The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-01-15
THE ANDREW WEIGH
HAS HARD TIME
TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE OF
MARINERS ABOARD THE WELL
KNOWN BARK LAST TRIP

KNOWN BARK LAST "TRIP
SAN FRANCISCO. Jan Caught
In the teeth on a terrific sQuall and a
troachorous tide, while entering the
Golden Gate week ago the bark An
drew Welcn was drawn helplessly out
past the reckoning lights of the harboi
past the Farrallones and almost on to
the rocks of Point Arena, to be FUR
Their harassod by a huge waterspout
which whipped up from the surface OF
the waves to the heavens within few
ship lengths of the vessels stern.
After having undergone this terrible
experience the Andrew Welch labored
back to port and for days battled out
side the Heads, endeavoring to make
way during which time she was super
stitiously spoken of by seatarlng men
as a Flying Dutchman from ner strange
antics.
Day dawned yesterday morning 20
find the bark still moving crafty about
just inside the lightship. A tug was
sent out through the morning mist to
get the Flying Dutchman This ended
the adventures Of the Andrew WEIGH
and she was towed to a safe haven off
Meiggs wharf
The waterspout reported by the An
drew Welcn is causing much wonder
ment among mariners as the phenom-
enUn has never before been witnessed
SO close to San Francisco. The bark
encountered the watery funnel of water
thirty-liye miles southwest of Point
Arena. It's proportions We're gigantic
aud it whrled with great rapidity and
an unearthly sound
The story which the officers Of the
Andrew Welch tell is one of those
strange tales of the sea which are al
most unbelievable.
According to Chief officer Henry
Peters, the Andrew Welch arrived in
side the lightship eight days ago from
Hllo in ballast. The trip had been a
favorable one and no trouble was eX-
pected in entering the harbor. Under
well-tilled topsails the bark approached
the Heads. Suddenly a squat puffed
out of the south and, fearing that the
rigging would be torn away, Captain
Killey ordered down the canvas
The vessel was then helpless, and
with the increasing velocity of the
gale which now came from the east
as well as the south, she was rapidly
drawn out. The glittering lights of
the harbor were soon far behind and
the revolving eye of the Farallones
| light came into view.
For a brief time the gale abated and
Captain Killey ordered a topsail spread
In an instant this was torn into shreds
and no further efforts were made for
time to spread canvas. The bark
was drawn for miles at five knots an
hour before the gale. All night long
the crew labored and none sought their
hunks until late the next day, when
exhaustion compelled them.
Monday and Tuesday the storm con-
| tinued and when light dawned on New
Years Day the crew of the Inflated
vessel could see a strip of beach, back
OF which piled the rocks of Point
Arena. The roar OF the breakers drove
them to a last chance. A sail was
spread on the mizzen mast and held
Then the wind moderated slightly and
just as the bark was dangerously near
the rocks she stood out to sea.
More sail was spread and the Andrew
WEIGH moved seward at a rapid pace
At intervals the crew were blinded by
rain squalls, but they stayed at their
work. On Thursday a heavy southerly
sea was running, but the ship was now
out of danger,
At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the
lookout sighted a great wall of water
several miles ahead. The first mate
had never seen a waterspout before,
but he knew it was one and had read
of the fate of ships that came in their
path.
The spout moved rapidly toward the
ship and shew as almost caught at its
base when the luck which followed the
bark again came into evidence. The
snout was within a quarter of a mile
from the stern when it curled off in the
opposite direction. The men on the
bark say they could see the water
spout until darkness set in.
The Andrew Welch will load with
general merchandise for Hilo. She is
little the worse for her experience and