Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-21
SKIPPER SOLVES
Light PROBLEM

people OF this city would take a
friendly tip from me-" remarked
Captain Charles ]. Campbell, veteran
skipper, president Of the "gingerale
board" and a well known figure In
shipping circles as the head OF local
chandlery.
There need be no bother over the
mere matter Of another electric CON-
pany striving for a franchise, with a
remedy right at Honolulu's front
door" added the erstwhile vessel
master in laying aside his evening
paper, to fill an order for fifty faith
ems OF cable and several tons ships
stores.
"The lighting OF a great. city is a
complicated problem and one that few
seafaring men would tackle, yet in my
time not only gave big city plenty
of light at night, but ! made name
for myself and also aInassed fortune
which / later lost in the stock mark
ct" said the skipper, reminiscently,
as he glanced over the waters OF the
harbor where the lights Of the ships
at anchor twinkled.
1T was largely by chance that ac-
complished this feat 1t was when l
was master of the little coasting
steamer. Honey Boy, running from
Aspinwall to points along the coast
OF Central and South America. 1t was
at the time OF the uprising Of Juan
Gapristo In Salvador. / dropped
anchor in Acajutla one afternoon and
found the town literally in tears. The
rebels had been there and had destroy
ed the lighting plant and had also car
ried off all the valuables they could
find, which wasn't much, as every
thing had been hidden.
Like all Central American cities,
the people loved pleasure. Without
lights there was no chance to enjoy
themselves. and it would be two
months before another steamer could
bring candles and oil and other light
producers. Well. sir. got to studying
over the difficulty and then went to
the alcalde, or mayor, and asked him
what he'd give IL I'd furnish the town
with Tight. He fell on my neck and
offered me all the money in the treas
ury, which consisted of about 1928
American money. ! said all right and
ordered him to gather all the bottles
in the town and bring them down to
my ship. l had them all taken below
and then called the chief engineer
and explained my idea. Say, he
thought It was great.
I'm about two hours ! sent the sail
ors ashore with the bottles, and every
bottle glowed and threw off light like
q lamp. Then / had these glowing
bottles strung along the street and
set around the cafes. and it was
brighter than ever before.
81 also assured the people that these
lights would burn indefinitely and
that il wouldn't cost anything to main
tain them. They hailed me as their
savior, and brought me presents Of
gold and jewels and all kinds of rare
and costly articles, until my vessel was
a regular treasnre-house.
II looked over the scene and felt sat
isfied.
what was 1t that used? Well, it
was simple. You know that those
tropical waters contain so much phos-
phorusI that at night they're fairly
ablaze. l merely had the engineer
start the pump and filled all those
bottles with sea water. The phos-
phorus furnished the light.
Those people still talk of the YAM
kee skipper who saved them from utter
darkness, and / have since heard that
they erected statue in my honor in
the public square"
Add Twenty Freiehters to Line
Ell. M. Nash, special representa-
tive OF the Royal Mail Steam Packet
line, has announced that his company
has Just purchased the Nelson steam
ship line, with a total Of twenty
freight and passenger vessels, hav-
ing an aggregate gross tonnage of
100000 tons. The Nelson line operates
between London and Liverpool and
the Argentine, and is the third line
to be taken over by the Royal Mail,
the others being the Pacific Steam
Navigation Company and the Lam
port & Hold line. The absorption OF
the Nelson company gives the Royal
Mail Steam Packet line $40 vessels,
with a total gross tonnage Of 100000
tens.
N
Two Packets Kept Company
Both at sea twenty-one days the
Matson schooner Muriel, Captain Hell
ltngsen, and the bark r. P. Rithet,
Captain Nilsson, also flying the Matson
house flag, reached the Golden Gate
from the Hawaiian Islands ports The
Muriel came from Mahukona and the
Rithet from Honolulu. Both wind
TANNERS were sugar laden. During
most of the voyage the vessels
were in company, and it is said that
as the result of the race Skipper
Nilsson purchased for his friend, Cap
tain Hellingsen, a princely square
meal in a bohemian restaurant and
also supplied cigars at half dollar
per.
Kauai Sugar Report
Purser Akau in the Inter-Island
steamer Kinau reports the following
sugar at Garden Island ports: K. S.
NJ, $50 bags; W., 2700; G.. & r.,