The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-03-18
STRUCK BY A NH|RLN|ND.
OVERDUE OLYMPIC LOSES THREE
MASTS.
Met Whlrlwind 400 Miles From San
Francisco-Two Sailors Carried over
board and One Lost.

board and One Lost.
After the worst experience in her
history the -four masted bark Olympic,
Captain Gibbs, was towed into port
this morning 33 days out from San
Francisco. The vessel presented the
most delapidated appearance of any
vessel that has visited. Honolulu IN re-
cent years, she was practically dis
masted, portions of her fore, main and
mizzen masts being missing. Although
the damage was worse than the usual
run of such occurrences it was done
within such a remarkably short space
of time as to seem almost incredible.
Two sailors were carried overheard
during the progress Of the whirlwind
one of them was saved.
The vessel lef, San Francisco for Ho-
nolulu, February 18th with a general
cargo and deck load of bricks and
half dozen cattle, The weather was
fair until February p, the ninth day
out, when about 400 miles south from
San Francisco, in about latitude 50 de-
grees north longitude 1870 degrees west
Captain Gibbs saw evidence of an ap-
preaching storm. The sea was rOugher
than usual and the sky was dark and
foreboding. He ordered sail shortened
and as the weather became more
threatening as night approached he
kept only the fore topsail, fore sail and
mizzen sail set. Suddenly about
O'Clock, the vessel was struck by
terrible whirlwind which sprang from
the west southwest. Captain Gibbs had
the vessel hove to on the starboard
tack and several of the men who were
aloft on the fore mast were ordered to
lower the fore upper top sail. Frank
Behlander and Frank Anderson were
their names and they were standing on
a nd
whiriwind struck the ship.
The foremast was the first to go.
Within a second after the storm de-
scended there was a report and the
toremast snapped off at the doublins
by the lower mast head carrying every
thing above it over the port rail into
the sea. When they heard the report
as the mast snapped and felt the mass
of rigging go topping toward the
black water, both of the seamen felt
that they were going to their doom. To
one of them it was death. Behlander
was within few feet of Anderson and
though the latter escaped, Behlander
met death. Exactly low the man died
will never be known. The night was
too dark to see. Anderson thinks that
some Of uhe heavy rigging above them
must have fallen upon Behlander and
knocked him insensible into the water.
Anderson narrowly escaped such
fate He was cut and gashed by the
falling rigging striking against him in
the descent but he managed to hold
onto the yard and as the wreckage
ose on the crest of sea he cried for
help. The crew heard him and rushing
to the port lail they threw him a rope
and rescued the man from the wreck
age.
But while the sailors were toppling
helpless toward the sea, with the brok-
Lon, 81 "a 9 n
was swapping the other mast3 with
equal ease. Captain Gibbs says he
thinks the wind must have been blow
ing at the rate of couple of hundred
miles an hour. Ii was not minute
| from the time that the foremast snap
! ped until a second loud report was
heard and away toppled half of the
main mast over the port rail. This
| time the strain fell on the main top
mast head which broke short off as
clean as if cut with huge axe and
spars, sails, rigging and all above the
main top mast head disappeared. A
third report followed and looking up
Captain Gibbs had time to see the miz-
zen topmast disappear over the port
side of his ship. So fiercely did the
wind blow that the wreckage was car
ried clear of the rails and not sec
ton of the hull was smashed.
Two minutes was enough time for the
Whirlwind to create this havoc with the
vessel. Then the wind began to sub
side as suddenly as it had arisen, but
The danger was far from over. Huge
waves dashed themselves over the yes
sci Knocking the men down as they
went groped their way about the deck.
The night was black and it was impos-
sible to perceive any object without the
aid of lanterns. Little If anything
could be done to get clear of the wreck
farhf
changed his course and ran before the
wind and when the 23rd dawned, the
work of clearing away the wreckage
was begun. For two days the ship
! Olympic went before the wind while
Captain Gibbs had the wreckage cut
away from the side, saving whateVet
was possible BY the time the dead
material had been cut away strong
northerly wind was encountered which
enabled the ship to resume her course
This was done under an improviseo
arrangement. In addition to the loss
of the most of his riggings. Captain
Gibbs found that the mizzen boom ano
the main topgallant yard had beer
cracked. Beth of these were "nshed
by reinforcing them with heavy splint:
to that they could Withstand the strair
of canvas. The vessel was rugged vi
with her fore SAIL main sail, maiT
lower topsail, main upper topsail
spanker, jgger sail, and jigger topsai
and started once more for Honolulu
The Olypmic was taken alongside thu
Sorensen dock A court of inquiry wa'
called this morning by Captain Gibbs
The master was kept busy today re
! ceiving the congratulations of hi
friends over the success in bringing
! his vessel safely out of the storm. An
, derson the sailor who was rescued from
the fore lower topsail yard feels tn
effects of his injuries and may go L
} the hospital. The Olympic is an Am
} erican bark OF 1853 tons. II. Hackfel'
. and Co. are her agents.
; HAS FEW EQUALS.
For light running, easy adjustments
and good work the Singer Sewing Ma