Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-01-17

San Francisco. Jan. 6.-"All the sig
nal lights of the Max were brightly
burning and we could see the steamer
for o long time before the collision.
The steamer tried to cross the bows
0! the Max, but failed. rhe approach
Of the steamer was reported to me
and | was on the poop deck and saw
that all the rules of the road were be-
ing observed as far as my ship was
concerned when the collision happen
ed. could do nothing to prevent It.
The Max was standing on her course
all the time the steamer was approach
ing"
That was theexplanation of the col
llsion given by the master of the
French bark that on the morning OF
January I'd crashed into the side of
the steamer Walla Walla off Cape Men.
docino and sent her to the bottom
with about forty of her passengers and
crew.
The Max was towed into port late
last night and anchored off the Pre-
sidio. She was taken in tow by the
steam schooner Acme, that left this
port on Tuesday last, bound for Cres-
cent City. on Point Arena the steamer
sighted the French bark with her head
gear gone and made for her to offer
assistance. A short distance off to sea
was the revenue cutter Hugh McCul-
loch, heading for the vessel. The Acme
got line fast to the bark and soon
after the Hugh McCulloch offered to
assist and a line from her was passed
| to the bow bits of the steam schooner.
Then the two rescuing vessels, steam
ing tandem, with the disabled bark
trailing behind, started on the long tow
| to San Francisco. II was early on
| Saturday forenoon that the two steam
ers started south with their tow and IT
was not until late last night that the
bark was brought in through the Heads
to an anchor in the bay. The Hugh
McCulloch cast of her line when the
ninefathom buoy, just over the bar
was reached, and she headed out to
sea again. leaving the Acme to finish
the tow.
The Max had not come out of the col
llsion unscathed. Her jibboom, that
was made Of hollow steel, was broken
and twisted. and the tip OF 1t trailed IN
the water on the port side Of the vesse
and at about a right angle with the
line Of the hull. Her stem was twist
ed, and great gaping holes had beer
torn in her bow. There was one al
most at the water line and another 4
few feet above.
The French vessel left Glasgow l2l
days ago bound for this port. She wal
In ballast and consigned to Frederick
Henry. She had an uneventful voyage
up to the time of the collision. TIL
story OF her part of the disaster wa
told last night after she had come Il
an anchor and the men of the GREY
over the rail Of the craft, as she wa
not released from quarantine. Cap
tain Robert Benoist is in command, bu
he had little to say regarding the dis
aster, except that his vessel was close
ly following the rules of the road whe
the steamer came under the bows {
his bark He declared that the light
OF the Max were properly burning an
displayed, and that the men of hi
crew saw the steamer long time be
fore the collision.
The night was dark, but the atmo'
phere was clear, and 1t was possible
: see for several miles. We had see
the light on Cape Mendocino and wei
preparing to come about on the oth'
tack when we saw the steamer heat
ing across our bows. She was the
more than a mile away ana the vess
. was kept on her course, and II vi
decided not to bring her about unit
after the steamer had gone clear of u
so that our maneuver would not
any way confuse the crew Of the stea
vessel. and there would be little reasC
for disaster. We kept the bark {
her course and were surprised to 81
that the steamer was so heading tn
she would cross our bows when we e
pectCd that she would 20 astern OF u
The man on watch on the deck saw Il
danger II the steamer kent ON h
course she was steering and he Sc
for the captain. We could think of I
reason why the men on the steam
. did not see us, and as the vessels a
preached we became anxious. Then
> was too late. The steamer had tri
10 cross our bows, but had failed. il
before the crash came the steam
= swung slightly to port as though
effort was being made to pass to O
stern, but the change in her coul
had been made too late The la
struck the steamer almost amidshI
on the port side, For a moment tn
~ hpnay tpunthar and ts,n,, I,GFtaI ,,,