The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-22
'CUT AWAY
THE SAILS
Brave Sailor Now
Aboard the
Mohican.
WHAT HE DID
ON THE SIAM
During Height of Storm He Ar
swered Captains Call for
Volunteer.


Mohican there is a young tar who mas
entered Manila bay under historic cir
cumstances on at least two occasions.
When Dewey silently steamed into the
harbor, past the Corregidor batteries
with his fleet, this young tar stood at
his post on the deck of the cruiser Buff
falo. and he participated in that great
May-day battle which made Dewey the
most famous Of modern naval fighters
The second time that this young tar
went to Manila he experienced one OF
the most terrific typhoons through which
ono of Uncle Sans transports has pass
ed since the Spanish war began. 1t was
in an empty mule ship as a teamster in
the army service that he again Went
past Correg:dor Island. The third time
he went on troopship. Jack tar, army
teamster and transport helper, arthur
Tayior. again an enlisted man in Uncle
Sans navy. is a jack of all trades where
the craft of arms is concerned.
Young Taylor has been in Honolulu on
MANY occasions and in various ca
pacities. The first time he was here
was a year or more after he had partic-
ipated in the battle of Manila bay
When he was mustered out or the serV-
ice he landed on American soil near New
York City, with a pocket full of money
some of 1t being the prize money for the
mart he had taken in battle. Sailor-hke'
he had a good time and he and his mon
ey soon parted. Undaunted, he came
westward dsdaining riding in the Pull
man cars and generally found 1T more
to his liking and the state of his purse
to ride on the brakebeams and other
exterior parts. To make a long story
short he finally landed in Honolulu, no
richer than before, and looking for work.
e The transport Siam, with load OF ar
nv mules, came into port and on Sep
tember 6 1899 when the vessel sailed
for Manila. Taylor was on board. He
was given employment In a general way
on the ship. and although he knew noth-
ing of horses and less of mules, and mad
never been astride of one. he was found
to be one of the most obedient men Oh
board On October 80, as the vessel was
about to pass Cape Engano, off the
north end of Luzon, the Siam struck a
typhoon, In which she labored for four
days. losing nearly all of her cargo of
373 horses and mules, and for several
hours was given up by the captain and
mates. But the vessel came through the
storm nobly, although her voyage Is ac-
credited with being the most disastrous
the height of the storm when Taylor
showed the stuff of which he was made
He performed a deed which not only
won him the thanks of every man on
board but got him promotion from the
grade of extra teamster to that of a
first-class packer in the packmaster's
train.
The Advertiser of November II. 1899.
an account of the Siam in the
oil from
Manila, and mentions the deed of Tay-
lor, as follows:
80 AT o'clock in the morning
were were living in a perfect hell; all
the imaginat ton one can concoct of that
can scarcely depict the hor-
rors we were beginning to experience.
So far we had been thirty hours with
out sleep; the galley upon the poop deck
was wrecked, as was also the mems
bunk house; the hospital was demoIish
ed. At 2 o'clock the worst of the ty-
phoon seemed to have struck US; the
vessel heaved over on her side and would
scud along until a heavy sea struck Der
throwing her violently to ssle
other side By this time the aninis.ls
were mangled and broken in q fright Full
the decks were wrecked. the
1ebris piled up in the utmost confusion;
he cabins were being flooded men were
,ursing, shouting and working like de-
mons to save their pets; animals We're
yroaning in their agony, the seas broke
through the false decks, making the yes
sci shiver from stem to stern. There
vas little light about the ship and NOV
ng about was dangerous. Some sails
md windsaiIs were still up and threat
med to help keel the vessel over unless
hey were cut loose Captain O'Neill, the
lrmy quartermaSter, asked for volun |
GERS to do the work. One young man
Arthur Taylor-a sailor of Dewey's fleet !
ffered himself The captain told him of
he danger. He said he knew that. The |
aptain gave him a keen hunting knife |
nd the brave fellow struggled along the /
eek to the hatchway; we waited the |
almost breathlessIy; 1t seemed |
ours when suddenly a loud report was |
eard as a rope parted, then another and |
mother and the sails We're blown away. |
Don the brave man came back and re-
orted his duty done 1t was a brave
eed."
When this sailor-teamster arrived IT
fanila, he and a number of others went
y ferry to Cavite Naval Station, and |
vent out to witness an engagement be-
ween marines and Filipinos not four
niles away, and all of them were soon
ngaged in pumping lead into the place
there the Filipinos were supposed to be
4 force. Taylor also caught the coll
nefs horse, which had run away, and
eturned the animal to that officer on
ne firing line. The young man made
Is last trip to Manila on a transport
s one of the seamen. and upon return
1g to the States. re-enlisted in the serv-
,e OF the Navy.