The San Francisco call., 1903-12-24

The dismasted British bark Olive
bank, which was sighted on Tuesday
off the Farallones, was towed into port
yesterday by the tug Sea King and
later taken by the Dauntless to the
quarantine station, where her ballast,
taken at Shanghai, will be fumigated.
The vessel will be released to-day,
when representatives of the under
writers will inspect the battered hull
and count the cost Of the Olivebank's
encounter with the elements.
The Olivebank left Shanghai October
IS, in ballast, for Royal Roads for or
ders. Everything went well until the
bark reached latitude s.02 north, lon
gitude 1924 east, which she did No
vember 9. a typhoon from the south
east struck the vessel on this day and
until late November 10 the Olivebank
had a wild time. While the typhoon
lasted the ship rolled heavily. From
port to starboard she wallowed. Down
on one side until the railtop almost
leveled with the seas surface, and then
back with a jerk and over on the other
side. AS she rolled steel yards swung
and tugged at their fastenings, masts
swayed and the rigging groaned and
creaked at the unwonted strain. The
topmast rigging started and when the
typhoon had passed the Olivcbank was
in need of considerable overhauling
aloft.
Such repairs as could be made were
effected as well as heavy weather
would permit. Under ordinary circum-
stances the bark might have made
Royal Roads with her spars intact, but
November p, when about 1900 miles
west-northwest Of San Francisco. or,
to be exact, in latitude Az 81 north and
/ longitude 14S.17 west, a heavy north
easter was encountered.
The gale found easy prey in the
Olivebank, with her slackened shrouds
and generally strained rigging. The
main topmast came down with a crash
at / a. m, bringing with it the main
topgallant mast and all the rigging.
The masts and most of the gear fell
overheard, but the main yard fell to
the deck, cutting a Jagged hole in the
port bulwarks The fore and mizzen
/ tops followed in rapid succession, and
within A few exciting moments the
Olivebank was lying helpless in a high
cross sea, dismasted, her decks piled
with junk stripped from aloft and the
wrecked steel spars still suspended bv
the dismantled rigging. beating with
fearful force against the vessels sides
All hands were on deck at the time
and that nobody was killed or even
hurt when that avalanche Of spars.
blocks and steel stays crashed from
aloft is strange.
1t took all hands five days to clear the
wreckage, and during the operation the
rolling Of the ship kept the swaying
Wreckage in constant motion. Axes
and cold chisels were piled with grim
industry. Sleep was at premium and
when the work was done the Olive
banks sailors were tired and dirty and
every man from skipper down bore on
hands and arms cruel scars and bruises
inflicted during the tussle by the jagged
edges of buckled spar and frayed steel
stay.
Fair weather fortunately fay ored the
dismasted bark and under jury rig she
made the last 1900 miles Of her voyage
! in good time.
Captain Henderson declined the ser
vices Of a towboat on Tuesday, but
( yesterday changed his mind, accepted
the services of tug and is now safely
anchored off the quarantine station.
where she viii remain until nr. Cum
mings. with the aid of scientifically
prepared fumes, succeeds in suffocating
such disease germs as might have
slowed away in the ballast at Shang-
hal