Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-11-09
.JAP ANESE Grew
ADRIFT AZ! DAYS
when MARU SINKS
Kotohira Sailors Voyage 2400
Miles in Open Lifeboat
Ere Sighting Land

After a voyage of 2,400 miles in an
open lifeboat, tossed about at the
mercy of wind and sea, Masao Full
wara, second mate of the Japanese
1 steamer Kotohira Maru, lost July u
on reef off Amchitka island of the
Western Aleutians and nine of his
comrades have landed in Yokohama.
For AZ days the men sailed and rowed
through the northern Pacific Ocean
until they reached Ikeda Bay, Chariot
| te Island, September 10. ~
They were practically without food
for week before they reached Ikeda
| bay No word had been received
! that the little craft in which they
were sailing had capsized. After the
Kotohira Maru crashed on rock in
a heavy fog, July 81, the officers
and crew put out in three hfeboats,
| well provisioned, and landed on Am
| chitka island. Two days were spent
| in dividing the stores and supplies
saved in the hasty flight from the
doomed freighter and the three boats
set out on. a 600-mile voyage to
Unalaska Two of the lifeboats were
forced to put back by heavy storm,
which arose shortly after they left
the island, but Captain NJ. Shibuya's
boat was unable to return to shelter
and was last seen battling the heavy
seas. Fujiwara who spent all the
time with Captain Shibuya gives a
thrilling description of his adven-
lures:
Driven before a terrific wind and
mountainous seas, we grounded on
the southern point of Amchitka is
land on July %, after a hard but
fruitless struggle with the elements.
We had only grounded few minutes
when the seas broke the engine room
hatch, flooding the engine room and
boiler room. The bulkhead gave way
and in quick time, the holds were
also flooded. As we ran great danger
of being engulfed by the big seas,
the boats were lowered on the lee
side, and we we're subsequently
seated. This was not easy to ac-
complish, but all aboard succeeded In
getting away from the vessel, which
was abandoned to the storm.
. eve remained ashore for six days
and then decided to divide the forty
nine men into three parties, one party
to each lifeboat, and try and make
Dutch Harbor. On the evening of
August Ii We attempted to make
Dutch Harbor, but the weather pre-
vented us, and, running before the
gale, we were driven far to the south.
On August II we brought up abreast
of the Alaskan peninsula and were
enabled to replenish our exhausted
supply of water. ~
THE bad weather continued, and
we decided to alter our plans and
head for Canada. We were at sea
for several days before we we're able
to take a bearing, but with the adj
vent of sunshine on September / We
made an observation and discovered
we were $50 miles from the Strait
of Juan de Fuea. By this time our
provisions we're exhausted, and We
we're hungry. Our replenished stock
of water was also used up by this
time, but we kept up bold front,
making no complaint With stout
hearts we continued the voyage, and
on September saw land ahead of us.
1t was Cape st. James, as we proved
by the beams from the lighthouse as
darkness fell After reaching land
the Japanese sailors we're cared for
and sent on to America.
Laden with a valuable shipment OF
Oriental Merchandise worth approxi- |
mately 100000 the Kotohira Maru,
chartered by the AIitsui Bussan Kai-
sha, was bound for San Francisco
from Kobe, following the great circle
route when she crashed on the rocks.
Chief Officer K. Masuda and 81 sur.
viyors reached Yokohama early last
month with an account of a similar
adventure.