Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-12-16
SEAMAN GEORGE HANKER
DIES IN HOSPITAL
AFTER MANY HARDSHIPS

Hilo. Dec. IA seaman since lSiG.
eight times a castaway. always saved
as brand nlucked from the burning,
acquainted with the hospitals from
London to far Cathay. familiar with
every disaster that can smite the body
OF man, every grief that tears the af-
fections and haunts the soul. George
Hanker died at the Hilo hospital last
Saturday at the age Of seventy-two.
The catalogue of the disasters thar
crossed and recrossed the path Of his
long. arduous life read stranger than
any fiction. but the story Of his life
consists not In miraculous escapes In
dozens Of adventures. The story 10
not one of "Reminiscences. II Is one Of
tragedy. OF a will bent but not broken
by fate, ora purpose defeated, but not
surrendered.
Out OF the first wrecks that not only
shattered the ships on wnich he sailed.
but demolished his most cherished
hopes in life. he saved the artists love
OF all that's beautiful and In the Old
chest up In his loft will be found the
brush. the palette. the little sketches
over which he labored until falling
eyesight compelled him to put them
away. He painted exquisitely and mis-
wares were eagerly bought. His pride
was saved. He was u charge to no.
body.
The great turning point In George
Hanker's life came early. He was u
trusted officer on one of the great
Atlantic steamers belonging to tho
Hamburg American line. A new
liner was about to go into commission
and George Hankcr nursed the ambi-
tiOn to stand on her bridge, master OF
the ship. He stood high with the OH.
GERS of the company. II only needed
the recommendation of an uncle, who
WINS master of another ship of the same
line, to secure a realization Of tho
young Germans ambition. He ap.
preached his uncle aboard his ship and
asked him for his endorsement for the
position OF master Of the new vessel
The stern uncle said. NO, I'll not en-
dorse you. They will say favored you
because you are my nephew"
Cut to the quick, George Hanke'
turned from the room, stepped on deck
tore from his own shoulders the chev
rons indicative of his rank and threw
his mutilated uniform at the feet Of his
austere uncle.
I'm go beyond reach Of your hoard
ed influence. sir, and rise In the worlc
without its aid III ship before thu
mast tomorrow, sir"
He shipped before the mast and soor
found himself In North Australian wa
tiers on the brigantinc Alabama. Thii
was In 1867. She foundered In a storm
All on board were lost except Hankcr
who, after floating on a spar for two
and one-half days was picked up NOR
dead than alive by the Swedish bari
Cecilia. He was too nearly dead to b,
taken with the ship, so he was lande'
AT village. Recovering. he starte'
across country for shipping towl
and was lost In the bush. He nnall.
reached Melbourne and shipped as frs
mate on vessel bound for the Yves
Indies, and two years later turned u
In China waters. He WAS on the bari
"Lightfoot," which went to pieces l,
n gale In the China sea. also the Up
Ho," same fate; also the American
teamer Fun Chuy, lost In a typhoo
off Annoy. In each Of these wrecks al
hands were saved. But in the las
wreck. Hanker sustained injurie
which kept him In Hongkong hospi
tai for Ave months.
During his many trials he had man
aged to save $500 and with II went t
San Francisco in the later part q
1863. He went into the fishing busi
ness with the money he had saved an
through misfortune lost It all. Iii
further experiences to the time of hi
death are as follows:
Shipped before the mast on Gcrma
ship Aracan and went to Peru, ShlI