The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1905-11-13
GRAPHIC LOSS
OF SUSQUEHANNA
Continued from page one).

There Is no doubt that the accident &C.
CURED through the freight being too
heavy for a wooden vessel
THE first night out we had very
heavy weather, in fact it was blowing
a gale of wind, and there was a heavy |
sea running. 1t was then that the YES
sci commenced to break up. At one
time she rose on a nasty sea and came
down heavily, and loud crack re-
sounded through the ship and it was
reported to me that she was breaking
up.
"At u o'clock that night" he con-
tlnued, there We're u inches of water
in the well, and at 2:3O a. m. the ship
had made % inches. l then ordered
steam on the engines, so that the pumps
could be brought into use. BY this time
the weather had moderated somewhat,
but a heavy sea was running. At 4 a.
m. we wore ship and stood in for the
land again, but it was so rough and
the ship was rolling to such an extent
that the boilers of the steam pumps
kept blowing and the pumps were al
most useless. At a. m, when I saw
the impossiblity of fetching back to
New Caledonia, and the wind having
headed off a little l kept her free again.
1--WE had the engines going at the
rate of 1890 strokes on two pumps, but
in spite of this the water was gaining
six inches every two hours. On Satur-
day morning, at a. m, the main shaft
of the pump carried away, and, while
/ endeavoring to whip it, the water gain
ed on us some ten to eleven inches, and
after that we could only use one pump.
"At the same day, at 10 a. M, it was
reported to me that the vessel was
breaking down foreward, and also that
there was about seven feet of water in
the well. The ship was then about two
feet by the head with a big list to port.
The stern was lifting out of the water,
and the bow was sinking.
Il then called all hands aft and or
dered out the three lifeboats. On board
the vessel there was not the least pa
mic, ami the crew behaved splendidly
throughout both at the time of launch
ing the toats and during the trying eX-
perience of the weeks journey in our
small craft.
although we were on short allow
arce of water-scarcely a pint per ev-
cry twenty-four hours-I had not the
slightest difficulty in preserving discip-
line. The boats were quietly launched,
and each man took his place as he was
called, and this was no easy task, as,
owing to the heavy sea running, we had
great difficulty in getting the boats
away from the ships side.
MY boat" Captain Watts continued,
was the last to leave the vessel, and
when I lost sight of her she was fast
settling down by the head, with her
whole rail almost on a level with the
water.
Owing to the prevailing southeast
ira lie winds, it was impossible to beat
back to New Caledonia in the open
boats, so I ordered the boats to head
for the Solomon Islands, now some 500
miles away. The only provisions we
had in the boats were biscuits and wa
ter, as there was no time for handing
out more stores than these. We saved
absolutely nothing, but left the vessel
with only what we stood up in.
after leaving her we were compelled
to run west-north-wes before a heavy
sea and wind, and several times during
the first night I reall ythought the boats
would swamp. 1t was blowing half a
gale, and the wonderful thing is that
they ever lived through it. The men
baled continually, but we took in so
much water that we had great difficulty
in keeping the boats afloat.
Mrs. Elwell, who was a passenger
with her husband, behaved admirably
after recovering from the first shock of
having to leave the vessel so suddenly
When the boats were ordered away, she
was much put out, and tainted on deck.
1t was, however a time when we had
to act first, and think afterwards, and
she was promptly made fast to a bow
line and lowered over the rail into the
boat
During the whole journey, however,
she accepted the mevitable-together
with her biscuit and water-manfully,
and is much to be admired for her pa
thence and pluck at a time when strong
, men might have failed.
after having spent five days and
nights in the boats, we sighted the ISL
and of San Cristoval, solomon Islands.
Keeping in view the fact that the ma
tives of this island are both treacher-
GUS and savage, | determined to heaVe-
= to for the night, and again made in
l towards the land next morning.
, Getting close in, 70 ucan imagine
7 our surprise and relief when we saw
e the ketch Ruby lying at anchor, and we
f Immediately made for her. We were
l received most Hospitality by Captain
p Kehoe, who left no stone unturned in
attending to the immediate wants of
, the rather hungry and worn-out COM
pany.
5 con the next day we fell in with Cap
e tain Svensen, in the ketch Leuenewa
5 and very soon afterwards the first Off
l GERS boat was picked up, this leaving
one boat still missing"
, The captain went on to say that he
= had been master of the Susquehanna
2 for about two years. She was IA years
7 of age, and classed at Lloyds for is
wears He ALWAYS considered her very