The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-10-16


seiyed In the fierce typhoon which
wrecked much of the shipping In the
Honskong harbor and along the Chinese
coast last month, the o. & o. SIS. Coptic
arrived here, rather unexpectedly, yes
terday morning. She brought no cabif
passengers. but landed 294 Japanese Ia
borers and has a few through Japanese
passengers in the steerage. She carries
a full cargo of freight, some 400 tons
of which were for this port.
The Coptic had a narrow escape AT
Hongkong, being one or the few vessels
at anchor there on September Is when
succeeded in riding out the worst ty-
phoon experienced in those waters Tor
years. Many of the vessels about her
dragged their anchors and were piled
up on the shore, others collided ana
sank, while the loss among the junks
and fishing boats was appalling, the
total deaths resulting peing estimated
at 10000. During the height of the ty-
phoon a drifting vessel was thrown
against the Coptic's bow, denting the
plates but doing no further injury.
The laying up of the $. S. Mongolia
-. =.
for the return of the Coptic to this
run, from which she had been very re-
sently withdrawn to ply between the
japanese ports and Vladivostok. AS
yet the officers aboard her and the local
agents of the Pacific Mail do not know
the exact disposition to be made OF her,
tho only orders received at Hongkong
being for her to report as soon as pos
sible for San Francisco. 1t Is the ex-
pectation, however, that she Will re-
main on the run with the s. S. Doric
for some months, pending the return
of the two disabled liners.
Since the sale of the Coptic, she has
been stripped of all her fittings mark
ed with the White star brand, including
the silverware, linens, bedding and
cabin furniture. Thus it happens that
for this trip the cabin room and the
aIeways are jamrned with freight and
10 cabin passengers are carried. If the
accommodation had been available
full list of passengers could have been
secured as the traffic from the Orient
Is now congested through the absence
of two of the largest liners. When the
Coptic returns, however, she Will do so
with her cabins refitted, n complete
line of furnishings from New York be-
ing now in San Francisco awaiting her.
and these will be installed as soon after
her arrival as possible If the fittings
had been procurable in Hongkong the
pntftting would have been done there.
The liner has on board her full cabin
crew, cabin boys. stewards and cooks,
ready to resume their work as soon
as necessary.
The personnel of the officers of the
Coptic has changed very materially
since her last appearance in port many
Vt the former staff having remained in
the service of the White Star line.
Captain Dickson, who was first officer
Of the s. S. Mongolia, is in command,
q. H. Bate getting his step from sec
ond officer to first, and Third Officer
Hill OF the Doric has succeeded him as
second officer of the Coptic.
The liner resumed her trip to the
Coast in the afternoon, sailing at 4
o'clock.
ARCHER AT TACOMA.
The barkentine Archer Is now load
ing coal at Tacoma for Kahului and
her temperance on the Sound. where
she had not been for years. was well
coined by the Tacoma press and the
friends of Captain Lancaster along
that waterfront.
1t is her first visit to Tacoma, at
least since she has been flying the
American flag, now twelve years, says
the Tacoma Ledger She was formerly
the British bark Archer. In the spring
of 1894 she was bound for the Sound
in ballast While attempting to make
the Straits she met n terrific storm
and was dsmantled. For time It was
believed she would be dashed against
the rocks of Vancouver Island and de-
stroyed. The crew took to the boats
and succeeded IN reaching safety after
hard struggle with the elements.
The weather moderated and the aban- !
doned vessel was picked up by pass
ing steamer and towed to Victoria, !
where she lay for some time She was
finally purchased by Americans and
repaired. Her rig and flag were both
changed, and from IA British bark she
became an American barkentine. Her
first cargo after being rerigged was
lumber from Port Blakeley. She was
then in command of Captain Calhoun,
who was well known all over the Pa
cific. Since then she has never return
ed to the Sound until she passed in
Saturday. During much OF the past
fourteen years she has been engaged
in the Hawaiian Island trade. carry
ing general merchandise from San
Francisco and packing sugar in return.
The Archer is an iron vessel and was
built at Sunderland, England, In 1876,
She has a gross tonnage of 800 and her
registered tonnage is s45. She Is said
to be the only iron barkentine on the
Pacific Ocean and perhaps the only
one flying the American flag. Her
present trip will be the first occasion
she has ever taken coal cargo and
hence Is unique In more than one way.
1t will also be the first cargo OF coal
dispatched from here for several
months in sailing vessel.
Captain Lancaster is accompanied on
the passage by his mother, who is TAX
ing the voyage for her health. Cap
tain Lancaster has been in command
of the Archer for the past two years.
First Officer Charles ]. Moore has Just
Joined the vessel He came out a few
weeks ago from Boston and is making
his first passage on a sailing vessel
for several years, having been on
steamer recently. He has a wide ac-
quaintance on the Pacific coast. as he