The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-03-19

week or more ago by cable, and il !
the tanker is associated in the minds
of Honolulu people with tragedy and
death it will be even more closely |
allied with tragedy in the minds of
the people of the California coast In
a terrific southeast gale the steamer
pounded herself to pieces on the rocks
at Gaviota on the morning of March
10 and if it had not been for the
heroism of railroad men who watched
the catastrophe from the shore and
carried lines through the surf to the
steamer the entire crew would have
been lost AS At happened thirty-four
out of the SO members of the crew
were saved by riding in the breeches
buoy supplied by a Southern Pacific
railroad employee who swan through
the surf and carried line ashore,
The Rosecrans, which is known
here as the ship on which the WynneI
murder occurred, YVES bound from this
port to Gaviota. While she was APP
preaching Gaviota where she was to
load oil for this port, the gale blew
up, and 500 yards off Alcatraz, the ter
minus of the Santa Maria pipe line,
she dropped anchor. 1t was impos-
sible to get outside and the skipper,
! l.. F. Johnson, determined to ride out
the storm, but as morning approached
the gale increased and in spite of an
chors, reversed engine and the con-
tinued efforts of the whole crew, the
steamer dragged inshore. The wire
less operator got in touch with the
torpedo fleet, with San Pedro and with
Point Arguello, and the torpedo boats
promised immediate aid, but just as
this assurance was received a fresh
burst of the gale carried the steamer
inshore and drove her broadside on
: the rocks.
In this first contact a great hole APP
peared in the port side and the sea
uoured in with such rapidity that
pumps were useless. Within a few
minutes there we're 25 feet of water in
the hold and the vessels which tried
to lend assistance were endangered
by the rocks without being able to
give any material service. The Falls
of Clyde, bark owned by the asso-
ciated Oil Company, to which the Rose
Grams belonged, stood by and tried to
get her boats to the steamer but at
this time the Clyde was menaced and
it took all the efforts of her crew to
keep her off shore. The lumber
schooner Dispatch and one of the tor
.pedo boats responded to the call OF
the wireless but by the time they were
IN action the steamer was wreck and
all of the crew who could be saved
were safe ashore.
Efforts to get away from the Rose
Grams in her own boats resulted in
the death of Quartermaster Arnold
Muhlberg and Carpenter William Wey
man, both of San Francisco. Null
berg made an effort to lower a yawl
from the forward deck and was car
ried away by a giant comber which
broke over the deck and dashed the
other men against the rail while II
carried the quartermaster over into
the sea. Weyman succeeded in get
ting a boat out with two other mem
bers of the crew, but the boat cap
sized in the breakers and, while the
other men chung to the boat and were
reached by a line, Weyman struck
out with a buoy, became exhausted
and went down.
Had it not been for the railroad EN-
ployes on shore the whole crew woulc
probably have met the same fate, bu
Osborne had the courage to swim GU
and take line from the steamer aft
err which a cable YVES quicly riggec
up and the breeches buoy put into
operation. Captain Johnson, who If
lonly q years of age, is said to have
shown remarkable GOODNESS and couT
age throughout the affair and, afte
Ll6 DeSI bGdldIll5 u auAbASNS' 'S'S 49,
last to leave the ship.
The Rosecrans was 29 years old bu
was still considered a seaworth!
steamer and was valued at $8O,OOO
She will probably be taken of al
wreckage but win never navigate
: again for the damage done her hull II
beyond repair
RITHET HAS SMOOTH TRIP.
The Matson bark r. P. Rithet, Cap
tain Nilsson, arrived this morning
from San Francisco with general
freight cargo after a smooth and un
eventful voyage of nineteen days. The
Rithet carried no passengers this triT
although eight had been booked IN
San Francisco who lost courage when
the reports of the Welch's rough triI
came in. The general freight cargo
of 1900 tons includes a weighty ship
ment of rock for the Pearl Harbor dry
dock, some of it in 8-ton pieces. A.
G. Page, who was skipper of the Irm'