The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-07-23
TIDAL WAVE
STRUCK SHIP

Captain Robert Brown. Of the full
rugged British Leicester castle, ahd sne
of the best knowu mariners on the Pa.
cihc, be- a passenger 10 the states by
the =, - Mariana, his vessel being IN
Auckland iu 30 badly battered a cou.
dition. that she may have 10 remain
there for good aud all.
The ship was bound from Monte
Ndeo to Newcastle In ballast, for coal.
and had as adventurous voyage as
falls 10 the lot of any good ship.
When eight days out a huge tidal
wave overlook the ship, throwing her
on her beam ends. Two week later she
suffered serious damage in a gale, and
in continued tempestuous weather was
couple of weeks later dismasted and
crippled SO badly that for long time
she practically drifted at the mercy
of the elements. the ma iority on board
despairing of ever setting foot on land
again.
When she finally made a port II was
Auckland. 1900 miles from her original
destination.
Captain Brown is going TO San Fran
cisco TO await word from the under.
NIlltts III DOuuOns anu ne cohslutrh
il likely that the vessel will be ordered
sold. While no definite orders had
been received it is probable that the
Leicester Castle would have brought
her cargo of coal TO Honolulu.
Captain Brown IS story, as told yes.
terday, is as follows:
The Leicester Castle left Monte
Yideo on April -, and all went well
until she was eight days out. The ship
was then proceeding along under a
light wind, when, without warning. a
big tidal wave, estimated at 100 feet
high, struck the vessel. Had the ship
been fully loaded she must have met
with serious consequences. As il was,
she was thrown on her beam ends, and
il was fully ten minutes before she
righted again. Those on deck at the
time the mountainous wave struck the
ship were thrown off their feet. The
captain supposes that the disturbance
was due to seismic action under the
sea.
Nothing Of further moment was ex.
perienced until Monday, April 26, when
tempestuous weather was met with, the
vessel then being in Ais degrees south
and 3.45 west. At 6:l0 a. m. that day
such was the force of the wind that
the main topgallant yard and sail were
| carried away. The storm ragged for sew.
eral days afterwards, but the ship safe
Iy weathered it, and made Cape Howe
on the Australian coast, on June 10
At eight p. m. that day strong gale
with heavy running seas, set in, and
continued throughout the night, increas
ing in violence as the hours progressed
| Six o. clock on the following morning
found the vessel laboring heavily in
mountainous seas, and further damage
was sustained to the masts, sails and
the rigging. The gale continued un
abated throughout the day, but towards
midnight it eased Off, and the follow
ing morning found the vessel off Mon
tague Island, $50 miles south of Sydney
Heads.
1t seemed then that the vessel wa
to experience fine weather for the re
mainder of the voyage, but on tn
morning of June ~ the gale again Sc
in, and continued with undated fur,
for several days, during which tn
ship was hove to. On the 18th tn
-topgallant crosstrees snapped, an
later the fore.topgallant mast carried
away, bringing down the top masthea'
:. and all yards, which hung over tn
side. These would have been remove
at once, but the ship was laboring an
stroining 50 heavily that the captai
deemed it unsafe to send the crew for
ward to cut the wreckage away.
The gale then appeared to hav
blown itself out, as on the 18th an
10Th fairly moderate weather was es
perienced. During this time the vessC
was hove TO in order to enable tn
! wreckage TO be cleared away, and tn
> captain then determined to go befor
/ the wind, which carried him to Ne
t Zealand. Down the coast the captai
{ and crew naturally had trying tim
!, but they were favored with light wind
!, and made port as already stated.