The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-09-19
THE MANNING HAD
A NARROW ESCAPE
REVENUE CUTTERS HARD BUMP AN UNCHARTERED ROCK IN
THE NORTHERN sEA-JAPANEsE PRISONERS ON BOARD
WERE IN PANIC, BUT PROMPT ARRANGEMENTS WERE PER-


SEATTLE, September 3.-The Unit
ou States revenue cutter Manning.
which ran on an unCharted rock OFF
knight island last month, while on
her way to Valdez with Japanese seal
poachers her crew had captured, arriv-
ed in port yesterday. The captain
tells an interesting story of the ex-
element among the japanese prison
ers who became panic stricken when
the Manning hit the rock and were
only prevented from escaping in boats
by the officers, who drew their guns
and drove them to the upper deck.
Subsequently they were landed and
placed under guard until the Manning
backed off at high tide and proceeded
to Valdez.
The Manning struck two and a
quarter miles off Knight island The
accident occurred at the extreme low
tide of the season. Nine feet of water
covered the rock. The obstruction is
directly in the path of steamships and
Cant. ]. C. Cantwell states he passed
directly over the spot when in the
Mccullough last season.
When the Manning struck she heel
ed to starboard lying so far over that
the starboard boats could not be low
cred. Sixty-three japanese sealers un-
der arrest and on their way to Valdez
were on the upper deck. They be-
came panic stricken and swarmed to-
ward the port boats which Capt. Cant
well had ordered lowered.
Capt. Cantwell sprang into the mob
and ordered them to fall back. The
Japanese paused a moment and he or
dered Lieut. Rideout and Austin to
take the prisoners in charge. These
two officers, with drawn guns, drove
the frightened prisoners to the upper
deck, where they were kept under
guard.
"The discipline was perfect" de-
clared Capt. Cantwell yesterday. "Ex-
cept for the Japanese there was not a
sound of excitement during the Incl
dent. We had the boats over the side
and waiting in two minutes. 1 eX-
pected the vessel to sink at any min
ute from the position in which she
lay and ordered everything prepared
to abandon the ship.
There were 140 persons aboard and
the boats would only accommodate
about half that number. | ordered the
Japanese prisoners into the boats and
had them rowed to the beach of
knight island under guard. They were
landed there with a detachment of
men and the boats returned, making
the round trip in an hour and ten
minutes.
I'm the meantime a steam launch
from one of the copper mines on the
island bound for Valdez came along
side. I hailed it and asked her cap
tain to go back to the mine and tell
the Santa Clara, which was expected
there, to come to our aid. They turn
ed back with my message.
while the boats were going ashore
First Lieut.. Joins set about construct
ing RATS. Within thirty minutes he
had made two ready for use. They
we're built of the strong backs. water
breakers and cooling boards with life
preservers under them to give them
buoyancy They were strong and sea
worthy and would have done excellent
service had they been needed.
1--WE set about getting the provi'
sions out the valuable instruments
and collecting the ships records. Then
/ told the crew and officers to collect