The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-06-09
THOUSANDS IN
KERR SALVAGE
ABANDONED VESSEL WORTH A
LARGE SUM OF
MONEY.
LOCAL CAPTAINS WANT TO SEND
FOR HER.
Would Reap Handsome Reward II the
Boat was Recovered-Rest OF MISSING
Crew Make Land Safely.

IT is believed by many naVigatOrs ana
shipping men that rich salvage prize
may be in the grasp of any man WIN
nerve and money enough TO SEM
steamship out for it. The prize is the
hulk of the ship Fannie Kerr and her
cargo of coal which is believed to be
floating 800 or 1000 miles to the north
west of Kauai.
News of the unexpected safe arrival
of the remainder of the crew of the Brit
ish ship Fannie Kerr, was brought yes
terday morning by Captain 5. Tnomp-
son of the steamer w. q. Han WllCh
arrived from Kauai. After captain
Gibbons of the abandoned vessel ar
rived at Makaweli on Friday last, ana
reported that First officer Lockwood
and fifteen members of the crew were
still missing, it was generally thought
that the only chance of saving those
men was to send a government eXpeul-
ton IN search of them. In fact, cap
tain Gibbons gave it as his belief that
the two boats had steered course loI
French Frigate Shoals.
Admiral Merry ordered the AlbatrOsS
to coal and start without delay IN quest
of the missing men, subsequently, II
was decided to await the arrival Of the
Hall, as she might bring the captain
of the lost boat down with her. Cap
tain Gibbons did not come but the news
did. The expedition of the Albatross
was therefore given up, as there was no
further necessity of searching for the
men as they were safe.
IT seems that after the captains boat
got separated from the two boats which
were with the mate, the latter poats
steered practically the same course
that Captain Gibbons did. On Satur-
day morning one of the boats made lts
appearanCe off Waimea, Kauai and lat
er i'm the day a whale boat arrived from
Niihau, with the unexpected news tha'
the last boat had arrived safely at tha'
island Captain Gregory of the Miha-
hala at once sailed for Niihau to prlhg
the seamen off.
From the news which was brought
back yesterday, it appears that origin
ally, the crowd started in four boats
1t was thought peculiar that the sec
ond officer should be with the captain
for, under circumstances like those
which caused the crew to desert th'
burning ship, the second officer Woult
take command Of boat. He and foul
men started in the dingey while the
captain, the captains son and only ter
men started originally in the captain
boat There was very rough weather
prevailing however at the time that th'
men took to the boats and within
short while, the second mates boat MI
ed and the crowd had to be rescued D!
the captains boat.
1t is expected that the entire croWC
will arrive here tomorrow morning OF
the steamer MiIahala. Ordinarily tn
Mikahala would not arrive here unit
Wednesday but owing to that being
holiday Captain Gregory will arrive
day ahead of time All of the Variou
details of the abandonment of the YES
sci can then be learned for there ar
a number of interesting features con
nected with the affair, which are no
now known.
1t is said that Captain Gibbons an
his men expected that the coal woul
sooner or later burst into flames i
fact, according to one report receive
yesterday by the Hail. the cabin bo
reported to Captain Gibbons severa
days after leaving Newcastle that Il
had detected smoke coming out of TN
ventilator. A careful search of the YES
sci was made fore and aft, but, eNceE
for the usual odor of coal gas whic
exists on ships with such cargo no sign
of the impending fire were observed
Exactly how long the fire was smoui
dering will probably never be know
no" at the present time, is 1t know
how long the crew were fighting tn
flames, if at all. In any event the I'll
got beyond all control on May %, an
the men were forced to take to tn
boats, the gasses blowing the decks an
superstructure into the air.
It is reported however that the fir'
intImation of the danger came whe
the matches were burst off by the eXpll
sion of gas and within an instant, II
flames leaped into the air, fore and ar
According to this version, the men Q
the Fannie Kerr were unconscious
Ava