The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-10-27
.SHIPWRECK
EXPERIENCES
Yacht MayfIOWer Is Wrecked
Englishman Describes the
Wreck of Argonaut.

1 y
Some amateur treasure finders. who
chartered the Mayfiower, the schooner
yacht that once won the America cup
faud took her to the Caribbean Sea, OF
rather started to take her, met with
disaster. The old boat could not stand
the buffeting of a severe storm that
came up, and she was soon dismasted
and helpless in the seaway.
The first thing they did was to heave
over the dynamite they had with them,
and, somewhat lightened with three
tons of lightweight gone, the old box
made better weather of it. Three
steamers came alongside, but were I'M
| able to effect a rescue on account of
| the roughness of the water, until on
Sunday, October 4, the steamer Hippo
| Baltimore, put in ar appearance. The
crew of this vessel managed to get a
line aboard the wreck, and all the crew
and the five Harvard graduates who
composed the adventurous party, were
hauled safely aboard shortly before the
yacht sank.
| The father of a member of the Adj
vertiser staff had similar experience
recently He was aboard the ill-fated
steamer Argonaut, that was run down
in the English channel by the steamer
Kingswell, in the early morning of Sep
TENDER %, in a fog. He writes the fol
lowing account of very distressing,
though, fortunately, not fatal expert
ence:
I've left Tilbury just before six on
Monday evening, September %, in fine
weather, though it was inclined to be
a little hazy. William, my man,
thought we were going to have wind,
but something seemed to tell me that
fog was coming; and it came. When
we got off Deal about IL O'Clock it was
beautifully clear on the land side, and
we saw the lights of the town distinctly.
But it was foggy seward, and we could
not see the Goodwin light. So the cap
tain decided to anchor all night.
"Between FIVE and six O'Clock the
next morning we started again, and at
half-past eight we were about six
miles west of Dungeness. At 8:35,
when the breakfast bugle had just
sounded, | was about to descend, when
I looked over the side of the vessel and
saw steamer about 200 feet off, COM
ing very slowly, but straight for us,
we being at a standstill [ stood
amazed, and I said to myself: why
on earth does not the captain either
port his helm or give the order for
full speed asteru? 1t almost seemed
as though he said to himself, There is
a target; I shall make for it and show
them what a good marksman / am. No
outer for me, but the bull 's-eye.' When
] saw the collision was inevitable,
chung to some rigging. The shock made
us cant over to port, then rebound, and
back again little to port. Even then
it did not strike me there was any Sc
rious damage done. I went forward
and looked over the side of the vessel
and saw that the side was indented, but
above water-mark I thought there
was nothing to prevent us proceeding
to Lisbon, and cheerfully went down to
breakfast I had scarcely eaten one
mouthful when orders came for US all
to go on deck. Boats were lowered,
and in the most orderly way passengers
descended into them. I freely admit
it was not a comfortable feeling to be
standing on a vessel which knew then
was sinking-indeed, could almost feel
it-and at the same time wait patiently
for my turn while the ladies and others
got into the boats. I may say | had
got to my deck cabin, but all I saved
was my pipe and tobacco. William
put a life-belt tor ME, but / told him
to take it off as I did not like the feel |
ing. I wished to put on my deck pilot |
coat, but he ominously advised me not
to. After we had all got into the boats
we waited a little time some 100 feet |
or so from the vessel and saw that the |
Argonaut was then with her bows in |
the water and her stem cooked up, re |
vealing all her propeller. Mercifully |
the other vessel, the Kingswell, was not |
far off, though hidden by the fog. /
may here explain that do not think |