The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1905-10-13

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Don't you think we are getting in +
close to Lime Point, pilot? What do
you think of keeping her off little?'
Captain Dowdel is said to have sug-
gested to Johnson. The helm was
shifted point or two. The next mo-
ment a hail came from the lookout on (
the bow. The fog was SO thick that he .
could scarcely be distinguished from
the bridge. but his cry came startling
~ clear
Breakers dead ahead, sir The I
next instant came the "Clang, clang' /
clang!' of the big warning bell on the
fort
Hard down." yelled the pilot. Both
weather and lee wheels put all their
strength on the spokes and the steam
er's bow swung for the open sea. But
it was too late. The grind and the
crunch followed, then the vessel came
to a dead stop, but so gently that not
even a child was thrown off its feet.
The tide swung the stern around
slightly; then all motion ceased. The
crew was called to stations at the
boats and quietly awaited the call to
lower away but it did not come.
The fog lifted almost as quickly as
it had shut down and showed their
position. The vessels nose was high
On the Fort Point reef, and from the
deck one might have tossed a biscuit
on the wall of the fort. The pumps
We're at once sounded, and while they
showed that the vessel was making a
little water it was not sufficient to be-
an element of danger for hours. Then
the lead was cast and as it showed
only about thirty feet aft there was
no danger of the steamer sinking be-
yond her deck line, and if she worked
clear of the reef her anchors could be
/ let go to hold her from drifting into
] the channel several hundred yards
away. The word was instantly passed
! that there was not the slightest dan
ger, and the nearness of the shore, to
which a line could be thrown, aided
greatly i'm keeping down excitement
among the passengers.
Blame? That is hard to fix. and will
not he known. if then. until after. the
Icomu2ny's officials the inspectors and
the underwriters have held their ex-
laminatfors For 200 times and more
the Alameda has come and gone with
most become belief that she could
work her own way in and out the
Golden Gate with never a man at
her wheel or lookout Probably it was
this that caused pilot and captain to
forget the trite old saying 1T is better
to he safe than sorry" There are
those among their seafaring friends
who saw wisdom and caution should
have told them TO anchor until the
fog lifted and not trust to experience
and confidence in such a place when
land and sea and skv were wrapped in
a wool mack of fog.
II was high-water slack when the
steamer left the wharf. and shortly
after she went under slow bell she was
struck on the starboard side bv the
tide that rims through Racoon straits
with the force of millrace. This
NAV or NAV not have caused a drift
IN mort and carried the steamer into
the hight of the bay inside of Fort
Point and q ouarter of a mile off her
course When those on board heard
the warning bell on the fort the
stean1er is said 70 have been haadi,.-
s,daod on for land" and q moment
latar vouId have plowed into the
baocb and smashed her nose against
tha wall Of the fort. number Of
soldiers at the fort saw the steamer
strike and the consensus of their
statements is as follows:
eve heard the steamers whistle and
Thought If sounded close in shore. 1t
was strange for our bell was going ali
the time The moment after we heard
the whistle we saw the big steamer
loom I'M in the fog then swing off to-
ward the channel. The next moment
she ran upon the rocks Her stern was
at right angles to the current and near
er to the wall than the bow. but the
strong ebb carried her stern around
until she stood up and down stream"
The soldiers hurried to give the
alarm and in a few moments life-sav-
ing crews were racing for the scene.