The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1916-09-29
Boat Is Nearly
Sunk At Lahaina
Returning Visitors To Hilo Have Mar
row EScape-Are Crashed Against
Concrete Pier-ShOck And Scrat-
Ches Result

Another tragedy at Lahaina land
ing, which for a moment portended
a much more serious one than that of
over year ago, was averted simply
by good fortune on last Monday eve
ming when one of the landing boats of
the Mauna Kea was smashed against
a concrete pier of the wharf. Within
less than hundred feet of the wharf,
the landing boat was picked up by a
huge breaker and carried at speed
of twenty miles an hour against the
wharf pier.
For some almost unaccountable
reason, the pier failed to smash the
boat to pieces and after few NOM
ents hard work it was righted and
brought to the landing, with the in
juries to the passengers confined to
shock and a few bruises. Just before
the boat struck the landing the for
ward oarsman dove from the boat, but
he managed to swim ashore.
AS the boat crashed into the pier
all the passengers were thrown upon
the bottom of the boat, but none were
forced overheard. The wave as 1t
receded from the wharf also carried
the boat backward to where the oars
men were able to gain control of It,
If the boat had not struck the pier
it would have forced into the dark and
swirling waters under the wharf and
probably swamped, where many OF
the twenty passengers would almost
certainly have been drowned.
Opinion differs as to whether
the boat sherman, when he
saw the danger the boat was in,
deliberately guided the boat against
the pier to prevent it from going be-
meath the wharf. The majority of the
witnesses of the accident, however,
credit the steersman with saving the
boat from plunging into another boat
loaded with passengers which was
leading.
The first boat was also caught by a
huge wave, but having a clear way at
the landing the crew were able to
bring it safely to it's destination.
While first boat was nearing the
landing the second boat was caught by
the waves and in order to avoid smash
ing into the first boat the second had
to be guided away from the landing.
Ii the two boats had smashed to-
gether both would have been capsized,
1t Is said.
At the anchorage where the Mauna
Kea lay the sea was very smooth and
1t was only as the boats neared the
shore that the big breakers were en-
countered. Blame is attached to the
crew of the second boat for riding the
boat in on the surf instead of holding
1t back with their oars. The jumping
overheard of the forward oarsman Is
also severely critisized by some OF the
passengers.
The excitement on the wharf,
where there was a great crowd walt
ing for the return of friends from the
civic convention and the Hawaii fair,
was great after the boat smashed in
to the pier, as it was a few moments
before it was known whether the boat
had been stoved in, or was still in
condition to be brought alongside the
wharf.
Among those in the second boat
were, Mr.. and Mrs. w. L. West, w. f.
Shaw of Honolulu and Mrs. William
Lennox of Hama. West was bruised
lust below the knees and Shaw recelv-
ed cut on his face from the accident
The ladies escaped injury, but suffer
ed slightly from shock, as did all the
women passengers in the boat.