The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-01-13

ARRIVING
OREGON HELPLESS
IN THE TYPHOON
MORE NEWS OF STORM THAT
NEARLY SENT OREGON TO BOT
TOM-GAELIC IN SAME STORM.

Additional news of the typhoon that
caused such havoc aboard the battle
ship Oregon the latter part of Novem-
Der was brought this morning by the
S. 5 Gaelic. The Gaelic and Oregon
left Honolulu the same day for Yokoha-
ma November %, and on November 2S
they both ran into the typhoon. The
oregon Jared much worse than the Gae-
lie. Captain Finch of the Gaelic says
that the storm was the worst in his
experience.
A very interesting fact was observed
regarding the storm. This was the
length of its course. The Gaelic took
the southerly course while the Oregon
stood up by The Great Circuit route.
The gale broke on the Gaelic in the
evening about o'clock. At 8 o'clock
Captain Finch hove his vessel to. The
fury of the storm was terrific. The
wind was from the northeast with
tremendous seas. Big seas broke on
the boat repeatedly and had the full
force of any of them broken on the
Gaelic she would have sustained very
material damage. For twenty-five hours
from p. m. Of November 2S the Gaelic
was hove to and not until 9 p. m. Of
November 90 did Captain Finch con-
slider II safe to get under way. AS it
was the vessel sustained considerable
damage. Several boats We're smashed
and some minor damage done.
Aboard the Gaelic are a couple of
invalided sailors from the Oregon, who
were aboard the Oregon during the
storm. They are not able to give a
very accurate or complete account Of
the storm but both describe it as the
worst they ever experienced. The po-
sition of the Gaelic during the storm
was about $3.50 north latitude and
about 172 west longitude. From what
the sailors from the Oregon say the
battleship must have been about 800
miles to the northward of the Gaelic
when the same storm broke. The
typhoon seemed to strike the two boats
about the same time.
From the Statements of the two
sailors from the Oregon the battleship
was helpless during a portion Of the
storm. AS was reported in the letter
to Mr.. White of the local naval sta
ton, "All hands save the ship" was
sounded on the night of November 2S.
The vessel lost every boat she had.
Those that were not washed overheard
We're broken. The water poured down
the ventilators and flooded some of the
bunkers.
The Oregon with her heavy super
structure and huge guns is not a good
sea boat. Evidently it was impossible
| to keep her headed into the storm, for
she drifted 60 miles during the two
days that the storm was in progress.
In addition to the damage to the super
structure the deck of the vessel was
strained which means considerable to a
big vessel like the Oregon. 1t is es-
| timated that fully 100000 worth of dam
! age was done the Oregon. When the
Gaelic left Yokohama January 8 the
Oregon was then in dry dock being re-
paired
The same storm appears to have been
very general. The S. S. Athenian
which arrived at Yokohama from Vic
| toria about the same time that the Gae-
lie did from this port encountered ter
rible weather and sustained much dam
age. The Empress liner which follow
ed was badly damaged by the storm
Strange to relate, the Nippon Maru
which must have passed close to the
storm coming this way the early part
of December missed the typhoon.