The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-25
Schooner Surprise Lies Wrecked on
the Reef at KoIoa---NarroW
Escape of Grew.

HE smart little gasoline schooner
Surprise. Captain Nystrom, of
the Hawaiian Navigation Com
pany, is a wreck on the reef at Koloa.
Island of Kauai.
She was driven on the reef by a
heavy southwesterly gale in the even
ing of Friday last. The news Of her
unhappy fate was brought here yes
terday morning by the steamer James
Makee of the Inter Island Steam NayI-
cation Company.
When the schooner Surprise arrived
at koloa last week there was a very
heavy wind blowing from the south
west, which gradually developed into a
bowling gale. The Surprise was load
ed with general merchandise and car
ried a deckload of LUMBER. She was
anchored outside of the little harbor,
if it can be called a harbor, near to a
very dangerous reef. Before the wind
had become a gale the Surprise was
engaged in rafting the lumber and
sending it ashore. 1t was seen at the
time that the schooner would be bet
ter off if she were anchored furtner
out from the reef, but the captain was
DESTROYS of getting couple OF rats
of lumber ashore before he shifted
the schooner's position. The TWO lun-
Der rats We're alongside the schooner
at the time. One of these RATS was
sent ashore and then, before the other
was sent after it, it was decided to
move the Surprise further away from
the dangerous reef.
By this time the gale had commenced
in all it's strength and the little
schooner had all she could do to keep
from going on the reef then and there.
The anchor was hoisted, however, and
the Surprise commenced to struggle
against the terrific sea and wind in
order to get out to sea, anywhere
away from the reef, towards which
the storm was fast forcing her.
For two hours, from about about 4
o'clock in the afternoon, on Friday.
the I'D instant, until after o'clock,
the Surprise struggled against the gale
and endeavored to force clear Of the
reef. In this attempt the schooner
was not successful. Her engine, which
is said to have been out of order at
the time. was no match for the terri
BILE wind, which was blowing as it sell
dom blows in these latftudes.
Slowly but surely the schooner was
driven back. Slowly but surely the
winds prevailed over the power of the
gasoline engine, and steadily the Sur
prise was forced onto the reef.
When she struck she stuck fast, and
the next moment great waves were
breaking over the vessel, drenching
those aboard and carrying away much
of the loose stuff on deck.
Almost Immediately the schooner
commenced TO take in water, and it
was seen that she had punched a great
h lie in her bottom.
When the captain and crew realized
that the SnrnriSp 70 he
come wreck they saw that they had
better lose no time in taking to the
boats. The first mate, the second en-
gineer and ten of the Japanese crew
lowered away the boat on the leeward
side and sprang into It. No sooner
had they done so than the boat was
blown away from the schooner The
mate did his best to get the boat back
alongside of the Surprise in order to
| take the captain and the four remain
| Ing members of the crew aboard. This
was found to be impossible, however.
and, after vainly attempting to get
back to the schooner for an hour or so,
the party in the boat made their way
| to Hanamaulu. where they arrived
early on Saturday morning, drenched
| to the skin and tired out after their
rough experiences in the open boat in
| the fearful gale.
| At Hanamaulu they found the
| steamer James Makee and the mate of
| the Surprise reported the condition of
| affairs at Koloa to Captain Tullett.
Not long afterwards the captain of the
James Makee received a telephone
message from Captain Nystrom of the
Surprise. Captain Nystrorn informed
| Captain Tullett that his mate had de-
| serted him: that he had taken the
boat and the second engineer and ten
men and left the rest of the schoon-
ers people to fare as best they might
| captain Tullett explained to Captain
| Nystrom. over the wire, how it was
| mat the mate had come to leave the
schooner after taking to the boat. He