Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-07-14
A ROMANCE OF THE SEAS.
Tho Crew of the Lost Ship Elorandis n
Discovered After Living Oh
nu Unknown Island for
Twenty-Five Years.

About month ago friend of Mrs.
Harmon Jones read in an English pa
per the account of some British vessel
having been driven out of her course
in storm and sighting an unknown
island. Much to the surprise of the
crew the island turned out to be in
habited, and still more astonishing, by
men who spoke the English language.
The rest of the story as given in the
paper referred to is that the castaways
told the ships company that they
were tho Florinda party who had
sailed from New Orleans in 1S49,
bound for California; that they had
been wrecked on the island, and had
dwelt there ever since. 1t being then
more than twenty-five years since
they have seen q human face or sign
OF tho world from which they werc 80
utterly eliminated. The paper gave
the names of several, all of whom are
known to have been of the Florinda's
crow, and in many other ways, &C.
cording to the version of Mrs. Jones'
friend. the identity of the party was
established, as none but themselves
could have established it. 1t was fur
ther stated that the British vessel of.
fered to take tho men ON board, but
they declined, saying they had been
lost for q quarter of century; that
they knew not in what situation they
would find the families they had left,
and that they preferred staying and
ending their days there rather than
venture back to such doubtful and
uncertain future. This paper was
four months old when Mrs. Jones'
friend saw it one month ago, and the
events narrated were described as
having occurred four months previous
to the issue of tho paper. 1t is just
nine months then since the island was
discovered by the British vessel, and
at that time all or nearly all of the
Florinda party appear to hayc boon
alive. 1t need not be said that this
news has aroused the deepest interest.
To the community at large it recalls
tho familiar occurrence of the Florin-
dS's sailing from New Orleans with
its adventurous company. To the
families Of the ill-fatod men it comes
like message from another world,
and Is as though it were an announce.
ment Of resurrection. Within the
past few days the relatives have been
living in q state Of constant excite
mcnt, and many of them, especially
the sons of Harmon Jones, John A /.
Sidney and Captain Kenmure, the
skipper Of the Florida, have devoted
themselves to the task Of following
the clue given by the friend who saw
the English paper. Extensive in
quiries are now on foot, and the Brit
ish Consul has kindly interested him.
self in the affair so far a. to agree to
forward to the war Office in London a
statement OF the circumstances, SO that
the name of the vessel which touched
At the castaways home can be ascer-
tanned, and the bearings of the island
taken from her log.
The episode has created Q profound
Impression in New Orleans, and, GER.
tainly, appearances justify the belief
that the history of the Florinda COM
pany is destined to be enrolled high
among the wild and wonderful ro-
mances of human vicissitudes and hu.
man suflering.-Nep Orleans Picay-
nne.