The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-09-21
A Fearful Shipwreck.

A Fearful Shipwreck.
The starving to death of sof the crew
and one woman belonging to the Liv.
erpool ship San Rafael, on a desert is-.
land near Cape Horn, after they. had
left the ship in a burning state, is
fully confirmed by advices received by
the owners, Messrs. BalfOur, Williams
& Co., Liverpool. The San Rafael was
on voyage from Nrkenhead to Val.
paraiso, with Goals, and caught fire off
Cape Horn. Eleven of the crew in two
boats. were picked up after undergo
ing terrible suffering, but the third
boat and its occupants were for a long
time unheard of. The worst forebod-
ings of the relatives Of those nine per-
sons have been realized. The yawl
Allen Gardner, belonging to the South
American Missionary Society, was
cruising about the Straits of Magellan,
when a number of Indians in Is canoes
brought the news that nine persons
had been shipwrecked and starved to
death on one of the islands. The re.
port was believed the more readily, in
asmuch as some of the the Indians
were wearing good clothes, with but.
tons marked "Coe. Liverpool. The
yawl was put underway for the spot
indicated, which was reached on the
18th of May last. The Indians volun-
teered to show the way to the place,
and the next morning the party landed
at Black Head ,Rous sound. Theremains
of eight men and one woman were
found, lying in very exposed place
on the ground, and on searching, the
record kept by Capt. McAdam, Of the
the lRafael, was found under a bush
some distance from the bodies. There
were also portions of three epitomes,
two bibles, a chart, chronometer, a
binocular glass, two photographs, a
sovereign, an Albert chain. a letter
written in pencil, a name-board of the
ship, and other articles. All were
damaged by exposure. The names of
the persons, as indicated by the cloth.
ing, were McAdam, NJ. Proctor, Reid,
Stewart, Swift, Daily, and Umblandt,
the last on flag. In the bay to the
northwest were found the remains of
a boat and two cork bolts.
AS the weather was threatening and
the corpses could not be moved, they
were covered as they lay. The chro-
nometer was hidden on an iSlet. On
the 10th, Hind island was reached, and
broken sextant was found, having
written on the inside: "M'Adam, San
Rafael; Balfour, Williamson & Co.
The account given by the indians is rs
follows: A family was going from
Rous Inlet to Black Head for seals, and
saw something white lying on the
ground and flag flying. but no smoke
or anything moving on the ground.
Thinking it was trap by the Indians
of Waterman island, they were afraid
to go on shore but afterward more
canoes came. and two women and three
men went to the place, the men land.
ing cautiously. They found two men
living, one scarcely breathing, the 9th.
er just able to crawl along the ground.
They gave water to them, made fire,
cooked a sea bird, and left them, but
not before offering to take the strong.
est with them in the canoe. lie was SO
weak, however, that he could not 20
himself, and he could not be carried,
because of the rocks and steep descent.
Some days elapsed before the weather
permitted another visit, and when
! they went again the Indians found the
two men were dead. The report OF
Capt. Willis, of the Allen Gardner, goes
on to say that the land is about Csc
feet high, and is separated from the
main by a deep chasm of cliffs and
loose earth, through which the sea
does not flow. 1t is a mystery how
they landed on such an exposed place
They seem to have madeno shelter ex.
cept by spreading boats sail or tar
paulin over the bushes on either side
OF natural trench. There were many
small trees, so that firewood and shell
ter were obtainable to some extent
Capt. Willis concludes by urging that
a steamer should be fitted out to cruise
round the dreaded Fuegian coast or
the lookout for shipwrecked persons
The articles found on Black Head were
handed to Mr.. Bailey, receiver Of
wreck at Stanley, Falkland islands, b,
whom the letter, the Albert chain, ani
the sovereign have been forwarded t
Messrs. Balfour, Williamson & Co.
COlOrS