The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-08-09
IVAN OTERENDORP
HERE ON A VISIT
CONTINUED from Page one)


ing forced the zealandia out of com
mission for five years.
Captain Van Oterendorp is one OF
the best known Qld-time mariners in
two oceans. He narrowly missed be-
ing an admiral, for in 1862 he refused
the command of a man-of-war of the
Confederate States of America. At
that time he was master of a German
sailing vessel, the Gauss, and was at
Charleston when the Conferedates Of
fered him command of a warship,
Captain Van Oterendorp's first visit
to the Hawaiian islaids was made in
1854 He came out from Bremen in
the brig Hero, Captain Weidemann,
with cargo consigned to Melchers,
Schaefer & Co.'S predecessor.
There was not much in Honolulu
then" says he which could be recog-
nized now, except the scenery. 1 re-
member taking a ride up the Pail,
horseback 1t was the first time | had
ever been on a horse in my life 1
thought the animal was going 10 bolt
over the precipice, but he stopped just
in time on the edge of the cliff with me
clinging to the pummel. There was
another German vessel in the harbor
at the time and remember that some
one aboard that vessel had just pur-
chased a very beautiful little Hawaiian
princess for a cask of gin. She was
tatooed and very modest and pretty"
In 1876 Captain Van Oterendorp
went to the Pacific coast from Ger
many to manage the Oregon Steamship
Company for Henry Willard. At that
time the fleet consisted of the wooden
sidewheelers John l.. Stevens and ORR
flame and the propeller Ajax, the com
pany afterwards buying the little
steamer Gussie Telfair. On his way
out to the Pacific coast Captain Van
Oterendorp bought the iron steamer
George W. Elder in New York from
the Old Dominic S. S. Co. and she
was taken around the Horn by Captain
Francis Conner. The propellers Oregon
and Columbia were built for the COM
pany The Columbia was wrecked in
collision recently with awful loss of
life and the George w. Elder rescued
some of the passengers, as told only
the other day Willard bought up the
Oregon Steam Navigation Company
and combined it with the other COM
pany in the Oregon Railroad and Navi-
cation Company. Van Oterendorp be-
came manager of the ocean division.
Van Oterendorp first went to sea IN
1913. When the North German Lloyd
S. S. Co. was established in 1857 he
entered it's service and in 1861 was
made a commander. He commanded
at different times the Schwalbe, New
York, Hansa, Main and Oder, all Of
which were vessels of over 300 tons
plying between Bremen and New York
except the Schwalbe which was ;
smaller vessel running on the Nortf
Sea- The trip to New York was theI
made in IA days
ScpIcllh an lOhlCLlhCN
with the Oregon Railway and Naviga
ton Company until the failure of Vii
lard in 1888, losing a great deal him
self in Wizards failure. In 1885 h
took command of the Zealandia.
This ancient mariners eventfu
career is an example of absolute tidel
ity to duty and he is happy in the al
most unequalled record of never hav
ing had an accident of any kind re
sulting in loss of life.
Speaking of the Columbia disaste
he says that men ashore are in nj
position to place responsibility. H
knew Captain Doran who was los
with his ship as careful, capable
master and liked him