The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1878-03-14
Terrible Story Of Life on the Sea

Since the wreck OF the whaler Es-
aex no sea.stpry has been told OF
murder, starvation aud csnnibalism
th It can equal the one related by
the survivors VI the schooner Sallie
NJ. Stesdman, from Charleston, s.
G.. bound for Baltimore with car
90 of phosphate rock. Leaving
ChsrlestOu, December 18th, t h Q
Stes Imam met with very ugly wealth
or When she WAS about twenty
miles east OF Cape iiatteras she was
struck by Q terrific gale from the
north west, lasting seventy hours.
During this storm the Steadman
had all her boats stove in, aud hen
sails split aud lust her gaff. Then
folio we'd 9 series Of squalls and com
paratively calm weather. Ou the
23rd Of January the schooner pro-
visions gave out. and the crew Of
seven men had nothing whatever
with which to support life On the
oath the schooner sprung n leak,
and simultaneously three Of the
crew gave out. The four remaining
of the crew, including the captain
were compelled to work at the
pumps day aud night to keep the
vessel anoat. On the 3Oth qnarre
occurred between two of the colorod
sailors, in which QUO of them
George Seaman, a mnlatto, waa shot
deud. As soon a. the dead mar
was cold he was cut up and eater
by the survivors. aud what Aesll
was left WAS salted down in ,
beef barrel for future use. On tht
3lst the survivors of the crew were
rescued by the schooner Spsedwell
which brought them to New York
The story Of the killing aud eatinl
Of Seaman was told yesterday b,
the chief actors in tho tragedy.
After the arrival Of the schooner
at New York. Q Newspaper reporter
gathered the following particulars
Walter Sampson, one Of the crew
. young colored man said: "Yss,
shot Seaman he was crazy. H'
said hs would kill me. and put his
hand in his jumper pocket to draw
u pistol. I took out my pistol snt
shot him dead. We had been sever
days without Gnything t. est, and
think most Of us were crazy, bu
Seaman wss crazy most OF the time
anyhow. After he wss dead cuI
bis head of aud sewei it mp il
. ssck aud threw it over board
| DaviiN Barrett, sr., another ont
OF the crew, white man, said, HI
was cold when cut him up. tool
oil the aesh of his legs. his calves
and thighs. and sll I could get fron
his back and breast. First, though
wss 10 weak. just cut enough T.
ont Iboilei itsnl after I hal eaten
il ! found strength enough +, fn,si
the job. After I had got all of
could. ws put the Fragments into
bag With about forty pounds Of b.l
last, and besvsd it overheard TheI
10 oil had supper oG the hesh. Al
Ter that We saitsd the rest down il
10 barrel. -rnsrs WAS sb bput Rft.
pounds Of it. It didn't mako IN
sick. ! WAS 30 hunyry dida't care
must have eaten about two pound
of it. wsS the cook. Iparbnils'
some of the desh. sud some Of Il
broiled We cooked the flesh will
pepper and salt before eating il
We only ste two meals OF the ,nes
for the next day the Spesd.wsll tool
10 Of.
The Captain Of the vessel (Higbee
said e: II went frward ani fount
that Seaman had been shot. ! thin
both Of the men were crazy frOu
starvation. / ate some Of Seaman
fiesh I covered It with mustard o
that I did not tAst anything else
hut my stomach could not stand il
and I made mp my mind to eat ~
moro, even il starved to death
The next day We sighred the Speed
, we'll, hoistsd signals Of distress, sn'
were soon taken of.