The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1906-12-11

The old-time tragedy of HaWalah
seas brought back to the memory OF
the older kamaainas through the re-
production of the details of the wreck
of the gunboat Saginaw on ocean
Island. in 1870, published in this paper
Yesterday has attracted considera BILE
attention along the waterfront yes
terday the drift of conversation was
along the matter of wrecks, 1ounuer-
ings on the high seas, collisions ana
fires The wreck of the ship Dunottai
Castle was especially recalled by the
story of the Saginaw disaster.
The Dunottar Castle story is strange
ly like that of the Saginaw. 1t oc-
Cured in 1878 and, as recalled by Cap
tain Campbell, was as follows:
The ship, driven before gale, plea
I'D on the coral reef on Ocean Island
where eight years before, the Saginaw
had struck The crew reached the land
in safety. their ships boat beng
thrown I'D on the beach uninjured. AS
III
| resolved to despatch the small boat for
| help, the island being out of the course
of passing vessels and the supply OF
| food and water which could be secured
| from the wrecked ship being scanty.
| crew was selected for the forlorn
hone uoder the command of the cap
tain. and the course of the little open
boat was set for the Island of Kauai
the nearest point from which help
| could be secured The trials under
| gone by the members of the boat crew
| from the Saginaw were experienced py
lthose toiling at the oars to bring sue
/ cor for their comrades of the Dunot'
TAR. but while the Saginaw men reached
Kauai in thfrty-one days, only one man
! surviving the hardships of the trip. the
DUnottar crew tossed for flfty-tWt
days at the mercy of the elements. bu1
arrived safely with all hands BY
most striking coincidence, their little
boat touched the shores of Kauai at
point only four miles distant from the
| Mace where the bodies of the Saginaw
| seamen and the only survivor had peer
washed ashore eight years before.
The news of the arrival of this boat
load of men was taken to Hanalel
where the steamer James Makee, com
manded by Captain Campbell, was ly
ing With due haste the men Wer
| picked up and brought to Honolulu
The news they brought excited IN
greatest interest and a rescue boal
the steamer Waielaela, was sent u
Ocean Island. James Boyd, represent
ing the Hawaiian government, was
| charge of the expedition.
Arriving at Ocean Island, they foun
that the shipwrecked crew had bee
picked up by a passing vessel, oeln
finally landed at Valparaiso. The trl
of the Waielaela was not thrown away
however. Plenipotentiary Boyd tak1n
formal possession of the island IN tn
iname of His Hawaiian Majesty an
hosting the Hawaiian flag. sheife
house for other shipwrecked crews wa
also built while the Waielaela re
| mained there.
AS a. souvenir of the wreck, one
the ground-glass windows OF the bu
nottar was brought to Honolulu, to q
seen now in the office of the inter
Island Company. The glass shows
scene of Dunottar Castle, the h1storl
Scotch hall after which the unfortuna'
d vessel was named The ships boa
which had been the quarters of III
brave Dunottar men during their Try
ing fifty two days trip, was purchase
as a relic by King Kalakaua, beln
used by him on the Honolulu harpc
for several years after.