The San Francisco call., 1906-04-09
MARIP0SA ARRIVES FROM TAHITI WITH
FURTHER NEWS OF The DEATH DEALING HURRICANE


The Mariposa brings further news of
TIE storms and tidal waves that swept
over the Atons and other low islands Of
the society grcrp, including the lower
portions Of Tahiti
The previous reports regarding the loss
OF lie and damage 10 properly in that
locality seem 10 have been greatly ex-
4ggersted, largely owing 70 ignorance Of
the geography CT the islands on the part
0f those writing for the press.
The less to Tahiti was comparatively
slight. The main center Of the storms hav-
iLg been in the Paumotos group. The
loss Of life so far foots up 10 80 instead
of more Than 1900 as enormously report
ed by scme afternoon papers.
among the passengers on The MaripOss
were three seameu Of the ship County
q RgXburgh. which was wrecked on the
island OF Taksroa- They are z. Brown,
BaIista Chalee and J. Harris. They give
& thrilling account Of the disaster that
b-fol Jnat ship.
The vessel was on the way from Chile
I'D Melbourne when she ran into the
storm that was then raging In those
waters. This was on February 6. No
land was in sight at this time. She was
b1neteG bout IN a furious manner until
the Sth, when Captain Lesley found they
wfrc being rapidly borne toward the
ID rd OF Takaroa. The sea was in q
tTemend0us state Of uproar and the cap
tain expected at every moment they
would be dashed against the great coral
reefs that line that shore. So great was
the fear OF the sailors on the snip that
ten Of them got into a small boat ana
tried 10 make for the land. The boat
seamped and they were all drowned
IN the meantime the storm was raging
with una bated fury. Suddenly a great
sea was seen approaching the ship, ana
captain and crew thought everything was
over with them. As the great wave
,-eared them il grew higher and higher.
until as il struck the vessel II was tulIy
sixty feet high. AS IL hit the ship, II
raised her 10 its very crest and bore her
broaCslde on. over the coral reefs, and
landed her a quarter Of a mile inland on
the island. and when IL receded the yes
SEA settled down into a grove Of cocoanut
trees where she now lies high and dry,
resting squarely upon her keel with al
her masts standing And there she IS
probably destined 10 remain, unless the
clements should remove her into the sea
again.
During her fight over the reef the cap
tain and all hands were clinging TO the
masts. expecting at every moment she
would strike something and be smashed
into a thousand pieces. She was first
pitched one way. and then another. Now
she vas on her beam ends, the next mo-
ment she vas practically bobbing like
cork All 81 a sudden she seemed to right
I'D. and at this very instant she settled
down into her cocoanut grove. Captain
Lesley and his men could hardly believe
their eyes. when they found their ship
was sQuarely landed on terra firma- The
natives On the island were equally sur
prIsed to see the big motion ship standing
GpgiSht in the midst OF one OF their
Plantations
IRE fourteen men who landed with the
vessel are: Captain Lesley; Miller. first
mate: Ockendon. second mate; Brown,
thiEI mate; Roberts, cook; krahl, Head
ricA Sterling. Richardson, apprentices;
Batfsta- Robson, Chslee. Marshall and
Harris. The ten men who were lost were:
Herd. Distel. Eleerog. Parsons; Wagner,
steward; Wagner. sailor; Anderson broth
ers. Koch ana Cordes- The men saved
STAYED three weeks on the island and then
were taken 10 Papeete. One of them, how
ever. remained on the island and intends
10 marry native woman. Captain Les
ley and the majority Of his crew eX-
pected 10 sail March 30 for New Zealand.
The lGarfposa also brings the report OF
losses and disasters TO the following yes
Eels during the great storms and tidal
wave. The French schooner Tauturee (2s
on board. French schooner Hitinui t29
tous) Of Papeete. ashore at Maruhi pau
moIeeD. The French schooner Eimeo $50
tons Of Papeete. Captain Marie Salmon.
long overdue. Supposed 10 have been lost
with every body on board of Tikehau
(PaumOtul-
on board the Eimeo were Ed Bonnefn,
E Gournal. Max Mayer and J. Salmon.
al ef Papeete-
-f7F--r--eezres7 cutters of fror7 - n L
tons are also reported lost. The Mariposa
also brought the news that the British
three-naster Tslca was lying of Papeete
wiki sickness on board The Talca was
bound from Iquique to Sydney. 1t was
reported that some Of the men who were
sick died and their bodies were cast over
board.
Many OF the Tuamotu islands were
swept clean Of all buildings and thousands
Of cocoanut trees.
At Anasa. the center Of the hurricane,
q substantial stone structure in which
about . or % persons took refuge col
lsDsed under the pressure Of the heavy
seas. causing the death Of forty-eight per-
sons.
Breakers estimated at S. or 20 feet in
height swept inland az Anaaa and many
other Tuamotu islands.
A Roman Catholic priest. Father Paul
was Crowned at Fate. Two Latter Day
nlssiona rfes, Messrs. Bunker and
F5ueverton. saved their lives by clinging
TO rhe tops Of large cOcoanut trees.
MessTs. BIapin and Merwin with their
schooner Frsnco-Austrslia reached Pa
peete on March =, having ridden out the
gale al the island Of Han in the Tuamotu
islands. All hope FOR them had been
abandoned.
The schooner Vahine Arera reached Pa
peete on March . after all hope Of her
safety had been given up
The local government is, caring for
about 900 victims Of the disaster at Pa
peete and. two small schoOners are missing
among the islands with food and water
Relief contributions are urgently needed
Among the many narrowing experiences
OF the disaster was that Of a small cutter
Of eight or ten tons burden, which was
caught near Blrs. Bir-, Leeward Islands
William Buchfn. French trader OF Bira
Bira and six other persons, including a
native woman, the wife of one of the
party. were in the cutter and could rot
enter the harb0r on account Of the rough
sea The cutter was blown out to sea
During FIVE days the cutter was capsized
three times. The party after many hours