The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-07-08
DRAWN INTO
THE Funnel
STRANGE INCIDENT OF A STEAM
SHIP DISASTER OFF
KOREA.
UNHAPPY VICTIMS SUCKED INTO
VORTEX.
Thrown Out again High Into the Air
by the Compression OF Air in the
Funnel.

YOKOHAMA, June 24-The Japan
Gazette publishes a thrilling accoun.
of collision between two steamers off
the Korean coast. one incident, that
OF passengers being sucked into the
funnel OF The sinking steamer and
thrown out again by the compression
of the aF seems unique in the record
of disasters, Yet it seems well au.nen-
ticated and quite probable. The ac-
count is as follows
Particulars OF the sinking of the
Osaka Shosen Kaisha's steamer Ku-
magawa- -maru Off Chhong-taO on the
Korean coast are now to hand. The
collision, as we have already reported,
took place at IL p. m. on the 1lth inst.
The Kumagawa was on her way to
Mokpo from Chemulpo which port she
left at noon the same day. The night
was serene and the sea calm and the
majority of the passengers hal retired.
The Kisogawa- -maru, belonging to the
same company was proceeding from
Makpo to Chemupo and when she
came to about three miles n. w. from
ChhOng-tao she sighted a steamer
coming the opposite direction. The
Kisogawa gave warning to the other
by means OF whi5tling bat at this time
the distance between the two vessels
was about 800 feet. The Kumagawa,
which apparently became aware Of
the approach of the other steamer FOR
the first time, also sounded whistles.
But before she could do anything to
avoid a collision the bow of the kisO-
gawa struck the starboard of the 9TH
er vessel and both vessels came INTO
parallel with one another. The crash
brought the steerage passengers on to
the deck and they, realizing the immi-
Dent danger of the situation, jumped
into the Kisogawa which was close
alongside at the time. Meantime the
Kumugawa was fast filling. The first
and second-class passengers, whose
accommodations were at stern, did no.
feel the cOncussion so much and failed
to realize the danger of the situation.
Thus many of them perished. Only a
| second-Class passenger, Mr.. Nishika-
wa, came on deck in time to transfer
himself to the Kisogawa. The Kuma-
gawa sank in about two minutes after
the collision.
A thrilling story is told by eye-wit-
nesses that several Korean passengers,
who reached the deck as the vessel
was sinking, were seen drawn in
swallowed-by the funnel of the sink
ing steamer. The next moment these
poor men were discharged from the
funnel high above the water by COM
! preston of the air. AS soon as the
| Kumagawa sank, the Kisogawa low
cred four boats for the rescue of the
people in the water and seven persons
were saved.
| The steamer remained az the scene OF
! the disaster searching for the unfor-
| tunates until two o'clock the follow
| ing morning by which time dense fog
set in and made it impossible to con-
| tinue in the search, The Kisogawa
arrived at ChemulpO at IL p. m. on the
| 18th inst and reported the occurrence
OF the 46 passengers who were on
board the Kumagawa at the time OF
| the disaster Is are missing including
one American, three Japanese and IA
Koreans. Eight members of the crew
are also missing. All the cargo, nine
bags of mails, and Y. 1000 paper mon
| ey were lost
1t is said that when the collision oc-
CURED the Captain of the Kumagawa
was sleeping in his cabin the third
officer was navigating the vessel. The
captain is among those saved. Much
! adverse comment is said to be ex-
pressed by the passengers on the man.
rer in which the captain escaped to
the Kisogawa as soon as he became
aware of the danger of his vessel after
the collision.