The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-10-13
WHAT PASSENGERS
TOLD THE PAPERS

H. p. Wood, who has been secretary
of the Chamber of Commerce at San
Diego for the past six years and who
was on his way to Honolulu to enter
upon the position of secretary of the
Hawaii Promotion Committee, was
standing on the forward decks of the
Alameda when the ship struck. Stand
ing by him were his wife and George
w. Fishburn. cashier of the First Ma.
tional Bank of San Diego.
"It was very foggy," said Wood, in
telling what he knew of the disaster.
1--WE ran into a thick bank of fog
while proceeding down the bay, and
1t was impossible to see anything be-
yond the bow Of the vessel. We could
hear fog signals very distinctly, but
could not say where they were To-
Gated. The first warning I had of the
impending disaster came from sailor
on the lookout forward. He shouted
and pointed over the port rail. Peer
ing out through the fog could see a
dark object looming up ahead. but it
was so indistinct that could not tell
whether it was a ship or rock, or
whatever 1t might be. In another in
slant we struck. There was a grating
sound and we slid up on the rocks with
scarcely any jar. remarked to my
wife, with less emotion than 1 thought
myself capable of under the circum-
stances, that we were aground. We
could then see Fort Point quite dis
tinctly, less than a ships length away.
There was absolutely no excitement
on board then or subsequently. Per-
feet discipline was. preserved. The
boats were lowered instantly, but 1t
! was some time before the passengers
were put off. Everyone took the stu
alton quite calmly. and, might say.
good naturally. didn't hear a harsh
word uttered, and about the only ex-
pressions heard from the passengers
were words Of sympathy for Captain
Dowdell, who had been running on the
Alameda for many years and who was
well known and highly esteemed by
many of the passengers.
LAS an evidence of the perfect COM
posture of the passengers most of them
went down into the saloon for lunch
con when the lunch hour arrived. 1t
was not long after the Alameda struck
that the Custom-house boat Golden
Gate was alongside, and the transfer
ring of the passengers, with all their
stateroom baggage, and the mails was
accomplished in orderly manner. I
looked at my watch almost the mo-
ment the Alameda struck. and, as
near as I can come to 1t, the accident
happened at 11:E o'clock"
/ Mrs. Wood, In speaking of her ex-
! perience, said she was not at all ex-
cited when the ship went on the rocks
or afterward, although she felt quite
nervous while the ship was proceeding
down the bay in the fog.
| "There have been so many disasters
on account of fog that I had a pre-
sentiment of fear while we were pro-
ceeding out toward the Golden Gate.
| Everyone on board seemed to feel such
a sense of security after we struck.
however, that did not get at all nerv-
Gus. Everybody behaved beautifully.
The hour of the day and the calm
weather, think, had a great deal to
do with it,
L. B. KERR's STATEMENT.
'I was in my bed at the time of the
grounding" said L. B. Kerr, one Of the
most prominent merchants Of Honolulu.
land I thought that we were going to
sink. I remember that thought it was
too bad for us to go down when we had
barely started on our journey. I found
my wife and daughter already on the
dark md aann aaw that fhara xua q
really no danger.
I'VE were lying SO close to the land
that the passengers felt perfectly safe.
The crash when we struck was awful
and many OF the women on board
screamed with terror. The people were
quickly taken of the Alameda and
were landed in San Francisco with
very little inconvenience. The officers OF
the ship were cool all Of the time and
their presence of mind prevented a
panic. To them give my thanks
Chronicle.
AUCKLAND GIRLS NOT SCARED.
The Misses Vivian and Hazel Buck
land, daughters of C. r. auckland,
were. with their father, passengers on
the Alameda. When the grating crash
of the ship on the hidden rocks came
Earring through the ship they were
hurried to the deck by their father, who
understood az once, what had happened.
Both young girls-their ages are be-
tween twelve and ffteen-are must
clans. their instruments being guitars.
They audibly and emphatically voiced
their resolves not to leave the ship
until they had secured their instru-
ments, a purpose which they carried
out despite the anxious urgings of their