The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-02-21
IN DISTRESS
CONTINUED from page one.l

feet high and for hours that place
including the donkey engine room was
flooded.
The vessel was helpless. The men
did not dare go forward to cut away
the wreckage. So wild was the hurri-
cane that no one could stand upright on
the deck. Mate G. Johnson was in
the wheel house with William Smith
an able seaman who was at the wheel.
A tremendous sea boarded the vessel
from the starboard side, smashed in
the door Of the wheel house, broke the
house and swept an ak which the
mate had Intended cutting away the
wreckage, against the mates foot max
ing a deep cash to the bone Glass
was broken and the pinnacle case was
smashed. The same sea swept along
forward washing out the lockers in the
bow of the vessel, broke water casks
and did other damage.
The wreckage was every where about
the vessel. There seemed little chance
of getting it cleared away for a greater
danger was reported. The vessel had
been strained by the buffeting and she
was leaking. All hands available were
put to work on the pumps as the don
key room was flooded and steam could
not be gotten up. When the crew start
ed the pumps Sunday afternoon there
was 10 inches of water in the vessel's
hold. They pumped until Monday af-
ternoOn and when exhausted and were
falling away unable to continue, there
was feet of water in the vessel, so
fast had the seas gained on them. Hap
PLY steam was gotten up in the donkey
engine on Monday afternoon and the
engine went to work pumping out the
vessel
The vessel was in latitude ISL south
long 15O.4O west when she was struck
by the hurricane and dismasted. Her
position was about $50 to 600 miles to
the northwest of the Paumoto Islands.
The hurricane that devasted those ISL
ands reached them on January 10 two
days later than the storm struck the
Plramita. The general character and
direction of the two storms indicate
however that the vessel was in some
part of the same storm that swept
across that portion of the Pacific.
Although the donkey engine got to
work Monday pumping and the men
were able to get a few hours cessation
from that kind of work, the vessel was
far from being out of danger. The
tarpaulins had had been swept away
from the main hatch and the men say
they could not get the captain to give
them one for the hatch for some time
after they asked for the canvas for
such purpose. The seas continued high
and boarded the vessel constantly, the
decks being awash much of the time.
Second Mate John Brock nearly lost
his life while sitting on the after part
of the vessel A tremendous sea board
ed the vessel dashed him to the deck,
picked him up and jammed him against
the rail nearly breaking his neck.
1t was not until the following Sunday
January IS, that the gale moderated to
any extent. The wind had during that
period worked to north west and finally
ended with moderate weather by blow
ing from the northeast. Work of clear
ing away the wreckage and getting up
a jury rig occupied the greater portion
of this week. The miZZen yards that
remains were put on the fore mast to
which was added the mizzen topmast.
After the vessel had been rugged up the
donkey engine broke down repeatedly
and the men had to man the pumps. On
January % they pumped all day and
ever since February 2 they have been
at the pumps until yesterday.
Water began to show signs of run
ming low. In fact the donkey had to be
run on salt water as a large part OF
the fresh supply was lost when the
sea smashed in forward. January ~,
some of the crew was put to work get
ting rain water and on the following
day they went on daily allowance of
water. Provisions held out well how
ever. POTATOES went short a few
days ago and sugar gave out yesterday.
When the vessel was first jury rugged
Captain Bacllus intended to make
San Francisco. He found that it would
he easier to make Honolulu so he ar
rived off the port this morning. The
advent of the vessel caused quite a sem
sation until her identity became known.
1t was at first reported that she was
the missing ship Florence, or else the
ship Benjamin f. Packard The iden-
tity of the Paramita was not suspected
at first as she was not coming to this
port The vessel is leaking slightly
Captain Backus has cabled his people
in San Francisco for. orders. He was
last here in the ship w. f. Weitzman
while mate Johnson was here in the
ship Reaper several years ago! The
Paramita is moored in the stream.
About the only complaint the crew
has to make against Captain Backus is
that he failed to have a sufficient sup
ply of tobacco on hand The result of
this shortage was that they have been
without tobacco for almost 40 days.
In addition to her other repairs the
Paramita will have to undergo repairs
to her bulwarks. About twenty feet
on the port side was washed away by
the seas Her hull was battered and
torn IN numerous places by the rigging
before the debris could be cut away