The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1878-02-22
TRAGRDY@AT SEA.
Horrible suffering from IIunger-Mur.
sS der and sCannibalism.
New York SUM-.

Sawyer, to her, and he took all on
board. He reported that nothing
movable was left ON deck, and that the
men were hardly able to walk. Every
article of food in the Steelman had
been consumed eight days previously.
The remains of a man was found, from
which parts Of the flesh had been cut.
Some OF the flesh SO removed was found
in barrel with some salt. This, II
was explained to Sawyer, was done to
prevent it from spelling. The Captain,
who was wasted with hunger, told the
mate that two cOlOred men of the crew
had quarrelled. and oneh had killed the
other In self-defense. The body was
Immediately cut, up and eaten, all
hands helping to do it. The six sur
vivors speedily recovered their health
on board the Sl,eedweil.
The Captain of the Steelman was
found yesterday by reporter for the
sun. Ills brOnzed cheeks were yet
s,lnken, though his eyes had recovered
brightslel His name is S. G. Hig-
bee. He told his story willingly.
ssMy vessel" he said, tsbelongs a,
Soners Point, N. J. We left Charles
ton Dec. II, loaded with phosphate
rocks-a terrible bad cargo to carry in
rough weather.. We were bound to
short voyage. Up to Dec. 80, we had
light, pleasant winds, but on the nigh,
of the 3Oth u hurricane burst upon US.
We were then about twenty miles OFF
Cape Hatteras. The wind lasted seventy
hours. When it gave us u chance to
clear up our decks we found our gaffs
gone, our sails split, our boat stove and
everything washed from the deck that
the water could get purchase on.
We made the best sail we could, but
our progress was slow. On Jan. 1S,
was startled with the thought that our
provisions might run short. All hands
were put on short allowance, but what
we had left lasted us only five days.
The last mouthful was eaten on JAM
%. The men were feeling very weak,
and, to make it worse, a northwest
gale took US on the very next day,
starting the upper deck and causing
the vessel to spring leak. Three days
after that, the men having been with
out food four days, and weakened by
laboring at the pumps, three of them, ,
David Barrett, George Seaman and
Walter Sampson, all colored, gave out.
That left the mate. james L. Somers,
the cook, Sylvester Herbert, one sailor,
George Hicks, and myself, four men,
to manage the vessel. We four are ali
white. We were fast becoming ex-
hausted.
con Jan. 80, we had all been absolute
~ without food for seven days. We
had plenty Of water, because it rained
nearly every day. We had chewing
tobacco, but no spirits of any kind.
George Seaman was the first of the
colored men to give out. After he had
been without food for four or five days
kH<, RNn<an
the 3Oth the three colored men were
in the forecastle together. There were
no white men there. 1 was afterward
told by the other two colored men that
Seaman declared that he would kill
Walter Sampson to eat him. Each OF
the three had Il pistol, as aftcrward
discovered. Suddenly Seaman made
an attack on Sampson. He did not
fire at him with his pistol. He either
drew it, or else attempted to strike
him. Sampson, however, was too
quick for him. He drew his own pistol
and killed Seaman instantly. He fired
three shots. Seaman did not fire. !
heard the shots. 1 went into the fore
castle and found Seaman dead. The
rest of us were afraid of our lives. If
the negroes had not got into the quar-
rel and killed one of themselves, prob
aSOty ShSy ~oulu haNS lllaShCu us
We had no pistols. That afternoon we
cut a piece off of the heshy part of the
leg and broiled it on the fire. What
we did not want we put in Il barrel
with some salt, because we did not
want to run the risk of having another
man shot. The rest of the body we
afterward buried with proper ceremo-
mails. ate piece as large us my two
fingers only. 1t was handed to me as
it was taken off of the fire, and cover
ell it on both sides with mustard.
tasted nothing but the mustard, but
that night felt bad effects from it. 1
resolved that I would eat no more
of it.
81 don't think any one of us was in
his right mind on Jan. 30. 1 am
pretty sure was not. 1t seemed to
me as though my blood had stopped
flowing. I felt throughout my whole
body just as II mans foot feels when
it is asleep On the next day the
Speedwell rescued us. The schooner