The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-01-18
The sherman's kxperience.

SAN FRANCISCO. Jan. s.-No trans
port plying between San Francisco and
Manila has ever suffered like the Sher-
man, which reached port late Sunday
night, twenty-five days from Manila III
rect, with a story of a terrific typhoon
which almost wrecked the big troopship
The Sherman carried q cabin passengers,
49, sick soldiers from the hospitals in the
Philippines, 2 soldiers to be retired, dis
charged soldiers, insane, destitute ci-
villain, ~ prisoners, the bodies of II SOL
diers who died in the Philippines and
the bodies of soldiers who died on boacd
since the Sherman left Manila. After be-
ing released from quarantine yesterday
morning the transport went to an anchor
tage off Folsom street, the cabin passen-
gers and discharged soldiers being land
ed by the tug Slocum. All the 432 sick
and disabled men were taken by the
steamer Resolute to the Preside, and the
tug General Mcdowell took the prisoners
TO Al2atraz Island. Today the Sherman
will dock at the transport wharf. It Will
De several months before the Sherman
again leaves port, for extensive repairs
and alterations which have long been in
contemplation are to be made upon the
vessel Captain Grant, who has been in
viii leave the vessel and go East to take
command Of a yacht owned by New
York millionaire. His successor on the
Sherman has not been named.
Leaving Manila at 5 o'clock on the
afternoon of December 18th. the Sher-
man passed through the San Bernardino
Straits the following night, and on the
night of the 18th ran into typhoon that
threatened to destroy the steamer. For
thirty-six hours the Sherman plunged and
rolled in a frightful manner, at times 60
ing over to an angle of 50 degrees, as
shown by a recording instrument on
board. The $50 people on board were
given little opportunity to make them
selves comfortable. The terrific wind
struck the Sherman from all directions,
causing great seas to go clear over the
vessel. At $50 o'clock on the morning of
the 18th the typhoon was at its worst.
Without warning a breaking wave swell
ed up on the port side of the trembling
ship, tearing off the roof of the state
rooms on the hurricane deck, twisting
iron stanchions and forcing huge screws
from the woodwork. The roof for dis
lance Of about 100 feet was thrown back
as though it was on hinges, and damned
against the smokestack, the guys to
which, with only one exception, were
torn away. The ends of the staterooms
were stove in, and tons of water poured
in and almost filled the rooms, though
fortunately only one of the inmates was
injured. He was J. r. Duff, who was
hurled with great violence against
chair, sustaining fracture of three ribs
and some of the bones of his right hand,
beside severe bruises. The other occu-
pants of the unroofed staterooms were
Miss King, Miss Laughlin and Miss Nc
Carthy, contract nurses; Colonel Vessel.
Colonel Paul, Captain Bigelow, DR.. Null
;err- mt Cfroff or
After the first flooding of the rooms.
and before q second wave could board
the hurricane deck, Captain Grant sent a
number of sailors to rescue the occupants
of the rooms, and this was safely accom-
plished. The three women were unin-
jured and made no unusual cutlery. Some
of the baggage in the rooms was washed
overheard An immense quantity of wa
ter was precipitated down into the en-
glne room through the broken skyHght.
Quartermaster Captain Cannon, occupy
ing one of the rooms on the hurricane
deck was UP to his waist in water, and
had many of his papers washed out OF
his desk. a large quantity of paper mon
ey was soaked. The room of Chief En-
gineer Kingsland, on the starboard side,
was flooded. Two lifeboats We're washed
overheard and two on the starboard side
were stove in. Captain Grant, on the
bridge, was knocked down, but suffered
no injury. One OF the searchlights, held
by iron supports, was thrown across the
deck with great force. Other minor dam
age was done by the typhoon, which the
officers of the Sherman declare was the
worst they ever experienced. After the
storm the roof of the staterooms was
placed in position, and temporary repairs
were made. With the exception of one
day in md-ocean, and one day just be-
fore reaching port. had weather was ex-
perienced by the Sherman all the way
across. The cabin passengers We're: