The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-02-18

JOHN S. NAsoIMENTo,
Who was drowned while on fishing
excursion.
X X x X X X X X X y X X X X X X X
reached that no matter what luck the
fisherman had, all were to report back
at camp promptly at one clock that
morning. An immense bonfire was
built Mt the mouth of the cave to act
as beacon in guiding the fishermen
back.
What took place at the promontory is
best told by Abel Nascimento. Despite
his injuries, he showed no sign of the
suffering he was experiencing and was
cool as he gave the details of the af-
fair from his bed in the Queen g Hospi-
tai yesterday afternoon.
awe had no idea of the danger we
were in" said Nascimento. "The
promontory from which we were fish
ing extended out into the ocean about
sixty feet and was about forty feet
wide. 1t is about twenty feet above
sea level and the waves were breaking
about halfway up. All of us had trown
out our lines, but they had become
tangled. | was standing at the far end
of the bluff, Cooper stood next to me,
Vincent adioined him, Travens was next
to him and Andrade was fourth in the
line. My brother, John, was on the OPP
posite side, close to the edge of the
ledge.
. was working over my line when
my attention was attracted by an i'm
mense wave coming from the northwest.
/ saw it would strike the ledge in such
way as to sweep over everything, and
calling to the crowd l started to run.
But it was too late. The great noun
tain of water seemed to engulf us. ]
went down first, Cooper followed and
that is all | could see. could feel
myself lifted by giant wave, pound.
ed on the surface and carried on across
the surface of the rock
As | went | grabbed about for some.
thing to which / could hold. / grasped
a creyicc in the rock and held firmly
There, seemed a slight pause and then
] was caught again and swept around
1t was then that my leg was broken
Cooper had caught hold of me. / had
also caught him with my free hand
and in this way we were kept from be.
ing swept into the sea.
"dFS oLAby Z OCt I11Bu-
'The great wave had scarcely pass.
ed when another came. The first was
fat least sixty feet high. 1t lowered
about forty feet above the ledge upon
| which we had been standing and seem.
ed like a great mountain.
Vincent Travens was knocked down
and dragged over the rock. Andrade
who had been standing next to my
brother, was within a few feet of the
edge of the precipice. My brother,
John, probably did not have chance
and was carried directly into the sea. -
"TO John Nascimento, the five who
have survived the terrible experience
owe their lives" said A. j. Cooper,
who was one of the most painfully in.
jured. ~ was standing by him few
moments before the wave struck us.
Don't stand 80 Close he cautioned
us, but giving NO thought to his own
danger 1 don't know what prompted
me or the rest of us, but we stepped
back and / advanced across the ledge.
Then came the wave and j was picked
up and swept around the ledge like a
cork. i attempted to dig my hands
into the hard lava and finally succeeded
in getting my torn fingers into n ledge
where / held until that terrible wave
and another had passed. would
judge the first wave was about sixty
feet in height.''
Abel Nascimento is the most serious
" injured of the survivors. He is suf-
fering. from a compound fracture of the
left leg, above the ankle. The bone was
broken in such way that the foot was
turned under. him when he was found
by his less injured companions. The
bone, too, was protruding through the
flesh. Ills left arm was torn, bruised
and bleeding, while his left hand in
places seemed cut to the bones. Por-
tons of his clothing were torn into
shreds.
Cooper Badly Torn.
Cooper's injuries, while not cohsid.
cred dangerous, are painful. His left
leg from the hip 10 the ankle was torn
and cut. The ends of his fingers were
cut His right ankle was also injured.
His clothes were almost torn from his
body
Andrado had great cash cut along
his left thigh from being knocked by
the wave. Travens was the least In.
iurcd Of the crowd
One NJ tho party which eompOsel the
first diyision Of the exeursionists had
u premoniti0n that something had han.
Ienrd, said Cooper "Ole Of The foeks
on which the ionhTe was built eraek
cd, ihe explosion scnding The burning
eWhefs into the air. Ti0unh n sas two
huufn before The time aubolutad for "a