Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-21
Romantic Yarn That Should Probably -
Told TO the Marines. 80

A New York contribution to the col
umns o. the Boston Globe relates the,
following interesting and Romantic
story: 80. -, asaN
A few days ago man about sixty
years of age. with the appearances Of an
old farmer, and very taciturn. register
ed at the. Sinclair House, under tbs
name of Ezra w. Forman, Nonora.
Pleiades group, Pacific Ocean. Con-
versation shows him to be . very intel
ligent man. He tells . wonderful tala.-
He says in substance that in the year
1S47 the ship Oomulgee Of Wareham
was homeward bound with full losd.
tryworks overheard, and tfiahS and
kegs of oil slowed in every top. After
leaving Lahaina, S. L, October q with
$50 barrels Of sperm. $3.50 barrels of
whale oil. and A. 900 pounds bone. she
was never heard from. FormhA was
boat-steerer. He claims he Il the soae
survivor. and states that the ship was
wrecked on Nomora. an island in the
Pleiades group, and gives the following
story of the wreck: a, - %
The Ocmulgee went ashore On No
mora in December, l847, aud ~ hands.
were drowned excepting myself: Maf.l
tin, the cook. and an Hawaiian sailor
named Waihee. All the oil caskS were
stove, and the ship gradually hove ossp
the reef, until finally the survivors
could walk around her at low water. " =
Through the Hawaiian 4 was ~.
abled to talk to The chief on tho 'ilanh.
l explained the uses that might b madsi
of the various articles, and assistsd by
natives got everything out of the shiA
including the bone, and then broke uPd
the ship. saving planks, nsiis, anchors
chains and whaling gear. .,la.. !
I'VE were given houses, iauds and
wives. accepted our position ana deter
mined to make the best Of il, and except
that we were exiles from homo and
friends, W. re content and'happy. ftausht
the natives many of the Yuder irts. and
they prospered greatly. sButthe natives
feared to lose us, and when asliip came,
in sight hurried us away into the inter
ior until the foreign vessels had passed
On. T.,...r-
Later my two companions died and
| was left alone. Surrounded BY, ny.
and grandchildren. lwaa final
y acknowledged to be their ruler. and
my word was their law. -Itold them l.
must 60 TO my friends. but had. to. |
swear by their gods that would return.
Finally q sandal-wood trader touched
here. embarked in her, wss landed in
Sidney, and nade my way here atter
much trouble and time"
Such is Forman's story. Now comes
mother remarkable tale He Saws tho
is in prime condition, and
rom the time of its wreck to the pres
mt day native has always been on
guard over it. and that regularly once
week its position has been shifted to 1
ave it from rats and mold. Forman |
ays that his two companions left Q
lumber of children who ARE now big |
md healthy. and that he has, twenty
line sons and daughters and sixty-nins
Some Philadelphia
merchants have taken stock, In fee- I
mans story. have advanced him $4,000 |
worth of goods. chartered / steamer
md she will soon leave New York for !
he Pleiades. to carry out this modern
Selkirk and bring back the
zone. estimated to be worth now from,
$50, 90, to $4,000. ---s I.sg.
The story Is q romantic one and tho
ppearance of Formau carries truth
With it; but Nantucket gentleman. to
rhom the tale has been submitted. who
) conversant with whaling mattesa.
oubts it from first to last, and advises
he merchants, responsible ones, by the
'ay, to examine Forman and his story
cry carefully before accepting its truth.
he gentleman who has advised on the
natter says there never wis . ship
)cmulgee Of Wareham in the he.whaliag
usiness that was lost. The only
Thaler of that name was owned in
Iolmes Hole. and sailed 'repeatedly
rom that port from 1874 until, in 1855.
he was burned by the Confederate
ruiser Alabama There are also other
,rious discrepancies in Forman' state
lent among which is the proportion Of
'halebone to the proportion Of oil ia
en-. and although his yarn is ingeni.
nsly twisted. yet it is full Of flaws and
pit to strand on examination, and the
ference is, unless he can reconstruct
Is story with new name for the ship
lat is acceptable, he is crank or .
leat Of the worst sort