against the terrific sea and wind in
order to get out to sea, anywhere
away from the reef, towards which
the storm was fast forcing her
For two hours, from about about A
o'clock in the afternoon. ~ ON Friday,
the ed instant. until after o'clock.
the Surprise struggled against the gale
and endeavored to force clear of the
reef. In this attempt the schooner
was not successful. Her engine, which
is said to have been out of order at
the time. was no match for the terri
bic wind, which was blowing az II sell
dom blows in these latitudes.
Slowly but surely the schooner was
driven back. Slowly but surely the
winds prevailed over the power of the
gasoline engine. and steadily the Sur
prise was forced onto the reef.
When she struck she stuck fast, and
the next moment great waves were
breaking over the vessel drenching
those aboard and carrying away much
of the loose stuff on deck.
Almost Immediately the schooner
commenced to take in water, and it
was seen that she had punched great
L. lie in her bottom.
When the captain and crew realized
that the Surprise was about to be-
better lose no time in taking to the
boats. The first mate, the second en-
gineer and ten of the Japanese crew
lowered away the boat on the leeward
side and sprang into 1t. No sooner
had they done so than the boat was
blown away from the schooner. The
mate did his best to get the boat back
alongside of the Surprise in order to
take the captain and the four remain
ing members of the crew aboard. This
was found to be impossible, however,
and, after vainly attempting to get
back to the schooner for an hour or so,
the party in the boat made their way
to. Hanamaulu, where they arrived
early on Saturday morning, drenched
to the skin and tired out after their
rough experiences in the open boat in
the fearful gale.
At Hanamaulu they found the
steamer James Makee and the mate of
the Surprise reported the condition of
affairs at koloa to Captain Tullett.
Not long afterwards the captain of the
James Makee received telephone
message from Captain Nystrom OF the
Surprise. Captain Nystrom informed
Captain Tullett that his mate had de-
serted him: that he had taken the
boat and the second eng neer and ten
men and left the rest OF the schoon-
er's people to fare as best they might.
Captain Tullett explained to Captain
Nystrom, over the wire, how 1t was
that the mate had come to leave the
schooner after taking to the boat. He
told him that the mate had made
great efforts TO return to the schooner
before he started his boat to Hama
maulu, but that he had found it i'm
possible to make the wreck again.
1t seems that after the mate and lis
party had left the schooner in the lee
ward boat that the captain the chief
engineer and the remaining members
of the crew had managed, after a
great deal Of hard work, to lower the
weather boat without accident ard
get ashore at Koloa. When Captain
Nystrom left the Surprise she was fast
becoming Il hopeless wreck. She still
had most of her cargo in her hold, and
the probabilities are that by this tine
1t has been considerably damaged If it
has not been totally lost.
Just before the James Makee sailed
from Kauai 1t was learned over the
telephone that a part or the keel and
the rudder of the Surprise had been
washed ashore.
AT times the lives of tn men aboard
the Surprise We're in great peril, and
If Captain Nystrom had not succeeded
in lowering the weather boat 1t might
have gone very badly for hun ana the
others still aboard when the mate left
with the first boat.
The mate and his men had to take
the boat sixteen miles from I&oloa TO
Hanamaulu to notify the James Ma
kee OF the predicament of the Sur
pii9e' II seeiis lhdl tiley were unable
TO make landing at Koloa-
Afterwards, ii is said, the steamer
Nllhau got line onto the Surprise
and attempted TO pull her off the reef,
but was unsuccessful
a great deal of interest was mani
Tested by waterfronters yesterday in
the fate of the schooner. The rews
of her being wrecked came as unex-
pectedly as could be imagined She
has nothing of reputation as a hoo
doc and her master is a man who has
mad wide reputation as a navigator
and one who is known to be u careful
sailor. The news as IL was brought
by the James Makee was lacking 10
a great extent in details, and those
who are interested in the Surprise are
inXiously awaiting further particulars
Of the wreck. The next boat from the