Stern First To
p. 127 · Read in the full issue
Pago
World War I Reminiscence by
Oscar Nordman
T was late in 1917. The night was dark, and we were sailing )lackout”. The German raider r olf was somewhere loose in the acific—and I was in the smoke tom of the old S. S. Sonoma talking i Dannie T. Hehigan, another ember of the ship’s company.
The Wolf had, earlier in the year, iptured and scuttled B.P’s. S. S.
'atunga in New Guinea waters, and id laid several mines on the New saland coast and elsewhere—so, iturally, our thoughts turned to e Wolf when suddenly the old ship ve a violent shudder, followed by heavy roll, first to port and then starboard, sending everything fly g in all directions.
But it wasn’t the raider. We had •uck Vatoa (or Turtle Island) in e southern Lau Group, Fiji, which y on our course from Sydney to igo Pago. Sonoma was homeward >und for ‘Frisco and due next day Pago Pago. The late Captain J.
Trask was in command and tier oldtimers of the Oceanic Line oard were Milton L. Towne (chief gineer), Dr. G. H. Clarke urgeon), Hugh Holtz (purser) and e Carlton (chief steward).
The lookout saw breakers ahead, it too late to prevent the ship from anding on the reef for half her igth, although the engines were ing full astern.
It was some time after midnight len the stranding occurred and an )S was sent and picked up in Suva, it a few hours later the ship came :, and proceeded on her voyage, :rn first, to Pago Pago, where a val diver examined the hull and sorted the ship in condition to con lue, bow first, to ‘Frisco.
Luckily we had good weather all J way, though the old ship, with r bow twisted, wobbled quite a bit len in a swell.
The deck officer had taken a aring of what he thought was other island—there were several in * vicinity— during that afternoon, rhaps it was the wrong island— tne say it was only a cloud—but it bearing was blamed for the :ident.
Two weeks in a ‘Frisco dry-dock d the old ship was back in service sail the Pacific for quite a number )re years. She was taken over by ‘ Matson Line on June 29, 1926, d later sold to the Japanese.