The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-10-30
BAT tiled WITH AN
AWFUL TYPHOON
TRANSPORT ENCOUNTERS TERRI
BILE STORM DAY AFTER LEAv-
ING YOKOHAMA.

The transport Sumner, Captain Ly-
nam arrived this morning from Mani
la via Japanese ports en- route to San
Francisco. The vessel encountered q
terrific typhoon on October II a day
after leaving Yokohama and but for
splendid seamanship on the part of
Captain Lyman and his officers would
hive been destroyed by the terrible
storm.
The vessel left Manila October and
Yokohama October 16. In latitude "a 40
north longitude 144:22 east dead reckon
ing, the falling barometer indicated the
approach of a typhoon The storm
came up from the south and southwest
and travelled to the eastward. 1t broke
about p. m. The wind blew with
awful force until p. m. when 1t eased
up. In,a short time it resumed with
worse force than ever and continued
until after midnight. There was at
first generally an even sea running but
later the sea increased in extent and
became confused, running from the
southeast later from the south and later
from the southwest.
Captain Lyman and his officers were
unable to stand on the bridge so terri
fic was the force of the wind. They
handled the ship from the wheel house
just abaft the bridge. Captain Lyman
the experience and the following ex-
cerpts from his log he has kindly per-
mitted to be used.
AT noon the falling barometer told
me to suspect a typhoOn. During the
afternoon the gale rapidly increased
until it's awful force became indescri-
BILE. Men who lead armies to battle and
men who battle with typhoons and hur-
ricanes at sea, may have similar SEN
Cot
selves when the battle has been fought
but there is a vast difference in the
conditions of those two battles. In
one case when by superior numbers
or greater military ability, one faction
in the battle has been overcome, and
he asks for mercy, it is granted, and
the strife ends. In the other case, the
man in command of the ship knows the
battle is to a finish. No prayers for
mercy are ever needed, the opposing
force of the ship must, by his knowl-
edge of the laws of storms, by the abii-
ity of his ship the assistance of his Of
ficers and crew.. and by the proper APP
plication of his will and knowledge
meet and overcome his relentless en-
emy or die with all on board.
From noon until $3.50 p. m. the wind
increased in force with constantly
falling barometer. The wind blew with
force up to that time that it did not
seem possible { at anything could re-
sst. Between $50 and 6 the barometer
stood on 2S:1S which was the lowest
reading.
In describing the storm after night
fall Captain Lyman says: The sea
rose in mounds of roaring, rushing
waters which hurled themselves
against the ship as though their only
aim was her destruction. AS she came
over each angry wave which charged
upon her from an unseen space beyond
our world, and went like raving fires in
quest of other victories, other hun
dreds rushed from these unnumbered
ranks bent upon the same destructive
mission, to be as successfully overcome
by the noble ship doing battle for her
self and for those she carried. The ap-
pallirg music of the gale drowned all
other sounds. Mountains of water
broke and swirled around the strug-
Cling ship but the bass roar of the flu
rious typhOon overpowered all other
sounds"
During the night although the moon
arose clear, the spray was so thick
about the vessel that one end of the
boat could not be seen from the. other.
There was a beautiful lunar rainbow.
During the storm heavy sea struck
the boat on the starbOard side, tore the
steam launch from it's chock, ripped
the chain lashings up, and tore loose
the beds out of the deck, whirling the
! launch with terrific force against Quar-
| termaster Captain Bakers quarters
! Mrs. Chaffee was occupying this part
of the vessel at the time, but she was
not injured in any way. The launch
was stove in as were the gig and one
of the metal life boats which were or
! that side of the boat. Some of the
| doors to an after deck house were alsc
stove in Nobody was injured.
In addition to General and Mrs. Chat
! fee, General Chaffee's aides and order
! ly and Governor Wright and secretary
| the passengers include Major j. L.
| Phillips, surgeon in the army, ant
Judge James II. Blount who has beer
in the Philippines for some time. Col
onel Kerr is also a returning passen'
ger. He is accompanied by his wife
Major william II. Arthur is a return
ing passenger on the Sumner. He is 8
! surgeon in the American army. Mis-
! Moses, daughter of Commissioners Mos
es of the Philippine Commission, is {
passenger. She is convalescing. Sew
eral nurses are also passengers.
The Sumner will coal while here Sh'
will remain until Sunday morning whel
she will sail for San Francisco.
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WHAT JACKSON SAID