Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-04-21
A Terrible Story Of Hardship and
Starvation.


NEW YoRx. Aprn n ;,
THE steamship Nebo. from Rio Janeiro, ar
rivei to- day. Her Captain reports that he tsil
in with the bark Their. fro0 Liverpool for
Baltimore, scventy-seven days out, abort OF
provisions and Supplied her The crew. wore
in the most depio able condition, having sus
tanned life for seve al days on strips OF ica'h-
or soak 1 in lamp-oil. until the oil gave out,
and then on the Captains dog, alter which
there was nothing but cannibalism and death
staring them in the face. To add to their suf-
ferings, two vess els passed several days beforc
with n short distance, but paid no attention to
their signals of dist css.
AS the steamer Ncbo came up with the II
ger. they saw the latter lowering . boat
After some moments of hard struggling she
came alongside, her occupants dressed in oil
skins. and evidently very weak.
"what do you wantY" sang out Captain Cor
don.
1--WE are starving to death! We are starv-
ing to DEATH exclaimed man in the stern
sheets, excitedly. tr ..a..
"Did you say you were starving?" demsndcd
the Captain again, in surprise. -'. .s
Eyes. we are starving. See. this is all we
have had TO eat for nine days"
He held aloft the skin of q dog, and one OF
the men held up piece of boot leather.
>"God help u.s. exclaimed Captain Gordon.
"Come on board right away and we will do
what we can for you" A ladder was then
lowered, and the men were helped aboard the
Nebo and given food. The young German
commander OF the Tiger told the Captain
OF the Nebo he had been seventy-seven
days out from Liverpool with a cargo
of common salt, and he had been
in a most dreadful condition. He was
bound to Baltimore, and made Cape Henry
early in January, and was blown OF shore into
the Gulf Stream. From that time he had
been tossed hither and thither by the winds
and currents. He had twelve men before the
mast. all of whom had displayed the utmost
fortitude under the most trying circum-
stances. Provisions ran short one month
ago. The beef gave out first, and then the
bread, nine days ago; that is, uine days be.
fore spoken by the Nebo.- The last drop of
wafer was drunk, and then, three days later,
everything, even to boots and shoes, had been
fdeveuicd. They were literally without bit
or sup" The Captains dog had been killed.
skinned and ea:en. Then lots were cast for
the cat. The poor beast was saved by the Cap
tain himself, who bssought the men not to de.
stroy it. The starving men spared the cat, cut
up their boots, soaked the strips in lamp oil.
and ate them. This horrible food gave
out, and then the poor wretches eyed
each other suspiciously and hungrfy,
and would have killed the cat
could they have found it. But the Captain
hid it. and the pangs of hunger were unap-
peased for FIVE days. Some of the men medi-
tated suicide. God knows how many OF them
thought of murder and cannibalism. Had the
steamer not come to the rescue. the Captain OF
the Tiger said he thought something more ter
rible than staryat. on would have been enacted.
The Nebo sent a months provisions on board.
When the first boat-load arrived the
mate leaped aboard the Tiger, eating q
biscuit. He was pounced upon by
his shipmates, who literally fought
like dogs for a cracker. Then they rushed
upon the other provisions and tore Them I'm the
same way as famished wolves might have
done. The officer OF the Ncbo adds: 1--WE got
the provisions on board and set them at large
once more. They shook the reefs ont OF their
topsails, set their topyallant sails, and s;eercd
in wake. Thc wind was right aft, but the
vessels bottom was SO full of barnaclcs that
she could not make much Roadway. She was
able to get along. however. and when last we
saw her she was sivr"ii''~ ,SI~u and thanks"