The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-07-29
HOW EMPIRE WAS LOST
MEMBERS OF CREW TELL OF THE
FIRE.
Mate Noble Relates Details of Attempt
to Save the Burning Bark Off Ma
hukona Last Week.

Captain Kanacke and wife and the
thirteen members of the crew of the
bark Empire which was destroyed by
fire off Mahukona last week, arrived
here Saturday on the Kinau. Captain
Kanacke has been busy with the sailors
at the office of the United States ship
ping commissioner this morning.
From what the members of the crew
say the origin of the fire is a mystery
In all probability it was caused by
spontaneous combustion but the exact
case will have to be determined by
court of INJURY which will probably be
called soon.
I'VE arrived at Makona" said Mate
j. Noble ION last Wednesday 73 days
from Newcastle. We had between 1900
and 1900 tons of coal Besides the cap
tain and his wife there was myself, the
second mate, carpenter steward, cabin
boy and eight able seamen. The fire
was discovered about o'clock Friday
morning. 1t was then noticed first in
the aft part of the ship The flames
burned so fast that we could not dis
cover exactly where it was the fire was
located. W opened the after hatch
and | tried to go below to locate the
fire but it was impossible TO go any
where below so I had to return to the
deck after getting burned. The flames
soon began to co.. ---4 of the vessel
below decks burning right through the
null of the vessel. We had a good force
pump and the crew was put to work
with fire buckets and hose pouring
water down the aft hold AS soon as
the fire was discovered the captains s
wife was sent to one of the other YES
sells in the harbor.
THE agent of the ship at Mahukona
soon got couple of boat loads of men
and came to our assistance We fought
the fire as hard as possible but it was
out of the question to try and do any
thing with shin on fire unless you
nave the ri"ht sort of apparatus with
which to fight the fire We did not
have this however. The CAPTAIN would
have heached the vessel had Il been
possible but there was a strong breeze
blowing off shore and we could not run
against it, Soon after the fire was dis
covered the cable parted and we were
carried to sea. We set the sails and
started back toward the shore. There
is no bay at all at Mahukona. We got
the vessel in toward shore and found II
fathoms where we let go for an an
chorage. We anchored there. All of
this time we We're fighting the fire as
best we could but it rapidly gained
| headway on us. The smoke kent COM
ing out of every crack and crevice there
was about the ship. The smoke even
came out by the masts. We had dinner
on board while we were fighting the
fire.
It seemed as If the fire was every
where In the shin and II burned right
through her, forward and aft. Finally
1t got so hot that we could not remain
any longer. The pitch on the decks
boiled and the heat was so terrific that
we could scarcely breathe. About 5
o'clock the captain decided that II waI
| useless to remain with the vessel any
longer so we got into two boats and
| rowed back to Mahukona
"The steamer Kinau came up to the
| Empire after we left her hut they did
not try to nut out the fire for IT was
no use. The entire shin burst into
| flames in compare lively short time
fter we left her and we could see the
| flames shooting as high as the masts.
The boat sank the next morning"