The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-12-19

NOBLE ACT

Distinction such NJ l. rarely won be-
ionEs to Captain Theodore y Colcord
master ~ the American steamer Amcri-
can. which arrived In Tacoma yester-
day. says the Tacoma Ledger
captain Colcord was the means OK
saving siNty-two persons from death IN
the North Atlantic sixteen years ago.
While the story Is not new. friends OF
Colcord never tire OF telling 1t again.
However. the interviewer finds dlfiicul-
" In persuading the mariner TO tell
his experience, for he has that modesty
so common TO many OF the brave men
who follow the sea.
In commemoration OF that event Cap
tain Colcord carries with him watch
and chain OF such unusual beauty and
value that IT at once excites attention
and admiration. on the inside, engrav-
ed in the most artistic and skillful
manner. Is briefly told the story OF the
masters deed.
BURNING OF THE SANTIAGO.
When in command of the well-known
clipper American ship A. j. Fuller.
Captain Colcord on the morning of
December 20, 1889. picked up sixty-two
survivors of the burning British steam
er Santiago, Captain Potter. The San
tiago, whose cargo was mostly cotton,
was three days out from New York
bound for Hull. England. On the even
ing of December 10 fire was discovered
i'm the hatches, and so rapidly did 1t
spread that the brave crew was un-
| able to control 1t. The flames spread
with such alarming rapidly that at 3
o'clock that night the crew and the
few passengers. believing themselves
doomed to certain death, were compel
| led to take to the boats. They stood
by the burning steamer, spending a
night of horror. 1t was bitterly cold.
the sea was rough and the waves wash
ed over the small boats, threatening to
swamp them every minute.
Early in the following morning Cap
tain Colcord on the A. j. Fuller. bound
from England for New York saw the
conflagration thirty-five miles away.
Realizing that a catastrophe had oc-
Cured, Captain Colcord made for the
fire as rapidly as possible, and at day.
light the American ship had come
alongside. AS quickly as possible the
almost frozen survivors We're taken
aboard and given food and shelter, of
which they were in dire necessity.
BY this time the doomed Santiago
was a mass of flames from stem to
stern. Nothing more could be done. so
the Fuller resumed her course. leaving
the illfated vessel to her doom. 1t is
supposed that she went to the bottom,
for she was never again heard of.
WOMAN AND BABY AMONG SUR
VIVORS.
Among the survivors We're a Mrs.
Knight and her 11-months-old baby.
Both were nearly dead from the eX-
posure. but they recovered largely due
to the kindness and attention of Mrs.
Colcord, who until her death accom-
| panied her husband on his voyage.
| For week the survivors were aboard
! the A. j. Fuller until New York was
made, 600 miles to the west. Upon her
arrival intense excitement reigned as
soon as the details of the catastrophe
We're learned. The newspapers were
| filled with the story, each of the sur
vivors paying tribute to the conduct
and extreme kindness of Captain Col
cord and his crew. This gratitude took
the form of testimonial in the shape
and engraved, setting forth the ex-
preston of the survivors. In it they
pay high tribute to Mrs. Colcord, Cap
tain Colcord and his men.
In recognition of his services, Captain
Colcord soon received his splendid
watch and chain from Thomas Wilson,
Sons & Co. of Hull, owners of the San
tiago.
The stories of the survivors were full
OF horror and gratitude. 1t was sup
posed that spontaneous combustion
caused the fire on board were 1893 head
of cattle, whose frenZied efforts to es-
cape added to the confusion. The pas
sengers recited their experiences of
that awful night, and words could not
express their gratitude to the man who
rescued them.
SHIP A. ]. FULLER WELL KNOWN
HERE.
The A. j. Fuller is well known at
Tacoma, having loaded lumber here
last year. She is now commanded by
Captain Haskell, and recently sailed for
Australia from the Sound. She was
about the same type of ship, as the
st. Paul, now in the harbor, being also
built at Bath, Me-, and owned at that
time by Flint & Co. Captain Colcord
had the Fuller for thirteen years, the
vessel having been built for him in 1881.
Prior to being master of the Fuller,
Captain Concord had the American
schooner Pactolus for thirteen years,
the Pactolus being built in Maine in
| 1865, After leaving the Fuller he as
sumed command of the American ship
Henry B. Hyde, named after the form
er president of the Equitable Life In
surance company. During a voyage
from San Francisco to Honolulu in
January, 1898, the Hyde established the
| smart record OF nine days and four
hours, dock to dock, record that still
stands. During this trip. while forty or
fifty miles out from California, Captain
Colcord released a prize-winning car
rier pigeon, which speedily returned to
San Francisco, bringing good tidings
| from the ship.
Captain Colcord is a native of Maine
where he was born in ls4S. He went to
1 sea at the age of Is and has been a