The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-11-06
SEAS MADE RUIN
ON THE THOMAS

With her after works smashed and
wrecked where monster sea was
shipped four days after leaving Maya
saki, the army transport Thomas
came into port yesterday morning. sew
enteen days out from the japanese
port. The transport departed for
San Francisco at $50 p. m. yesterday.
The Thomas left Manila on October
/, coaling at Nagasaki and leaving
there for Honolulu October II. The
vessel is a 12-knot boat but after
leaving Japan bad weather prevailed
steadily cutting down her speed. on
October %, the, transport fell in with
a hurricane. On that night the hur-
ricane blew hea.ies and the vessel
reeled in the cross seas, while the oc-
cupants held on to whatever was
available to keep their footing. Ow-
ing to the transport travelling without
cargo, she stood high out of the water,
causing her to rock frightfully. Occa-
sionally a sea would fall with tre-
mendous shock on the decks. At II
o'clock as the vessel heeled over to
starboard a terrific shock shook the
boat from stem to stern. A sea had
crashed over the cutwater aft, smash
ing and demolishing everything in its
sweep. The entire after deck house
was crushed in like an eggshell, the
starboard lavatory ,eing broken,
twisted and torn out completely, leav-
ir only ends of water pipes protrud-
ing. The side of the deck house was
ripped out and iron stanchions were
bent like straws, and all the wreckage
went overheard. A second sea fol-
lowed and completed the ruin. 1t
caught the steam launches which rest
ed on the roof of the deck house, over
turning the heavy boats, tearing open
the hulls, and twisting their super
structures. The galley smokestack
was added to the wreckage. A third
sea mounted the after deck pounding
with equal force in the same locality.
The weakened supports gave way I'M
der the launches and they fell to the
deck house roof crushing in the tim
bers. Three life boats We're torn out
of the davits and a fourth was washed
away. The wreckage was cleared:
the saloon was also flooded adding to
the discomfort of tn: passengers. One
man had his les broken during the
StoIH, anu SuheIcu
bruises. A fireman was buried by
coal in one ( the bunkers but es-
capped injury.
The transport carries Troops and
H of the Fifteenth Cavalry, ia men,
100 casuals, 9 civilians, SO prisoners, 3S
discharged soldiers. There are "a cab
in passengers. Among the latter are
1t. Col. II. o. S. Heistend. Adjutant-
Generals department, who was the
United States military attache in the
suite of President Dole when he Wis
tied Washington in 1898. Major Free
mont son of the pathfinder" was
also a passenger. Major Otto Won
Etzel, German military attache of the
Legation at Washington, was also a
passenger, finishing a world tour.
The transport sailed at $50 p. M
yesterday for San Francisco.
Judge Estee's effects We're carried
to San Francisco on the Thomas.
About fifteen minutes before the
transport pulled away from the dock
a carriage, occupied by a woman and
a man, the latter. connected with the
ships personnel, arrived at the gang
way. When the woman stepped upon
the wharf she staggered and fell for
ward to the dock. She was picked
up by her companion and assisted up
the gangway. Both were intoxicated.