Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-04-13
OIL POUREDO
RAGING SEAS TO
SAVE pE MARU
Captain of Japanese Steamer
Tells How Vessel Reached
Here With Jury Rudder
81 DAYS OF TOLL AFTER
STORM DISABLED GRAF 7
Skipper is Guarding AGAINST
Spies, as Cargo is Part
Munitions

While his Japanese crew squatted
down on, the decks, taking much
needed rest after their 81 days OF
wearing toll bringing the crippled
steamer here, Capt r. Uchiyama,
master of the Katsdda Shokai freight
er Ide Maru, until last fall the Haiku
shika Maru, last eFening gave the
Star Bulletin the official story of the
voyage. 1t is a real Odyssey of the
Pacific.
As reported by the Star-Bulletin
yesterday. the Ide Maru arrived off
port early in the morning, after 81
day struggle to make Honolulu from
the point about 100 miles north OF
this port where her rudder snapped
off in "a binding snowstorm and gale
on the Great Circle route March 6,
when she was 10 days out from Taco
ma. She will be repaired here and
have new rudder put ON. This will
take two weeks.
"At o'clock the morning of March
6, when we were 10 days out from
Tacoma, bound for VladiYostok. we
lost our rudder during a snowstorm,
accompanied by heavy winds and high
seas said Capt. Uchiyama. THE
rrdder carried away about three feet
below the water line, breaking off
midway Of its main body.
This happened In latitude So de-.
grees 81 minutes north. longitude 163
degrees 3S minutes west.
Using the available materials we
first made a sea anchor, which was
dropped in the water on March s,
but which carried away March IA,
owing to the friltion developed by
the stormy seas. 3 Z 3
.we used cargo booms. anchor
stocks, chains, wires and ropes in
making a Jury rudder. 1t was COM
pleted on March IA and lowered into
position at 1890 O'Clock that after
noon, upon which we started toward
Honolulu for refuge. Our speed was
about three miles an hour, and she
ran only about $50 miles to the south
ward.
''On March is stormy weather and
high seas made 1t necessary to stop
at 1915 a. M, and lay to. We hauled
up the jury rudder on the stern. The
vessel entered storm field shortly
afterward. Angry seas swept the
deck and my ship rolled and pitched
heavily.
I'VE kept her lying to. smoothing
the. seas by the use of engine oil, but
at daybreak on March IL the jury rud-
der was broken to pieces by tremen-
dous waves. The weather moderated
and on March 10 we start
ed making another Jury rudder, using
the materials which remained on
board
The second rudder, Capt. Uchiyama
adds, held, and enabled the Ide to
reach Honolulu safely. The steamer
was towed to the InterIsland coal
slip yesterday afternoon, with Capt
NJ. A. Nadsen, assistant harbormas-
Ter, plotting her In. The Matson tug
was at her. bow, and the
Young tugs, Makaala and Helen had
stern steering lines on her.
Cargo Guarded. a.
This morning Capt Uchiyama hired |
to guard the steamers mu-
lition cargo night and day until she.I
s repaired. A survey has been re-
luested, and win be made probably
ate this afternoon.
When the survey Is completed, |
lbout 1900 tons of the Ide.s 5060-ton |
,argo, mostly her deckioad of 56 steel |
lat cars for the Siberian railway, win |
,e discharged. to tighten the steam
.r's stern. She will then go into dry
lock, and will be tipped up" as was
he transport Thomas, and the Matson
iner WiIheImina, so that the new rud-
Ter can be put on.
The Inter-Island are agents for the |
teamer; C. P. Morse of the American I
Hawaiian is cargo agent, at the re-
Iuest of H. f. Ostrander of Seattle,
o whom the Ide is under charter for
his voyage; and d. l.. Peterson is
iroker for her.
The Ide Maru, according to the
american Lloyds register, is 400 feet
ong, 45 wide, % deep, with a gross
onnage of 4543 She was built In
SS9 at Belfast Her home port is
Kobe. The- last survey of her was
made in March, 1915.
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