The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-09-29
DID
ALL SHE COULD
Continued from Page u


to pull. From where we lay We could
have done nothing.
As a, rcsui, of the soundings I
found that we could approach within
SOC yards of the Mongolia. Then the
officer returned and we decided TO move
in and make the pull.
The Mongolia had a piece of seven
ircu wire nawser 500 feet long and we
had a 600-foot piece of five-inch wire.
Il was arranged that the Mongolia was
to send out their line ana we We're TO
connect with ii by doubling our wire
and by adding a piece of siX-inch hemp.
This was the plan. The intention was
to swing the Mongolia around until the
wire hawsers We're long enough. then To
ru1l directly on this. It was dark by
the time that this arrangement was
completed and dangerous for us TO stay
in so close. so we buoyed the end of our
ca BILE with timbers and stood out
AT dawn we came back to pick up
the buoy We approached within $50
yards of the Mongolia and anchored,
but in looking for our buoy we found
that it had broken away and that our
cable had sunk. We resolved to Crap
pie for it. and after a great deal of
trouble it was picked up. In the mean
time we had tried to raise it from the
end that was attached to the Mongolia's
hawser. but found it fouled at that end.
We commenced to raise it from the
other end, raised by our grapple, and
had taken it all up to nearly the Sec +,
ond section when it parted.
Now what could we do? We had no
more tackle. We might have found the
end again and succeeded in getting it.
but this would probably have meant
two or three days work Certainly we
could not have done anything until
the next day.
I'm the meantime our officers from /
the shore reported that the passengers
were all right and that the Buford, the
Restorer, the Iroquois and possibly the
Lawton were coming TO the rescue. Our
coal was gone and in view of the fact
that the four boats were coming i saw
no further necessity for standing by
If I could have helped any I would
certainly have stayed, but l thought
that my duty had been done and so
decided to go.
Il sent word to the Mongolia that
there was no use for us to stand by
any longer and telling Captain Porter
that our coal was running short. Ihen
he offered to supply US, but to get
enough TO us in the heavy swell that
was running would have been lmpos-
sible because we would have had to
have 100 tons a day I thanked him for
the offer, but declined it.
Now, in regard to the story that
Captain Porter was ordered OF my
vessel, I want to say that there must be
some very grievous mistake here. 1t
was reported to me that Captain Porter |
81 do and wished tn see UlS. |
T sent word to have him conducted TO
nv cabin where I waited for him Tor |
about ten minutes, and as he did not |
come I sent out to know why. The
message that was brought me was that
CAPTAIN Porter could not climb the /
rope ladder over the side. We did not
lower our companionway at any time |
while at Midway because of the sWells. |
IT thought that Captain Porter had |
ccme to say goodbye to me ana 10
thank me for what 1 had at least trleo
to do for him, and went on oeck "
speak to him. I had never met hlni
and wanted to, but he had left peIore
7 could see him. / was sorry not 70
have met him and the story that
ordered him off the vessel or that any
of my officers did so is not true.
81 was told that Captain Porter
wished to have one of my Launches
after he had gone, but / did not kno"
II at the tine he was beside the Ane-
eawa. In any event I would have hao
to refuse it, as / have no authority W
sell or loan launches. and would nave
explained this to him. Il
"All the soundings l had maze al
Midway were those made to allow tne
Anegawa to get as close as possioie
To the Mongolia to assist her.