The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-04-22
Transport Dix Had Perilous Trip
and Bears Evidence of Her
Fight With Elements.
CREWS BRAVERY PROVED
From Captain to Coal Passer All
Do Their Duty and Bring
the Ship Safely In.
tFrom Thursday,s Advertlser.l

Battered ana Scared from an en-.
counter with the worst gale expe-
rienced during many years of service
in the Pacific trade, the army transport
Dix, Captain George Ankers, reached
port yesterday afternoon at four
o clock, twenty-one days from Japan. |
Five days behind schedule, the voyage
of the transport from the coal port of
Mike was marked throughout by bad
weather and unfavorable sailing con-
ditions, as well as a sharp encounter
with terrific gale that lasted six days. |
Damages to the Dix during the gale
include the destruction of the port rail
for almost the full length of the ship,
shattered boat decks and damaged life
boats, severe wrenching of the entire
superficial tophamper of the vessel, and
the twisting of stanchions and ventila-
tor tunnels throughout the ship. Even
the bridge suffered as the rail on the
port section is bent in.
After ten days. of continuously bad
weather while in latitude 81 north and
IT'S west, a high northeast wind that
had retarded progress of the ship de-
veloped inc a full gale, continuing
from April IL to April 10. During the
existence of the storm the Dix, deep
loaded with Japanese coal for this port,
labored heavily and encountered con-
ditions which it seemed impossible to
survive. The vessel IS ordinary speed
of ten knots an hour was reduced by
contact with head winds and monster
seas to ability to cover but eighty-fi five
miles a day.
Numerous individual efforts to pre-
vent the destruction of the transport,
or at least, her property, proved the
mettle of her crew, not one showing
the white feather in the extra service
required of officers and men. With the
storm at its height, shortly after mid
night of April II, starboard or wealth
|er side lifeboat was snatched from its
lashings by particularly high sea that
swept the ship. With the wind blow
ing so fiercely that it was almost be-
yond human endurance to Withstand
the force of the storm, and with the
llifeboat being steadily demolished by
being blown against the hull, Boat
swain A. N. Rasmussen was lowered
into the swaying and pitching craft
with line about his waist. Active eff.
1
ted his rescuing the. loosened boat.
On the night of April 10 strong steel
bands and gripes that dashed the ships
steam launch to a deck cradle were
snapped asunder, permitting the launch
| to lurch inboard. Serious complica-
tions threatened without a correction
of the trouble. In the face of most
adverse circumstances, with which
there was the danger of recurring
wave sending the launch over the ship
and demolishing the smokestack, Chief
Officer Edward LeSack made the dere-
lict secure. With fifty-mile gale
sending monster waves the full length
of the deck, and seas running so high
that inability to maintain steerageway
against the storm meant being thrown
into the trough of the sea and death,
the steam steering gear carried away
and became unserviceable. With an
inadequate hand appliance only avail
able the threatening situation was seri-
Gus. Careful work on the part Of the
officers of the deck, supplemented by
quick work on the part of the engi-
neers under Chief J. d. Narrower, pre-:
vented the destruction that seemed i'm
minent.
The gale through which the Dix
passed was but an incident of an un.
Favorable passage throughout the en-.
tire voyage from the Japanese coast
until the Hawaiian Islands were picked
lup. Sailing from Japan, navigation of
1.-THE transport was made difficult owing
Ito an obscured and heavy atmosphere
A record of unusual excellence with
navigation was accomplished by Cap
tain Ankers and his officers, notwith
lstanding the serious difficulties under
which they labored. Although gales
that required careful nursing of the
transport S course were long and seri
Gus and thick weather made the secur
ing of observations exceedingly casual
-four days out from Honolulu, and with
out a sight of the sun for many days
picking up the Japanese liner Tenyc
Maru, bound from this port for Yoke
!, hLma, disclosed that the steamer track
usual for vessels in the Honolulu Jap
an trade had been so closely followed
that the two steamers passed within q
mile.
In Maneuvers.
In an absence of four months from
Honolulu the transport Dix has add
ed Importantly 10 her record covering
nine years in the transport service
Under command Of Captain Ankers and
Lieutenant Rufus j. Clark, transport
quaTtermaster, the big animal CARRIE
and freighteT took an important detail
with the army maneuyers recently helt
in the Philippines. Without a marrinl
incident the Dix transported TOO
troops and 1000 animals between Ma
Mia and ths scene Of imaginary war
fare and returned them 20 Manila. Thi
facility with which the big vessel car
rled out her part Of the work o. nayl
eating waters unusual and aiding thl
lqniek transportation of troops aud ami
mails brought much eommendaiiop from
otheefs IN charge Of the Bis vi
game,