The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-01-10

time, after days hard toll, succeeded
in reaching the opposite side of the
straits, where they had left the ship,
which it is needless to say was by this
time far away.
When first the men were missed,
rockets had been fred, and blue-lights
burned; and on the following day the
cutter was sent to the westward, while
the Chanticleer coasted along the op-
posite side; look-outmen were constantly
aloft; but nothing was to be seen of the
missing men. The next day the ship
had remained at Port Famine, and ex-
ploring parties were sent in all direc-
tions. On the third day they again
weighed anchor, and examined a fresh
piece of coast, but all to no purpose;
and finally it was decided, with much
regret, to give up the search, for every
one concluded that the poor men must
by this time have perished, even if they
had survived the first nights cold,
which no one on board thought possible.
Both men were generally popular, and
great grief was felt for their loss. I'M
mediately a subscription was started by
the whole ships company for the widow
of the one man and the mother of the
other. Strangely enough, when the sad
news reached England, the former, in
spite of what seemed conclusive evil
! dence, firmly refused to believe the
assurance of her husbands death.
Whether the wife's intuition of the
more logical differences of every one else
proved correct, events will show.
By the time Hcnty and Riddles
reached, as we have seen, the opposite
side of the straits it was quite dark; but
on the following day they found that
the current had drifted them fourteen
miles from Port Famine, toward which
they had steered, and for which place
they now started on foot. Here they
saw in the distance ship under steam,
going toward the Pacific; but again all
efforts to attract attention failed. They
knew of no settlement that they could
hope to reach, and at this rough season
there was not the slightest chance of
falling in with any wandering tribes of
natives. The only course left them was
to endure the cold, wait as patiently as
might be, in the hope of some ship passing
within hail, and to keep up what little
life remained in them by chewing sea-
weed, and seeking and devouring the
mussels, which fortunately were to be
found in great abundance on the rocks.
After a time, however, they grew so
weak as to be only just able to crawl out
of the place they had made to lie down
} in, and every day the effort to gather
their scanty nourishment grew harder.
Once more, on the 4th of October, they
saw vessel pass through the straits, but
were unable to make any signals. On
the 7th both men had grown too weak to
| stir, and nothing was left for them but
: to confront death. The 8th day passed
the 9th, the 10th, and they were still
sinking slowly from starvation. On the
t 18th, when they could not possibly have
2 lived more than few hours longer, ano
had become little short of living skele
, tons, they were picked up by the officer.
of the Shearwater, and at once taken OF
E board, where, after receiving the mos
careful attention, both, although still
: suffering greatly, began after time t
t recover. Beirg conveyed by the Shear
S water to Rio, they remained some time
S in the hospital there, and finally wer
: sent home invalided; and yet both mel
: lived to regain their full strength, ant
e to serve as striking examples of wha
e tough human nature can endure in til
/ shape of physical hardships and menta
d anxiety. They had contrived, by
|, patience and energy almost unprece
e dented, to lengthen out existence for
g space considerably over a month, wit
Il no other food than seaweed and shell
|, fish; the last four days indeed eatin
e absolutely nothing; while the Who'll
e time exposed to intense cold, tn
>. roughtest weather, and more hardship
d than it is possible for those who hav
7. never seen that barren and desolat
% region even to imagine.