The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-11-25
TWO STEAMERS
ALMOST WRECKED
OFFICERS AND CREW BEHAVE
NOBLY WHEN CHANCES FOR
SURVIVING STORM SEEM BAD.

SURVIVING STORM SEEM BAD.
VICTORIA, b. c.. November 1.-THE
steamer Tacoma, of the Northern Paci-
fic line, and the Indrapura, of the Ore
gon Navigation Company's line had
their upper works wrecked on their
outbound voyages as the result of a
terrific gale, according to news receiv-
ed by the Empress of China tonight.
From the Indrapura a deckhouse was
washed away and she suffered consider
able damage. The Tacoma was al
most wrecked and her crew thought she
would be lost An officer of the Taco
ma, writing of the vessels experience
says:
A tremendous gale ragged on October
IA, the ninth day out from Victoria, and
at a. m. the steamer, which had been
shipping heavy seas, popped a heavy
sea, the port door of the after wheel
house being washed away. A few min
utes later she shipped tremendous sea
abaft the smokestack, on the port side.
This unshipped and smashed the two
large iron lifeboat and laying it upside
large iron lifeboat and laying it INSIDE
| down across the galley skylght, the
after lifebOat being lifted from the
checks and wedged against the engine
room skylight. These boats were sub
sequently thrown overheard, being dan
gerous to the other deck fittings.
This sea, continuing its career of des-
truction, washed away the saloon sky
light, flooding the saloon and all the
staterooms, to the great alarm of the
passengers.
The ship was now in great danger.
An officer, a quartermaster and four
sailors were aft at the wheel and it took
their united efforts to steady it, the
wheelhouse also being continually
flooded The captain and third officer
were on the bridge signaling the wheel
house by whistle, the ter-telegraph
being disabled
/ The scene below was pitiable. The
whole skylight being washed away, left
a dark, yawnning chasm in the saloon
ceiling, through which the wind
shrieked and whistled and heavy sprays
continually dashed. The saloon was
/ flooded inches deep with dirty water,
which at each roll rushed from side to
! side through saloon and staterooms
| like a mountain torrent, even the upper
| berths being wet through the chief
! officer and his men We're heard at work
I fixing a tarpaulin over the skylight and
| a dangerous and arduous task it was,
as they were liable at any moment to be
swept overheard by some huge sea- The
! saloon boys were busy bailing the water
| out of the saloon, but as she continual
! ly shipped fresh seas they made little
! Roadway.
| The barometer was now at the lowest
and the weather getting worse and
worse. About a. m tremendous sea
struck the port quarter boat, carrying 1t
way and driving it bodily through the
capstan room The davits were snap
| ped off like pipe stems. The taffrail
disappear and the whole deckhouse was
| wrecked. A window in the wheelhOusc
/ was stove in the house flooded and the
| officer and sailors lifted from their feet
and iammed against the roof. The
| captains room looked as though wreck
/ ed by dynamite Everything in it was
smashed and washed away in wet,
tangled heap on the deck. The bulk
head between his room and the social
hall was partially carried away, the
! port door of the social hall was washed
overheard and the whole port side stove
| in.
The sea now poured down the after
| companion again flooding the saloon
and after ladies' cabin and also the
storerooms and linen lockers The
mess was simply indescribable. But
luckily the electric light remained burn
ing and enabled one to see Darkness
would have indeed capped the climax.
All through this fearful time the Ia
coma was behaving beautifully, riding
the enormous seas like a duck. Every
wave rolling down upon her with its
wavering crest of winddriVen spume
appeared certain to sweep her fore and
| aft, and ones eyes, waiting for the
shock of the enormous pile of water
heaped up above her to fall. A moment
of suspense and then another look to
find the noble old boat had climbed the
apparently impossible mountain and
was riding like a cork, ready for the
next.
For hours the captain remained on
the bridge watching and anticipating
everything, the shrill whistle, loud
above the shrieldng of the wind, signal
ling the officer at the wheel and engine
room telegraph ringing its numerous
orders to the engineer.
The officers relieved each other on the
bridge and at the wheel and the CHIEF
officer and his sailors were here, there
and everywhere working like demons.
There was no confusion and no undue
excitement. Everything that could be
done and was done quickly and well,
and it was an inspiring thing to see
brave men doing their duty at this aw-
full times quietly and cody as though
it were an everyday affair
TO RIVAL ST. PETERS.
NEW YORK, November ll.-Plans