The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-05-23
TELL STORY OF WRECK AND
PIRATES ON FINGER ROCK
The Officers, Crew and Passengers Of lI-Fated
Pacific Mail Steamer Asia Reach
Honolulu on Way Home.

"My ship went on Finger Rock in
fog and is total loss, but tho pas
sengers were taken of safely and all
their personal effects, and the Asia,
when 1 last saw her, was a total wreck,
partially burned after the pirating Chi
nese fishermen had looted her I am
now on the way to San Francisco, with
the officers and European members Of
the crow, to appear at the inquiry into
the loss of the steamer which is to be
held there.''
Captain Gaulrroger, who was com
mander Of the British steamship Asia,
that flew the Pacific Mail company's
flag, is through passenger on the
liner Mongolia, having been taken of
the Asia when the Mongolia passed
close to Finger Rock on her way up
the Chinese Coast to Shanghai, en- route
to Honolulu and San Francisco. With
Captain Gaukroger is Purser Hunt and
all the white officers and the crew down
to the night watchman, and in addi-
tion there are about thirty of the pas
sengers who were aboard the Asia when
she struck Finger Rock, early on that
Sunday morning, April 23.
From the appearance of the officers
and passengers one would hardly sup.
pose they had been participants in
thrilling wreck, and had warded off
pirates, and had camped on hot, tree
less rock until assistance, in the shape
of a Chinese steamer, came to their
rescue. But they are aboard the Mon
golia, and Captain Gaukroger is wear
ing his clothes as nattily as ever, for
he looks, in his "cits. - as though he
had just stepped out of Bond street.
Passengers Cared For.
There have been many marine dis
asters, but in the case of the Asia the
testimony of the passengers affords eo-
! quent proof of the heroic care shown
| by the captain, officers and crew of the
for the owners of the vessel, because of
the splendid discipline maintained.
Captain Gau1roger states that the
ship was going along slowly through
dense fog and he was striving to
keep true course, but the current,
apparently, drove her out of the line,
and this is attested to by the fact that
the relieving steamer also found her
self in the same position.
! The Asia's commander was called
! upon to confront an unlooked-for dan
ger at moment Is notice. He saw his
peril, and perceiving that a catastrophe
could not be averted, recognizing also
that only decisive action would ward
off calamity, he deliberately, and ac-
cording to marine experts wisely, ran
his vessel full speed upon the rocks.
One minute IS hesitation might have i'm
periled the lives of every one aboard
the liner Tt has been gratifying to
those who participated in the disaster
to know that the passengers combined
to pay him a fine tribute for his cool
ness and judgment in critical mo-
ment.
Captains Story.
Captain Gaukroger gives his own
story in modest way. He says that
as soon as the vessel struck she began
to fill, and he ordered the boats out.
Everything was sdone with clocklike
regularity. Although it was early in
the morning the boats were made ready
and the passengers and their personal
effects were put on board, the passen-
gers being taken to the shore of the
rock. The crew worked all day and by
dusk all the trunks and personal be-
longings was out of the holds and
much of it ashore.
The passengers, together with pro
visions, were put ashore, bat by that
time the Chinese steamer Shaoching
had come up to the scene and the pas
sengers were once more put in the
boats and sent on board the steamer.
The mail and the baggage was then
transferred to the assisting vessel, by
J which time it was dark. Captain Gauk-
roger, the chief officer and the chief
engineer, remained on board the vessel
all night.
Fire on Pirates.
, But while the work of unloading the
, baggage and mail was under way Cap
tain Gaukroger states that swarms of
junks of Chinese fishermen came
, around the vessel, intent on looting
There were hundreds of these vessels
and finally in order to keep them from
boarding the snip the omcers mad re-
course to two revolvers, rifle and two
shotguns, with which they poured an
, incessant fire in the direction of the
prospective pirates and in this way
awed them and kept them at bay.
There were hundreds of Chinese and
they swarmed over the ship, when they
finally got aboard, because the ammu
5 milton gave out. They were like snarl
5 ing dogs and as busy as bees. During
, the firing Mrs Dong Shee, wife of an
/, Oakland Chinese, was hit by a stray
! bullet, the ball going through nei
back and coming out at the waist. Sh,
: is aboard the Mongolia and has quit,
recovered from the wound.
During the time the officers wer,
preparing 70 leave, A. Arundel, Of IN.
: crew, missed the engineers small boa
: and got into another and was Rnall,