The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-03-03
AND SUNK,
MOI WAHINE GOES
TO BOTTOM
lcanlIansd ltom 80 49,

Continued from Page one.)
position TO be sesreiige about the
tragedy, and only when pressed for
information was anything made public.
The Kukul returned here Tuesday
morning. No report was made then to
the collector Of customs. The officers
remained secretive Finally, they ad-
mittod that they had collided with a
ship in midchannci. Lieut.. Leo sahm,
u. S. N, inspector Of the light
house district, was aboard the vessel
as passenger and asleep at that time,
but came on declr after the collision.
He stated on Tuesday that the Kukui
hunted around but saw nothing, and
having heard no calls for help the cap
tain returned her to the course and
came on to Honolulu. He stated then
that the schooner showed no lights.
Captain Sam denies this statement and
asserts his lights were burning.
Would Have Sent Thetis.
On Wednesday relatives of the crew
sought officials of the government and
asked that search be made for the
missing vessel. Information concerning
the collision was asked for by the col
leetor of customs, but little was forth
coming He intended having the reve-
nue. cutter Thetis sent out to look for
the vessel or traces of her. In the alb
sence of any particular knowledge
nothing could be done. The officers of
the steamer responsible for so many
deaths had little to say and that little
most indefinite.
Yesterday morning it was understood
that the Kukui would be sent to sea
in the afternoon in search for the YES
sci, but shortly after noon came the
first definite news that the schooner
had been lost and that but a single
member of the ships company had
reached land. This came in the form OF
message to Captain Keriger from
, Lahaina and was as follows;
FIRST News Of Disaster
"Moi wahine sunk. Seven sailors
drowned. Captain Sam only person
saved Drifted on plank to Awalua
Lanai, yesterday afternoon, and has
, just reached Lahaina.' -
The message caused sensation. The
midnight meeting in the channel, con
corning which little had been reported
ON by the Kukui IS people, and SO little
b notice taken of it that the Kukui re
: NAMED in port all day Tuesday ant
4 Wednesday, and even yesterday, turn
a out to be one of the worst disasters Of
J. the kind ever locally known, and made
, known only by hardy Hawaiian ship
master, who was able to drift in the
open sea upon plank for thirty sis
hours and reach shore to tell his side
I of the story.
!; The text of the message was reported
by Captain Keriger to the Office of tbs
!. lighthouse inspector, where he made s
4 report thereon, and from there he wen
g to the Office of the collector of custom!
t and delivered another copy of the wire
less message.
1 He was asked to turn in "wrecl
q report, - and on the blank used for thai
4 purpose he filled out a report which wa!
a mere skeleton of what was needed
The collector asked for a more detailed
account of the collision.
! Shortly after Captain Keriger left tn,
, customs office the collector was fur
nished a copy of a message received b.
: Hind, Rolph & Co, agents for the Mo
Wahine, as follows;
Kukui Sailed On.
q "Moi Wahine lost / am at Lahaina
4 "SANI."
a This was from the captain of the yes
n sci, and terse and brief as a seaman
s could make ont of such news as he had
q but Captain Sam had had former eS
L periences in swimming ashore fror
h wrecked vessels, and this was no new
although perhaps An unusual. exper
ence for him.
But the climax came when longe
message was received late in the after
noon, addressed to The Advertiser, Civ
ing news which appears to throw al
blame upon the officers of the Kuku
/ The message was as follows:
"Captain Sam claims that the KulSu
tried to cross his bows and rammed tn
Moi Wahine amidships, sinking her bC
fore a boat could be lowered. TIL
&c schooner had all lights burning and a
e, hands were on deck. The Kukui di
r not stop"