Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-15
LEFT ON AN ISLE TO DIE.
IA MEN DESERTED BY NORTH
ERN GUANO CONTRACTORS.

Vessels Loaded with the Commodity in
the Caribbean Sea Never sent Back for
the Hapless WOrkmen-The Navy De-
partment Sends a Rescue ship.
WASHINGTON, Nov. l4.-Not long ago
j. W. Jannett, a citizen OF the United
States, wrote to Secretary Bayard from
New York detailing the following story;
MIR. Jannett made contract with Samuel
G. Sloan and Samuel X. Schwenk of New
York, and Z. Lucien Richie, of Philadel-
phia, TO work mine and ship euanO from
the island of ROncador, in the Caribbean
sea, to the United States. On May %,
1884, having been fitted out with three
months provisions and water, twelve
men and cook sailed with two vessels
for the island. The parties mentioned
above were to assume all the responsible
ty. They furnished everything. The
laborers were hired for six months from
their arrival on the island, but were to be
paid in three months. On arriving at
Roncador island the men proceeded to get
out the guano and load the ships.
DESERTED ON THE ISLAND.
The ships sailed away and the men kept
on with the work, expecting that the yes
sells would return as soon as they could
90 to the United States with their cargOes.
Three months passed, and the vessels did
not return. The provisions We're nearly
exhausted. and what remained were full
Of maggots and weayil. The men began
to fish and gather few eggs, but they
suffered greatly from want Of water The
island is a barren and rocky one, without
water. By one means and another they
finally managed to live for seven months,
when Mr.. Jannett decided to take a small
yawl, the only boat they had, and to sail
away to Aspinwall, 256 miles distant.
HORRORS OF THE TRIP.
The horrors of this trip can be mag
ined, when it is known that they had no.
compass or other maritime instruments,
and the sail OF the yawl was rotten. Two
young men volunteered to accompany Mr..
Jannett. They sailed on Dec. 20, aud on
Jan. 1, 1885, they arrived almost dead in
AspinWal. Ia AspinwaU Mr.. Jannett
chartered d vessel and took food and drink
to the destitute men. He found them
more dead than alive, but they were
nursed and cared for and finally restored.
Mr.. Japnett then took out three cargoes
of guauO ana sent it to Wilmington, n. c.
Z. L. Richie 81 Co., here, put in claim
for the cargOes- Mr.. Jannett arrived IN
Wilmington on March IA, and was imme-
diateIy laid up with rheumatism for four
months, from the effects, as he says, OF the
terrible exposure in the yawl while sail
ing from ROncadOr to Aspinwall.
RELIEF VESSEL ASKED FOR.
Several OF the men who originally went
to ROncador are supposed to be still there
if they have not died from exposure and
starvation. Mr.. Jannett charges Sloan,
| Schwenk and Richie with the crime OF
marooning, and asks that they be prose
cuted for SAID crime. He also asks that a
war vessel be sent to rescue the men.
The matter was referred to the Navy de-
partment, and Commodore Walker has
ordered the POWnattan, which is stationed
at Aspinwall, to go in search Of the dis
tressed men. 1t has also been referred to
the Attorney General to decide whether
the parties mentioned shall be prosecuted
for maTOoning.