The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-11-26
STEAMERS CRIPPLED
BY HURRICANE LIMP
HERE FOR REPAIRS
Seiko Maru and Rio Pasig Bat
tie With Same Storm
Miles Apart
JAPANESE TRAMP NEARLY
DESTROYED BY ELEMENTS
This Vessel and Filipino Freighter
3 Both Make For Honolulu
For Haven


compelled the Filipino tramp steamer
Rio Fasig to put into this port for
cpal yesterday morning, the japanese
tramp steamer Seiko Maru arrived
here few hours after the advent of
the Rio Pasig, with hardly any coal
left in her bunkers, with her steering
disabled and with part Of her super.
structure torn and carried away.
Beset by n bowling gale against
which she could make no westerly
progress, the Seiko Maru was twenty
four and a half days out of Seattle
when she arrived here, and is bound
for VladivostOk with a cargo Of rail,
way material, the bulk of which is
steel rails, cars and trucks.
Six hundred tons Of coal will be
taken on here by the steamer and il is
Improbable that she will resume her
voyage to the Russian port for several
days, as there Is considerable repair
work to be attended to before the YES.
set can be passed as seaworthy.
Orders For vladivostok =.
The sailing orders of the Seiko Maru
were for Yladivostok via Muroran.
Seattle was left on October 81 and on
November 10, when near the Aleutian
Islands, a terrific hurricane was en-.
countered, which lasted with varying
force for several days. The minimum
reading of the ships aneroid .barome-
ter was $3.50 and Capt. s. Noda de-
ciares that the blow was the worst
that he has ever experienced, an
opinion which is shared by Chief Of
fcer F. Igarashi.
November Is was an awful day
aboard the steamer. Great green seas
swept the vessel continually, smashing
ladders, rails, doors and other wood
work, and tearing the cover off No.
/ hatch. r.
Great eight y-twelve-inch battening
tinbers were snapped like matchwOod
and the broken portions left TO thresh
about the deck in the he'll of water,
wTeaking damage or destruction where
ever they struck.
Winches Broken Like Toys
ITO make matters worse a number Of
steel ear frames, ponderous objects of
great weight, broke from their lash.
ings and rolled to and fro as the ship
tilted and careened from side to side
Great winehes were broken like toys
and yesterday the contents of the wire
reels lay on the deck in a tangled mass.
NOne giant sea which threatened to
send the steamer to the bottom tore
away the railing of the bridge deck.
reRrTied away the ladder leading to the
bridge and also the door of the chart
room. During one extreme lurch Of the
vessel two heavy doors went by the
board and into the sea.
u 10 crown matters, the vessel s steer
ihg gear became disabled, and she had
to be handled with a jury rig, tedi
Gus, unsatisfactory method of opera
tion, even at the hest.
Captain Noda was on the bridge
for. the best part of twenty four hours
and il was with unfeigned feelings of
relief that he saw the glass rise, with
its promise of a moderation of the
weather. Even when the sea somewhat
subsidized the wind continued to sweep
down from the northwest and finding
it. impossible to buck the gale and
Have enough fuel left with which TO
reach VIadivostOk, Captain Noda de,
eided to head south and make for
Honolulu.
Both Encounter Same Storm
The Seiko Maru was formerly the
British steamer Bucrania, her home
port now being Nishinomiya She has
gross tonnage Of 4l24, net tonnage
Of 2ji5, is 1884 feet long, forty seven
feet beam and thirty feet draught.
The vessel is at Pier 10 and shows
marked signs Of the strenuous ordeal
through which she has passed.
s--The Rio Pasig was en- route from
Shanghai to San Pedro when she ran
into the teeth of the great gale on
the night of November IL, the day
previous to that on which the storm
fell upon the Japanese freiGhter.
ies Roth vessels must have been Plung
ing about in that weller Of water
about the samr time. and the decision
on the part of the two captains to run
into Honolulu for more coal must have
been practically Simultaneous.
And what Is even more remark able,
thd two storm .rackcd craft arrive at
this port within an hour or so of each
other. e.. .. -