The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-10-16
AMERICA MARU IN
TERRIBLE STORM
STRIKES VESSEL ONE DAY OUT
FROM YOKOHAMA-ONE MAN
KILLED DURING TYPHOON.

The America Maru arrived from the
| Orient last night after the worst expo
rience in her history. She encountered
a terrific typhoon shortly after leaving
Yokohama and cut clean through the
storm, passing through the very ceE-
ter of the whirling wind and seas. one
! of her crew was killed and her steam
steering gear was broken, the vessel
having to be steered by hand. Had it
not been for this storm she would have
made up the two days she was late in
! leaving Yokohama.
Owing to having to go to Manila on
the outward trip, the America Maru
was two days late in leaving Yokoha-
ma. She did not sail until the morning
of October 6. There were signs of an
approaching typhoon that night, as the
sun went down in a blood red sky. On
the following day, it was apparent that
the typhOon was at hand, so every
thing was made fast. At 2 p. m. on
Tuesday, the typhoon broke with aw-
full fury. By 4 p. m. the ship was well
within the grip of the storm. The wind
was whirling about the vessel at a
terrific rate and there were immense
seas running in all directions. The
barometer had fallen to 2S.60 by pm.
At p. m. there occurred an expert
ence that falls to few people, the ves-
sci reached the vortex of the typhoon.
The wind suddenly ceased and the air
was perfectly calm, but the sea ran
mountains high in confused mass. The
vessel was an hour and a half drifting
through the vortex and while there, the
glass dropped to 2S.10, the lowest that
Captain Going had ever known in his
experience at sea. Once across the
center of the storm, the full force of the
| typhoon was again encountered.
| Shortly after entering the second
part of the typhoon, the vessel was
struck across the waist by a great sea.
A Chinese steward was running along
the lower deck at the time. The water
dashed him against the deck house,
fracturing his skull and killing him in
stantly The hospital was stove in
and five occupants knocked down by
the rush of waters. No one was seri-
ousy hurt, although the Japanese add
ed to the excitement of the storm by
shrieking with terror as they feared
the vessel was sinking.
At midnight the steam steering gear
became useless, one of the retaining
springs being broken. For a few min
utes the vessel was helpless and a
most alarming condition prevailed.
Captain Going began steering with the
twin screws and was able to overcome
the danger Chief officer Bennington
rugged up the hard steering gear and
the vessel was handled by this means
during the remainder of the trip. Eight
sailors have had to be constantly at
the wheel to handle the steering.
Shortly after midnight the worst of
the storm had abated and the vessel
was able to resume her voyage. The
passengers speaks in the highest praise
of Captain Going, Chief officer Ben
ming, Chief Engineer Thomson ana
Purser Bemiss for the handling of the
vessel during the storm. SO wei We're
the passengers looked after that none
of them were injured and no damage
was done the vessel other than the
stoVing in of the hospital and the IN
jury to the steering gear.
The America Maru brought 562 tons
of freight for this port. She had sew
eral cabin passengers for Honolulu
Some delay was caused in docking the
vessel last night at the Channel wharf
After Captain Macauley, the pilot, had
swung her around in the channel pre-
paratory to docking her at the Channei
wharf, a very good piece OF work. the
Fearless got on the port side between
the vessel and the wharf and picked up
the bow line which ran from the
steamer to the wharf. The Fearless
backed however in time to avoid trou-
BILE, and went around to the starboard
side and helped dock the Maru. The
America sailed at 10 a. m. today for
San Francisco.
Purser L. E. Bemiss will not accom-
pany the vesser on her outward trip
as he is to lay over a trip. Mr.. Rob-
erts, the freight clerk on the Hongkong
Maru, will go as purser of the Amerl-
ca on her outward trip. The damage
to the steam steering gear Will nave TO
be repaired in San Francisco.