New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-11-07
STARLIGHT S CKuIS

Land and Sea, which picked up
the other day, I saw a brief reference
TO the strange adventures of Capt.
Wheaton of the ship Starlight.
Among all the fore-castle yarns
ever heard that story takes the med
al, and when | am through relating
it the reader will be as much mysti-
fled as have always been regarding
1t Indeed, | never yet met a sailor
who did not firmly believe in the
truth Of Capt. Wheaton every state.
Inent. I tell the story because [ was
an actor in the first and last chapters.
1t was in October, 1859, that I
shipped as second mate on the Star
light, which was then lying in the
port of Honolulu. She was an old
Whaler and had been sold at auc-
fion and cheaply reftted for a voy-
age to Lima and return, in the in
ferest of some California shippers.
We left port in ballast only and
were two men short in our compile
Enent Capt. Wheaton was a Bar
negat man and the crew all English
speaking people. For the first fort
night no ship ever had better wealth
er. The captain, as [ understood
him, was an earnest, conscientious
man, being above the average in
point OF intelligence, and of strictly
temperate habits. The first mate
brought a demijohn of whisky
aboard the day before sailing, but
the captain made him ship it ashore
at once, and he cautioned the 70 east
lemen that he would clap the man in
irons who was found the worse for
liquor The men used slyly to refer
ITO him as "The Sunday schoolsuper-
Gntendent," and | believe he was
good enough to have filled the BILL
AT the end of the fortnight the fine
weather was broken by a rousing
gale, which struck us during my
might watch, and all hands had to
be called. We had a hard time of it
during the first hour, and were final
ly compelled to lay the ship to the
wind that the captain was washed
overheard by a heavy sea which
boarded us. With him went one of
the sailors, the hencoops, several
d7spare spars and booms, and a lot of
'edeck rattle, and by the time the ship
had shaken herself clear of the foam
sAt was too late to render any assist
ince. Indeed, it was a serious cues
lion just then whether any of us
gTould live another half hour. The
ltorm did not break for nearly
'eEenty hours, and the old ship was
s4strained and Knocked about that
NJ life was ended. The gale had
scaErcely abated when she began to
leak faster then the pumps could
throw the water out, and on the
&eventeenth day Of the voyage we
Had to abandon her.
When we had been afoat for four
7issEs in the open boats we were pick
edup by the American bark Yankee
10y, bound from Boston to San
Francisco We were then to the
birth of the equator, and fully
IL hundred miles from the
5Slapagos, Islands. These islands
~ a good distance to the left of the
rue. course from Honolulu to Lima,
tld at that date every one of them
rs well known and all were in
1tbited by natives who could speak:
aore or less English
Now, as we'got the gale dead from
he north, and as the send of the sea
TassouthWard forseveral days, Capt.
Wheaton could not possibly have
ZEN foated toward the Galapagos.
Lemust have been driven down to-
ard The equator, Or possibly to-
Ird the Marquesas group, although
reach any OF those islands he
1uld have had to drive for hun
adsof miles, and for days and
,,sks. How was a man swept over
GARD in gale to sustain himself
cove a few hours, even if not
owned at once? Ask yourself these
eestions, and you will answer them
all Others have done, and you
u be as greatly mysttfed over the
6ain's story.
nthe 4th day ofSeptember, 1860,
the English whaling ship Lady
ieombe was nearing, the equator,
~ about midway between the
,quesas group and the time being
o'clock at night, she was hailed
II out of the darkness, and five
minutes later had Capt. Wheaton
board. He had then been afoat
81 three days and halt on
small but Well-constructed