The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-01-31

| lufcus Efom tuaN Nttuc Vn tue NVScN'
leaked, but was still in scawerthy
condition. Captain Larsen saw no rea
son for changing his course and still
headed for san Francisco.
The leak which was started was q
shall one, but kept Increasing and the
pumps were in use almost continually,
from that time On. On January &, more
trouble came and il was n case of
using the most extreme efforts TO try
TO get the ship into port, The weather
had not been bad, but, probably through
the fault of the man at the wheel,
though Captain Larsen refuses to place
any blame on his crew, heavy sea
was shipped, which carried away the
bulwarks.
This meant the worst kind of pilikia,
The deck. heavily laden as the ship
was with her cargo of fuel, was within
few feet of. the waters edge. Every
sea that struck her swept her clean,
and. breaking the doors of the forward
house, the windows and skylights, the
water poured through in torrent. This
was added to the quantity already in
the hold and which was constantly in
creasing through the leak. Danger was
certainly near.
Realizing at once the peril in which
his vessel was, Captain Larsen order
ed fire under the boiler of the donkey
engine, used for either hosting cargo
or for the ships pumps. This in it
self was a hard matter. With the seas
sweeping in as they, were, it was a mat
ter of extreme difficulty to keep the
fire going. 1t was finally well started
and steam for the pumps was ready.
The two pumps were set in action,
and after working all night, it was
found that there was little use in try
ing to keep ahead of the enormous
volume of water that was pouring into
the hold. The men, in the meantime,
spurred to action by the gravest
danger that sailor cansface, of his
ship laundering at sea, worked with
desperation at the hand pumps.
Work as they would it was of no
avail. On the fourth day after the
bulwarks had been washed away, it
was found that there was eleven and
half feet of water in the hold, and
though the pumps had been worked to
their utmost the water had made a
gain of one and a half feet during the
night. The vessel was actually water
logged and with every swell more was
being added. The condition of peril
may be imagined from the fact that
two hours after this measurement had
been taken the water had gained a
foot and a half more.
Reluctantly, but knowing that there
was no other thing to be done, Captain
Larsen gave the order to abandon ship.
For eight years he had been in COM
mand of the Eclipse and to leave her
now in midocean, regardless of the risk
which he and his men must take, was
enough to cause many man to despair.
Not so with Larsen. He knew his
duty. The men under him must be
cared for and brought ashore in safety
if that was in his power.
Two boats were lowered and both
were carefully provisioned. Captain
Larsen took command of the lifeboat, |
taking with him the following proyi-
sions: 60 gallons of water, four eases
of canned salmon, $50 pounds of ships
bread, and two cases of tomatoes. A
still larger supply of provisions and
the same amount of water was placed
in the ships, boat which was in charge |
of First Mate Cameron. In Cameron s |
boat was supply of beef, and it was
expected that as soon as calm water |
was reached the two boats would in
terchange supplies and thus even up
matters.
This was not to be. The ship was
abandoned on Saturday, January II at
noon, and the next morning passed with
everything well, though there was quite |
a heavy swell. At 5 O'Clock on Sun
day afternoon, the disaster occurred |
which cost the lives of three men and |
endangered the lives of the thirteen
who remain today.
A heavy gale came up and Captain
Larsen ordered the boats to heave to
and threw out a sea anchor from his |
craft, also giving a line to that of the !
mate. This proved to be lucky pre-
Cameron 8 boat preached to |
before a heavy swell just before mid
night and was eapsized. There was no
chance to right her and it was only |
through the greatest of perseverance,
aided by heroism on the part of the
other men that all were rescued and
brought into the lifeboat. The worst
accident was that both water and pro-
visions had been lost.
In Cameron IS boat there were six men
besides himself and with Larsen were
aight SaiIors This oava tho lifahoat |