The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-02-25
THRILLING ADVENTURE.
Experience Of Seaman Washed Onto the
Pataponian Coast.

Experience OF a Seaman Washed onto LnS
Patagonian Coast.
Tommy Riordan, seaman of the steamer
San Pedro is one of ten men lost by the
ship Balaklaya during a terrible storm of
the coast Of Patagonia last summer. He
told the following story of his experience to
a San Francisco rami er reporter:
"The Balaklava encountered very stormy
weather before my companions and myself
were washed overheard The sea had been
running very high for several days, but the
day Of the disaster it was running in long,
| heavy and powerful swells, which, had
they been higher, would have washed the
vessel into knding wood. It was growing
dark and 1t was thought advisable to take
| in sail. Just as we were about to exc
cute the command Il heavy SC. washed over
our vessel. saw it coming, but i, was too
late to get out of danger, and went down in
the trough of the sea and must have been
Slightly stunned, for [ don't know how it
happened. When / came to was holding
on TO a portion OF the mast with all the
strength there was in me. It is impossible
for me to relate what suffered in that cold
water.
81 Aoatcd on that piece Of wreck for two
days and then lost all consciousness, 1t is
queer how was washed ashore, but [ was
flung up by the surf on the only decent por-
ton of coast line there is in Pata gonia.
When rcgai1led conciousness q band Of
the most Notwithstanding beings ever saw
were dancing around me. The men were
giants in size and conld not tell whether
they were canniblas Or not. AS / opened
my eyes tried to think where / was and
what had happened. Shouts OF JOY were
uttered by all, and two big bucks raised me
vi, and carried me with ease q long distance
into the interior over miserable country
to their camping ground,
81 was well guarded, and 8 council was
held to see what should be done with me-,
l imagined all tho most horrible deaths
and dete cnlined to escape, and did that
night Istin retained o little elias Knife
that ali sailors wear, and it was impossible
for me to get at it until my hands were
liberated. On guard were two big men. who
watched me closely, while others slept by
the fire. kept working my hands until
they were free. One guard sat down and
began to nod and the other walked back
and forth. When his back was turned
severed tbs cords which bound my feet
and then I was free for action. The snor-
ing of the sleeping sentinel became louder
aud louder, and at last I felt Satisfied that
he was fast asleep. The next instant /
was on my feet aud creeping up slowly be-
hind the other guard .4r..
MY left hand was on his throat, and
with my right plunged my knife into his
breast, and he fell over, a dead Indian, with
out struggleor uttering acry. ltyvaa d ter
rible experience, but at last reachcd place
UP Che coast that gave some evidence Of
civilization, amt this inspired me to fresh
efforts. dom: know how lived Icaught
some fish, and these Kept life iii lie. I at
last sighted canoe, and hailing it, the
Ch,lian master took me up the coast, where
was put aboard q. small sailing vessel to
Chloe Island. The British bark Valtlavia
took me up the coast to Chill, and others
have brought me hcre.''