The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-08-27
GERMAN SHIP
IS RUNAWAY
CFrom wednesday,s AdvertIser.l

(From Wednesdays Advertlser.)
After dragging her anchors loose
from the coral reefs at the entrance
to Honolulu harbor on Monday after
noon the German ship Nordsee drifted
off to southwark with only few mem
bers of her crew aboard, and the cap
tain ashore Last night the vessel
was more than score of miles off
port, but fifteen additional men are
now aboard to work the sails and to
make an effort to hoist the anchors
and many fathoms of chain dangling
over the side and far down into the
water.
While Captain Peitsmeir was ashore
attending to some final business mat
ters connected with the vessel,
strong wind arose blowing off shore
and the vessel had yanked her mud
hook out of the coral and started off
to the open sea. Captain Peitsmeir
chased out to the vessel in a launch,
and then sent the chief officer back
into the harbor to engage the tug In
trepid to go after the runaway. The
tug captain asked 5000 to do the job,
for he knew that dredging anchors
and several fathoms of chain meant a
tough pull. The German officer re-
fused to pay this.
Late in the night a boat was sent
ashore for assistance, and with a few
men the boat started back for the
ship. The men sailed far out, but
being unable to locate the ship in the
darkness, started for shore again, ar.
irving here at O'Clock yesterday
morning. Then real determined eff.
fort was made to bring the runaway
ship back, for she was almost hull
down. The gasoline schooner Moko.
lii was chartered and fifteen men were
picked up on the waterfront. The
Mokoli chased after the Nordsee, the
intention being to put the men
aboard to work the ship back to port
where the anchor could be dropped
into the coral again, the ship swung
to properly and then have the hook
hoisted. This is almost impossible to
do out at sea for the chain drags
angle to the hawse hole and without
steam power cannot be drawn up.
The fifteen men were engaged at
the rate of forty cents each per hour,
making a bill of about $3.50 per day.
Some waterfronts think it will be
two or three days before the vessel is
brought back to Honolulu and that
means a big bill of expenses.
At the police station there are six
sailors of the Nordsee who quit the
vessel and remained in hiding. When
they saw the ship leaving port Mon
day afternoon they were in high glee.
The boat was leaving earlier than ex.
pected and the captain apparently was
not taking the trouble to look them
up. Four of them went out beyond
Diamond Head and yesterday morn.
ing after seeing that the vessel was
about hull down, decided to come
into town. They were met by officer
Nawahi who took them in tow. They
didn't mind that bit, for WASH It
their ship far out to seat So they
accompanied the officer to the station
without protest, and there received a
jolt when they learned that the Nord
see had only drifted away from shore
and every effort was being made to
get her into port again. Two other
Nordsee sailors were found near Iwilei
also in hiding.
The vessel, when she went adrift,
had only a few young men aboard,
not enough to handle the sails or
work the ship at all. Had the blow
continued off shore with the some
severity it began the vessel might
have been sent far away and only
found by much searching. There was
not only danger ahead for the ship,
but the lives of those aboard were i'm
periled.
The Nordsee is a vessel of 1852
tons and arrived here July 2s from
Leith with a general cargo for Hack.
field & Co. The crew were quite
musical lot and often at night the
downtown streets were enlivened with
their music, the only instrument being
an accordion.
The Mokolii had not returned from
the Nordsee last evening.