St. Paul daily globe., 1884-07-05
LOST ON AN ISLAND.
The Remarkable Adventures of the
Crew of the Ship Rainier.
ABridal Trip to Ujae Island-Saved by Saw
ages-A Hero Who Died to Rescue
0thers-A True Story.
TSan Francisco Call

Among the passenger who lar ded yester-
day from the Pacific Mail steamer Rio de
Janeiro we're the captain, captains daughter,
mate and part Of the crew of the American
ship Rainier, which was wrecked in January
last on one of the islands of the Marshall
group. Several scraps Of news concerning
the thrilling experiences of these people hav-
ing already reached San Francisco, Call
reporter wss instructed to hunt up some Of
these parties and get from them true
count of their shipwreck and subsequent ad
ventures. After long seeking he at last
came across Captain Samuel H. Morrison
and obtained from him the following story.
Captain Morrison is a native and resident of
Bath, Maine, is typical New Englander, is
well and favorably known in this city, and
has been master in the American mer-
chant marine for the past twenty-eight years.
Seating himself opposite the reporter the
skipper spun his yarn as follows:
The ship Rainier was as tidy craft as
seaman could wish to handle, and it is
enough to make any man sad to think of her
being lost on her first voyage and without
even being insured for quite one-third of
her cost. l was part owner in her, superin
tended her building and took her around
from Bath TO Philadelphia, from which port she
had a charter for a cargo of coal oil to Hiogo,
Japan. My first m ate, Mr.. Humphreys, was
engaged to my daughter and they were mar
ried in Bath on the day before the Rainier
was to sail, and reached Philadelphia just in
time the next morning, for had promised
my daughter she should make her bridal
trip on the new ship.
ABOUT THE BRIDAL TRIP.
Everything went well and our Toyage
promised to be a short and pleasant one,
for we had got around the Cape of Good
Hope all right and were bowling before the
trades at a fine rate. On the Cd of January
last we were off the Ralick group of the Mar
shall Islands in about longitude 1914 degrees
east and latitude degrees north. Our
course lay ten miles Gear of the nearest isl
and, over water that was given on the char
ter as free of reefs, and we had not the
slightest idea of danger, when at 9: 80 p. m
We suddenly strnck and stuck fast on hid
den reef. There was only slight breeze at
the time and the sea was smooth, SO there
were no breakers to tell us of the unknown
rocks ahead. AS it was very dark and as
there was no immediate danger of the ships
breaking up, determined to wait unta day
light aud see if | could not get my craft
ailoat once more. In the meantime we pro-
visioned the boats and got everything in
shape for hasty leave taking if it should
prove necessary Toward morning it came
on to blow and the sea rose rapidly, showing
the ship further up on the reef and at times
breaking clear over US. AS soon at it was
broad daylight | made out that we had struck
on a reef that inclosed a large lagoon that
1t was still water within a couple of hundred
yards from where we lay, and that there was
a low Island some ten miles to the east of us.
Not knowing anything shout the natives in
those waters we made up our minds to stick
to the ship as long as possible and then to
trust to our boats and passing ship, rather
than venture on land. Just before noon
high sea broke over her stern, lifted the
Rainier up and dropped her on the rocks so
hard that she stove in her bottom and LISTED
OF shore.
MEETING THE NATIVES.
We had already noticed some canoes com
Ing toward us across the still waters of the
lagoon and by the time the ship stove in they
were close aboard and making friendly sig
mails to us. AS there were only few Of the
natives and we numbered twenty-eight, all
told, we determined to get into our boats
and pull into the lagoon through an inlet
they pointed out. This was accomplished
although our boats were loaded as deep as
we dared have them. Once inside the reef
we held consultation and as the natives
seemed to be so kindly disposed, decided to
make for the island. Quite a ppmber of
canoes had gathered about us byelhis time
md the natives voluntarily took us in tow
and pulled us to their island home. On
landing we were Hospitality received by the
King and given two large huts to live in
one for my daughter and the officers and the
other for the men, From that time till the
end of our stay we were always treated
kindly and have nothing but good words to
say Of those savagcs and their tiny island
1t proved to be the island of Uiae, and YOU can
scarcely imagine n queerer little patch in the
ocean than that. Uiae, which lies at the
southeast end of lagoon some thirty miles
long and which Is more than thirty miles
distant from the nearest island, is mile
and half long, at most, and certainly not
more than a quarter of a mile wide. The In
habitants, coppcr-colored Kanakas, number
nbout seVCntylvc, of whom some fifteen
are' Youngsters aud the remainder pretty
equally divided between males and females.
Before describing the people, however, l
may say that the island has no elevation 10
speak Of and rises very little, If anything,
more than three feet above high tide.
WHAT THE ISLAND WAS.
If not protected by the reef on which we
struck everything on the island would be
washed away in heavy gale, but as lis 1t is
ms safe as though 1t was locked in an inland
harbor. The soil is pretty thin, but for all
that the island is covered with vegetation of
one kind and another, such as cocoa and
hreadtrut trees and Wild arrowroot although
olt a.,
of the tender plants that we depend upon for
food The natives have no gardens nor
plant anything OF any kind, and couldn't be
made to understand what we were doing
when we made an attempt with beans and
potatoes These vegetables took root, but
for all the care we gave them they wthered
before the tops were Il foot high.
As you wish to know about the natives, |
will say that they seem TO be a good-natured
and conteuted lot, although they are certai IL
~ the most ignorant people | ever saw. Tn
children wear no clothes at all, and the men
and women are completely naked except for
narrow mat which Is worn around the hips,
and which they are not always particular TO
adjust after the most modest fashion On
the other hand, they are proper enough in
their conduct, and during our stay with them
We saw no evidences of immortality, although
huu luN mAle kept shaTp eye upon both
the natives and our men. The young girls
marry early in life, aud are apparently well
treated by their husbands. None of the men
are allowed TO have more than Que wife, ex-
cept the King and his two sous, each OF
whom has two wives. The king, years be-
fore, had come in contact with some sailors
on one OF the trading islands, so he talked
few words OF pigeon English and called him
self Elijah Block. Still he knew absolutely
nothing Of the outside world, except that
men-nf-Mar are thinrs 20 be drended