The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-05-16

The bark Martha Davis, one of the
kamaainas in the Hawaiian Islands
trade. was burned to the waters edge
in Hilo Bay, Hawaii, on Saturday
night. and is total loss. The news
only reached Honolulu yesterday morn
ing by wireless telegraphy, and was
convened to Brewer & Co., agents for
the vessel, in the following message:
"HILO, May IL.
"Brewer, HonoIulu:
"Martha totally destroyed by fire
Saturday night. All plantation freight
lost. Hilo freight nearly discharged.
Origin unknown.
Another message to Wilder s Steam
ship Company was as follows:
"HILo, May Is.
"Martha Davis burned completely
up in Hilo Bay. All plantation cargo
lost.
The bark arrived at Hilo from San
Francisco on May 8, with heavy
cargo for plantations and some for
Hilo. The message to Brewer indicates
that only the freight for Hilo was
classed as saved, it having been nearly
all discharged, while the plantation
frplGnt was consumed WIN tho NNSoS''
The Martha Davis's cargo was as fol-
lows:
Flour. 5l3 bbls; 29S6 ctls barley, 90
O66 lbs. middlings, 76 ctls. wheat, 1855
his. beans, 1917 lbs. bran, 962 bales
hay, III ctls. corn, 354 cs. canned
goods. 1851 lbs. bread, 1850 lbs. lard, so
pkgs. groceries and provisions, 775 lbs.
butter, s cs. cheese, ]6S,S00 lbs. rice,
1914 lbs. hams and bacon, 205 pkgs po-
tatoe.. 10 cs. fresh fruits, 81 bbls. and
Is hf. bbls. salmon, 81 boxes paste, 5000
lbs. Goldfish, 7404 gals. wine, cs min
eral water, cs. liquors, 10 coils rope,
IL pkgs. agricultural implements, IL
cs dry goods, 100000 lbs. fertilizer,
bxs. soap, 80 pkgs. paper. cs. fuse, 2
cs caps. 40 cs. and % kegs powder, l92
pkes. plumbing material, IA cs. paints
and oils. 10 pkgs. wagon material, 2O25
lbs. tobacco, 500 cs. coal oil, 20 cs. gas
oline. 80 boxes candies, 1000 bbls. lime,
52.ll7 #. lumber.
The bark Martha Davis was built in
1873 at East Boston for Brewer g. Co.,
and was placed in the Boston Homo
lulu trade She was therefore thirty
two wears of age when destroyed. She
was a wooden vessel of S71 tons, and
more recently has been one of the
Planters Line of vessels plying be-
tween the coast and the Islands, and
was accredited to the ownership OF
Welch & Co. She was 1888 feet long,
33.7 feet beam and 21.9 feet depth o.
hold. Captain McCloon was in COM
mand of the vessel.
For eight years, from 1889 to 1897,
the Martha Davis was commanded by
Capt. Soule of this city, now dry
goods merchant. As mate and captain,
Capt. Soule was with the Martha Davis
for sixteen years. He was first in
command of the vessel when she ran
out of New York to Honolulu. He
made his first trip as captain on this
route. 1t was generally her habit also
to GO to China, the Philippines and
home via Cape of Good Hope. Captain
Soule quit the Martha Davis after an
accident to the vessel in San Francisco
harbor. During norther the vessel
dragged her anchors and bore down on
the U. S. Survey steamer Patterson
doing some slight damage.
The vessel cost $64 900 to build. Sht
was fast sailer in light weather, but
generally she was heavily loaded will
sugar on the run from the Islands K
San Francisco and did not make thu
hest kind of speed under such cireum
stances.
One of the evening papers said yes
terday that Capt. Altman was in com
mand Of the Inflated bark. Ne hal
not been her commander for some time
Capt Macloon is her master.
Another evening paper referred Il
powder aboard the Martha Davis. Pow
der Is not carried in the hold at all
but In a separate place and is lande,
the first thing on arrival. Had powde
been aboard 1t would have been ignit
ed and blown the ship up. The YES
sci had good deal of lime and ha
aboard and the fire was probably du
TO spontaneous combustion.