The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-07-27
BURNED TO THE WATERS EDGE
AND SANK.
Ladened With Coal for Kohala Sugar
Company-Fire Broke Out Yesterday.
Crew Abandoned Vessel

The American bark Empire, Captain
Knacke, burned to the waters edge, and
sank at 10 o'clock this morning off the
coast of Hawaii a few miles from Ma
hukona, in sight of and witnessed by
hundreds of people from all over Ko-
hola who came from far and near to
the leeward side of the mountains to see
the unusual and thrilling sight.
News of the total loss of the vessel
and her cargo of coal was received here
today by special wireless message.
The message over the wireless tele-
graph came direct from Mahukona and
can be accepted as conclusive as the
sender of the dispatch probably wit
messed the loss of the bark. II appears
that the vessel burned throughout the
night, clean to the waters edge.
Crowds from Kohala watched the dis
play all night.
Abandoned as had been the vessel she
was helpless and drifted about from
point to point. at the mercy of wind and
wave The Kinau stood by for several
hours and tried to eXtinguish the fire
but without avail. Captain Clarke of
the Kinau probably saw that it was a
hopeless attempt to try and save the
Empire so he drew off and started for
Honolulu five hours late. The Kinau
probably tried to fill the hold with wa
ter and eXtinguish the fire in the coal.
The bark sank near Mahukona. Fur
by the Kinau although that vessel evil
IDENTIFY did not remain until the bark
sank for she could not afford to lose
the time on her run to this port. Some
of the crew from the lost vessel may
come on the Kinau however.
The first intimation of the danger to
the Empire was received here about ;
o'clock yesterday Afternoon through
a wireless message. Fire had been dis
covered in the coal at noon on Friday.
The captain put to sea but was COM
PEELED to return to the harbor and aban-
don the vessel. A later message stated
that the vessel was all in flames and
that the Kinau was then trying to put
out the fire. The captain of the Empire
attempted to beach the vessel but could
not on account of the strong off shore
wind. The fire continued with increas-
ed fury which ended in the loss of the
vessel.
In leaving Mahukona harbor, Captain
KnaCke of the Empire showed excellent
judgment The harbor / very dan
gerous there and it would have been
folly for him to have tried to beach oI
sink his ship in that port. The bottom
it too rocky and his vessel would have
been too badly battered up If she had
been sunk He chose to try and go
outside in order to run along the coast
and find a sandy beach where he could
run the vessel ashore. He might have
found such a place at Kawaihea but
the wind evidently prevented his run
ming the vessel on the beach. The
flames might have gained such head
way also that he was forced to return
to the neighbOrhood of Mahukona and
abandon her.
The Empire reached Mahukona with
in the last two or three days being
about ~ days from Newcastle. She had
coal for the Kohala Sugar Company
and was consigned to Castle and Cooke
AS soon as the local agent heard of the
plight of the vessel their shipping agent
Joseph Gilman went to Captain Bro
kow of the tug Fearless to try and
make some arrangement about either
sending the Fearless over to the as
sistance of the Empire or else to be or
the lookout for her should she be sight
ed off this port. Nothing was done IL
4 the matter however. The Empires
agents in San Francisco are j. j. Moore
&, Company.
The cause of the fire is not positively
known but the fire probably started il
the usual way of being over heated
The captain was no doubt unable tC
smother II out The stuff burst into
fame yesterday morning.
The following is the message received
today:
"The bark Empire burned to th'
waters edge and finally sank at II
o'clock this morning. The splendid
siGht was WEIGHED by many from Ko
hala last night. Kinau stood bv bu
could do nothing and finally sailed
hours late Empire total loss"