The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-10-15
The Pangs ofstarvation.


when | look back to my own
brief experience and weary months
they suffered in the Arctic regions,
| think the mantle of charity and
forgetiulness should be thrown over
their action, said George w. Brewer
an ex-coxswain of the Navy, vino had
been attached TO the Inflated steam
er Tallapoosa. Continuing, he said:
Il was coxswain of one of the boats
OF the Tallapoosa, when she was at
tached to the Gulf Squadron. "One
evening when returning from boat
expedition we were caught in a ter
rife squall and our boat was cap
sized near a small island. NV crew
managed to reach the shore, but
our boat drifted away in the dark
ness. We lay down in the bushes
aud slept that night. and when NOR
ming broke we realized that we were
on a desolate island. We explored
the island and found on it only un-
underbrush and trees, nothing in
the shape of food or water. We had
only to hope that we would soon be
rescued The gale continued with
violence, and wespent another night
in our bed of bushes.
''0n the following morning we be-
gan to feel the pangs of hunger and
thirst, and finding an old barrel on
the beach we broke the slaves to dig
for water, which we found so braek-
ish that We could not drink it. Then
We set up pole on cliff, with a
shirt of one of the men fastened on
it as asignal ofdistress. Our suffer-
ings from thirst were indiscribable.
Wepassed the third night and day on
the island without any change, ex-
cepting in one incident. With a
companion / started on tour
around the island, it being our prac-
tice to take turns to search for a pas
sing vessel that we might signal,
and going through elump Of woods
saw a cormorant. a bird of carrion
considered unfit to eat. | killed it
with a club and we ravenOusly tore
it In pieces and sucked its blood,
which in our condition, we found
refreshing. But we did not men
tion the fact to our comrades upon
our return to camp. The morning
of the fourth day broke with exces-
sive heat, and one OF our party was
so delirious that it required two Of
us to subdue him. Our tongues had
so swollen that we could scarcely
speak above a whisper. Our lips
were also cracked and split with the
intense heat.
''In the afternoon one of the men
who had been on his tour was OBJ
served running toward the camp,
and We could Just distinguish as be
came nearer that he was crying a
boat, boat Those who were able
started towards theend of the island
where our distress signal was flying
and we distinguished a boat ap-
preaching us from the distance. As
1t approached the shore we recog-
nized the launch ofthe TallapOosa.
As the officer came on shore We beg
ged him TO give US water. He gave
us couple swallows each, which
made US crave for more, but it was
denied to us. Then a fire was made
on the beach, and in few moments
a pot of hot coffee was ready. OF
this we received only a few swallows
each, and then we were given a few
pieces of pilot-bread soaked in cof-
fee. Then we were assisted into the
boat, and taken to the ship. which
we reached late at night. A
few days of careful feeding and ten
der nursing restored US to our for
mer strength. / have often thought
how thankful | was to God for that
rescue. Persons who have never
had ike experience can form no idea
of the terrible suferings of men
in that condition; and those per-
sons who so harshly criticise the
survivors of the Greedy Expedition
if placed amid similar surroundings
would no doubt adopt the same
course"