The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-10-14
TERRIBLE EXPER-
FENCE OF AURORA

sage from the signal station at South
Head late yesterday afternoon. The
announcement caused no little concern
In shipping circles, and as is custom
airy on such occasions good deal of
speculation was INDUCED in as to what
mad happened to the Aurora on the
high seas. The Aurora, laden with a
cargo of lumber from Tacoma. was
bound for Adelaide, and was ITO DAYS
out-a remarkably long passage. She
had been expected at her destination
many weeks ago, and was so much
overdue as to create good deal of I'M
easiness. The Zealandia was met out
side the Heads. and received orders
through the Office of Messrs. Huddart
Parker and Co. to resume the passage.
The Aurora had been caught in vio-
lent tempests of cyclonic force, dur
ing the height of which she lost her
rudder, and drifted for two or three
weeks absolutely at the mercy of the
"iiiuS, the seas, anu the currents. Sne
had been strained to such an extent
that she was in a leaky condition, her
pumps being continuously at work,
and owing to the shifting of her deck
cargo, she had a dangerously heavy list
to starboard. But these We're not all
the troubles of the ship. The pro-
" oh
was only a sufficient supply of fresh
water for one more day. The officers
and crew were completely broken down
through their untiring eXertions night
and day for weeks past to keep the
vessel afloat All eyes had been
anxiously strained day after day for
the sight of a sail or smoke from the
funnel of a steamship, and when at
last the Zealandia was sighted in the
distance early yesterday morning, the
signal code letters IN. Co. indicating
quickly hoisted t. the masthead.
Captain Wyllie, the master of the
Zealandia, gave a brief account of the
discovery of the Aurora and the tow
to Sydney: "At this morning we
sighted the Aurora about Is miles off
in the direction of east by south. On
approaching her we found that she was
flying signals of distress, so we bore
down upon her and found her in a
disabled condition and rudderless. AT
7:25 L ordered the chief officer to board
the Aurora and one of the ships boats
of the Zealandia was launched for the
purpose. Upon his return to the
steamer he reported that the Aurora
had been lying helpless through the
loss of her rudder for II days, that the
provisions were running short, and
that the water supply would only last
till Sunday next. We found that the
Aurora was bound to Adelaide from
California with a cargo of lumber, and
was 10 days out when we picked her
up At $50 this morning we COM
menced operations, and passed the
hawser on board the Aurora. The
work was attended with a good deal
of risk. for there was a heavy swell
running at the time, but at 9:05 a. m.
the vessel was in tow for sydney
Captain Jorgensen, the master of the
Aurora, was subsequently interviewed
on board his vessel as she was lying
at her anchorage in Watsons Bay,
and, although so i'll through fatigue
that he could scarcely stand on the
deck, he unfoIded a terrible tale of the
perils of the sea. Both the Aurora
and her genial master are we'll known
at this port; indeed, barely seven
months have elapsed since their last
visit to Sydney Harbor. He stated
that he had sailed from Tacoma over
three months ag-, and had just COM
pleted the worst voyage in his eXper-
fence Tacoma was left in June last.
the barkentine having loaded 1,0l3,036
feet of lumber consigned to the Globe
Timber Mills at Adelaide, and the pro-
tracted passage was due to extraord1-
nary weather conditions. Throughout
the voyage. occupying over 100 days,
nothing but heavy gales was met with,
blowing from the south. the south
west, the west and the northeast. Day
after day the gales ragged with unaba-
ted fury, accompanied nearly the whole
of the time by mountainous seas. In
fact, the voyage was marked by one
continuous series of tempests, all vio-
lent. but some dangerously so.
when in latitude 81 deg. south, and
longitude $50 deg. east. about three
weeks or month ago" Captain Jor-
gensen, continuing his narrative, said,
eve encountered a tempest which may
properly be described as a cyclone.
We We're broached-to for "a hours, and
several of our sails We're torn into rib
bons by the force of the winds, and
carried, away, and when we found that
the rudder would not work, we decided
to endeavor to effect temporary re-
pairs" Continuing. the Captain said
that throughout that anxious time, all
hands worked with will. IT am proud
of my men," he remarked. They
have worked willingly night and day