The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-11-12
WARSRIP Sighted
0FFISLE Of MAUI
Believed To Be Cruiser Asama,
Which Went Ashore In
Turtle Bay
Stranger Is Accompanied BY Two
Merchant Vessels, Believed
To Be Golfers

Three SHIPS, one cruiser, were seen
in the lee of the Island Of Maui yester-
day morning. The man of war is be
lieved to be the Japanese cruiser
Asama, which went ashore on an un-
charted rock in Turtle Bay, Lower Cali
fornia, last February, and which went
TO Esquimault three months ago for re
pairs. The others probably are col
liers. @g|
Acting Consul General Arita has
heard nothing as to the presence of
Japanese ships in these waters. s.
Sheba, editor of the Hawaii ShinpO,
said that the warship well might be the
Asama, as she was repaired only TEN
pOrarily at Esquimanlt and probably
would seek the calm southern route to
Japan to avoid the heavy seas Of the
north, II was suggested, last night by
japanese that she might come here to-
day so her men eOnld participate in the
observance of the coronation.
From three different sources infOr
nation as to the presence of the ships
came to Honolulu yesterday. The In
ter. Island steamer Manna Kea first re.
ported the ships; then came the In
ter Island steamer Helene, and Charles
Hawaiians See Third Ship
Gay said that the cruiser and one
collier appeared coming down the Phi
lolO channel between Molokai and Maui
at ten thirty o'clock Sunday morning
and that they were joined Monday
morning by the tkird ship, which came
up the ,Alalakeikf Channel. This last
he heard from Hawaiians, but saw the
first two. They had been in the lee of
Maui almost forty eight hours when
seen by the Helene yesterday morning
hut the distance from Kahoolawe to
| Lanai is about thirteen miles, and they
probably were we'll outside the three
mile limit. ~
p. Sanders, first officer Of the Helene,
was on the bridge at FIVE o clock yes
Eterday morning when he picked up the
ships
"They were on our port bow, about
one and one-half miles off, when | saw
them at FIVE o'clock" be said. 1.-THE
cruiser was burning a bright light at
one end and there were other lights
burning; but when / first saw them
Lanai lay behind, and they did not
show well against it, and when we
moved up the channel l cOuldn t get a
clear view because KahOOlawe was be
hind. At Ave forty FIVE the sun rose
Land they were well astern, but ] cOulG
see clearly the fighting tops of the
cruiser, with a small ship lying along
side and larger vessel about quar-
ter of mile to the south. 1t appeared
that the cruiser was eoaling, The larg
er collier seemed about 5000 or 1000
tons, and the cruiser about 10000 tons
displacement.
Ideal Place to Coal
| Sheltered by Lanai and KahOolawc
and in the lee of Mani, the sea was ex
| tremely smooth, Sanders said. The
great bulk of Haleakala cuts of tn"
trades and makes this spot ideal for
cOaling at sea. Gay said that japanese
ships had coaled there three or four
times, the last time being about two
months ago, and that three had ap
peared together prior to that. He pass
ed about three miles north Of the YES
sells in going from Lanai to Lahaina
MONDAY and could not say that The
nan-of war was japanese, but Japan
| ese in Lahaina told him that she flew
the Sun flag.
1 l.. NJ. Everett, first officer of the
Manna Kea, saw the ships at twelve
thirty midnight. He made out only
two, and it appeared, from the posi-
tons, that one had the other in tow
but this might be explained by the
positions in which Sanders saw them
Everett also commented upon the
bright light shown by the man-Of war