The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-06-10
Tales from the
Bark Fannie Kerr

tain line, he could probably have got
ten the vessel into port.
The vessel was provided with steel
decks sheathed with wood. These got
so hot during the day that it was i'm
possible to stand on them. In addition
to the heat and actual flames, the
smoke and gas were so dense that it
was with the utmost difficulty that
Captain Gibbons and his crew could
work about the vessel. Finally on the
afternoon of May 29, Captain Gibbons
decided that it would be folly to try
and remain with the ship any longer,
so preparations were made to abandon
the vessel
His boat was an ordinary life boat
which had been built at Sausalito, Cal
ifornia, and had been fitted up like a
yacht. This was given to First Mate
Lockwill, while Captain Gibbons took
the second life boat. As soon as the
second life boat was put into the wa
ter however, she began to leak. She
had to be hoisted aboard Immediately
and caulked and plugged up so as to
make her seawOrthy. The captain, his
son Archibald Gibbons, who was the
third officer and ten men got into the
boat. The mate took eleven men, while
the second mate, Thomas Miles, and
three men got into the dingey, and
Boatswain James Robertson and three
men took the gig. Ample provisions
and water were stored aboard the boats
and all but the boatswain's boat were
provided with charts, sextanty nautical
almanac and ChrOnOmeter The boat
swain was not provided with navigat-
ing instruments as he did not under
stand their use and he was supposed to
remain with the first mates boat
LASHED THE HELM.
Before leaving the vessel Captain
Gibbons had the wheel lashed to keep
the boat on a nOrth-nOrtheast course.
The three lower tOpsails, and jigger
tOpmast staysail We're left set. II was
4 p. m. of May 20 that the boats finally
showed away from the vessel. At that
time there was a northeast wind pre-
vailing and with an ordinary sea run
ming. The vessel was moving about
the rate of a knot an hour.
1t was in latitude $3.50 north lonGi-
tude, 1853 west, that Captain Gibbons
says he abandoned the ship. This was
about 800 miles northwest of Kauai.
Unfortunately had Captain Gibbons
been provided with new saling direc.
tions he would have known that Lay
san Island was the best place for him
to have made. He was then within
about 200 miles of that island, but NJ
was under the impression that it was
so decided to steer
for Honolulu.
About two hours after leaving the
vessel the dingey began to fill, for
quite a heavy sea began to run. Cap
tain Gibbons then took the second mate
and the three men from the dingey into
his boat and cut the dingey adrift. The
addition of four men, however, made
very unpleasant for the
captains boat. In fact, it lOked Cor a
little while as if there would be TOO
many in the boat for it to live through
the weather. Captain Gibbons ordered
the crowd to discard everything, 50 the !
result was that every article except the !
food and the bare clothes which the !
men wore had to be dumped over
board. This served to tighten the boat |
and there was no very great danger |
after that.
BOATS SEPARATED.
During the night the captains boat |
and the mates and boatsWain's boats |
got separated, and on the morning oI !
May 30, Captain Gibbons did not see |
either of them. They took more |
5outherly course however than dill the |
captain. On the seventh day, Captain |
TlDDOnS ana MS men SlSnLcil Il utllt |
rock off Bird Island The boat was |
then IS miles northwest of Niihau. At |
about 2 p. m. of that day the British |
steamship Gaelic was sighted about |
to 7 miles Off The steamer was steer |
ing straight for Honolulu. Every effort |
was made to attract the attention OF |
the lookout on the vessel, but no atlen- !
ton was paid to the bOatload of ship |
sailors On the following af- |
Iernoon Makaweli was reached where |
Captain Gibbons and his men landed.
In the meanwhile, in some manner |
First Officer LOckwill lost the gig. The |
sailors declare he deliberately tried to |
lose them. On the morning of June Z, |
the mates boatlOad was rescued off |
Waimea, Kauai. The gig and it's four |
arrived at Niihau on Satur- |
day. Captain Gregory was notified by |
a whale boat from Niihau of the safe |
arrival of the gigs crew and went af- |
ter them on Saturday.
According to the statement of Cap |
tain Charles Gibbons, the master Of the |
a abandOned vessel the coal which was