Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-29
PERILS OF THE DEEP.
EIGHTEEN DAYS srARvAroY


HE >'srJ ora shiBwrecked AraD-Fisatas
~ a Tsnk.
The London Telegraph tells the story
OF an Arab seaman who lived without
eIiher iood or water for eighteen days.
during which time be drifted Upward of
3Uo niles IN an empty tank before
SINKING tie coast. A large native YES
sci, owned in Bombay, ioundered OF
ksfA-Had, while on 9 voyage to Mus
cat. The disaster happened on June
9Th. There were sixty OF a crew
and forty passengers and seven
people managed 10 climb in an
empty vater-tsnk that foated of
the deck. The vessel sunk" said
the Arab. amid the whistling Of
the wind and the spparitiOn Of men
and spirits in the sea- For ten DAYS
the unhappy creatures immured in the
tank managed TO 20 on living without
either food or water. but after that one
person died every day. Meanwhile
the Arab declares that the tank drif,ed
on toward the coast Of Clutch at the
rate Of twenty-eight miles day. There
Was but one man living, that is the
Arab who told the story. when the
tank grounded. In some fashion he
c0Dtrived to crawl out Of the
iron vessel. and made his way
toward a Pins. or saints. place.
where be observed q flag flying.
He looked about him. but could
see nobody and as | was he saws.
"suite naked. | spologized myself to
the Pr, and took his flag to cover nv
IONS" After refreshing himself with
a little millet, which he found in q pot.
he walked until he came t. q human
hsbits,ion. where he was well treated.
The tank, with the corpse Of the sixth
man IN 1t, was found, and accepted as
contimatory Of the Arabs narrative.
The only question that arises concerns
The length Of tine that had elapsed since
the vessel foundered. The captain. who
repeats the story, states that there was a
violent storm in the Gulf Of Alden about
the date when the Arab saws his craft
went down. This is taken as tending
to substsntiate the accuracy Of the
period given. ItisA pity that the truth
Of story rot little remarkable could
rot be certainly authenticated. The
invention that produces that well-known
type Of stories called travellers
tales " is not. indeed, limited TO white
men. A chocolate-colored skin may
cover az Imagination fertile Of wonders
and skilful in the art Of submitting
them. The foundation. however. Of
the Arabs yarn Is not want
irG. There Is the tank and
there Is the corpse. An American
writer somewhere tells the story OF
: man who was accidentally buried in
vault. and who devoured a candle
under the impression that several days
had elapsed since be was immured, yet
when be was unearthei he was told that
be had only been confined for an hour
and e. half. The poor Arabs, drifting
in their floating coffin OF metal, NAV
have miscalcui2ted time in much the
sane way, and for much the same res-
son. though i Is more probable that
their computation would prove truer
than the buried mans. because the
tank of course would have , man-hole.
through which they would be able TO
see when It was day and when 1t was
night.
4 sea captain fully believes that
an Arab lived IN tank for
eighteen days withou; food and
water. On tie other hand. It
Is declared that body and soul could
not be kep, together for that time with
ont noulishmeni Of some kind. II the
truth Of tie Arab statement could be
confirmed on testimony beyond suspi-
cion. It would furnish very
valuable illustration 10 the maritime
annals. As II Is. we must conclude
that be miscalculated his time; but. on
tie other hand. there cannot be the
least d0ub: that many scores Of sailors
and others have escaped with their lives
from hardships and miseries the nara
tive Of which would make the account
Of the Arab drifting along in bis tank
weak and unromantic by comparison.