Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-05-31

al hadn't been on deck more Il
thudding explosion. At almost she
blown off and a roaring mass Of fls
by the explosion, am sure. He was
came. -s
THAT was the last seen Of him.
fire before the explosion took place"
Tho story told this morning to the
! Star-Bulletin- by Captain Wichert
master Of the Hamakua,E few min
utes after he and his crew had stepped
ashore in the gray dawn from the
CIaudine, ct 5:2e, makes II plain that
but for his presence Of mind In slew
ing the vessel around 90 that the fire
and smoke forward, famed by the
trade wind, would not sweep the after
deck, the loss OF life might have mum
8 bered everyone on board, instead OF
two men, Chief Officer George Nys'
from and Boatswatn Kali Lui.
Whatever caused the explosion blew
down as well as up. This Is attested
by Capt. John T. Diggs Of the Oahu
Shipping Company's motor schooner
I. James Makee. When he passed the
burned hull It had capsized and was
floating in the water upside down,
with planking from the bottom blown
outward and holes torn in several
places.
Included In the cargo were $50 bar.
rels OF lime and 500 bags Of Chilean
nitrates, according 30 duplicate bills
Of lading kept az the lnterSIslandp
freight dobartment, Purser s. W. he,
NV sssss - 80 :, sA. s,6 S Nh
aboard: that explosives on the
steamer we're always kept In 9 separ-
the general cargo.
Ten Minutes for Lfebostss
"In the time from the first explosion
until We we're in the lifeboats, only
10 minutes, the entire boat became q
mass OF flames. - aS@ d.
~To keep my steamer from being
covered with flames on the after deck,
where the lifeboats hung, ] slowed her
OFF 10 the wind and ran before It,
with her stern pointing into Il, 30 that
the FIRE and smoke forward blew away
from as instead Of into our faces, as
Il would have had we kept on
going as We we're when the explosion
happened. ' I'm
Flames Kept on After Deck ri vi
aBy this maneuver i was able to,
keen the flames from reaching the
after deck until we had launched the
four liieboats, two on the port side
and two Starboard. Three OF the boats
took the waeer nicely but. there was
trouble with the fourth. and Il cap
sired, throwing eight men into the wac
ter. where they SWAN until we picked
them up. Boatswain Kali was one Of
the men. He drowned, although the
others tried to save him.
More Exploslens Occur Ia
while we were lowering the boats
one explosion after another took place
up forward. Tne fuel oil tanks down
m the hold blew up, while the gaso-
line and distillate drums let 60, each
making noise Ike . million fire
scrackers.
Everything happened 80 quickly
that none Of us had time TO save any
thing. Most of the men had no shoes,
shirts or hats when we took to the
boats, and had to leave all my IL
censes. The only thing ! saved when
j left my cabin was my suitcase from
home, which ! hadn't unpacked.
Nystrorn and 6oatsWaln Mlssln0
eThere was moderate sea running
and q moderate trade wind blowing
from the northeast. We picked up
the men from the capsized boat and
then counted up and found the chief
officer and the bo'sun missing. We
went to wfndward OF the burning yes
eel 10 see II we could find their bodies
floating tn the water, but nothing was
10 be seen. On account Of the fierce
heat from the boat we, couldn't get
closer than 100 feet to her. She was a
regular fiery furnace all over By that
time. - =
II then gave orders to pun for the
shore. We reached il after about |
three and q half hours pulling, and
made q landing at Kahikinui az 500 |
IN the morning. Ny crew all behaved |
well and kept their heads during the
whole time. have nothing but praise |
for the way they acted. u
HeIped By Mrs. J. n. Raymond
when we landed we were met by |
Mrs. J. II. Raymond. VINO had seen |
the Hamakua burning and who came |
down 10 the Raymond Ranch slaugh- |
ter house at Kahikinui to help u.s. She |
served coffee to all Of us and then |
telephoned to the Lahaina agent to
send steamer to our assistance. We
waited az Kahikinui until noon. when
the MilahaIa arrived and carried us
to Lahaina, where we boarded the
ciaudine at s O'Clock last night.
AT Lahaina my men secured some
shirts, shoes and hats. Many Of them
were only half clothed when they took
to the boats, as there was absolutely