Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-08-03
SHIP FOUNDERED.
Sinking of the Don Leon in the South
Pacific.


IS. +. Bulletin, August 2d.1
The barkentine City of Papeete arrived
in port to-day, forty-five days from Tahiti,
bringing among her passengers the Captain
and crew of the ship Don Leon, which
| foundered in the South Seas in May last
The survivors of the wreck describe WV
| idly the awful experiences and hardship
| they underwent on that occasion. 1t ap-
pears that the vessel had been leaking
| slightly for several months prior to the dis
aster, but this did not call for much atten-
| ton until Tahiti was reached on the down
| trip. Here it was found necessary to have
| the vessel caulked in numerous places.
| When Gambia was reached the vessel had
| to be caulked again, as the leakage had
| broken out afresh. This done, anchor was
weighed for San Francisco. The vessel had
only been out two or three days when it
was discovered that she was leaking again,
but only slightly. AS the time passed,
however, the sea kept penetrating the hold
| OF the Don Leon in greater quantities, and
| Captain Wagner set his men to work at the
pumps.
THE CREW AT THE PUMPS.
This kept the hold fairly dry for short
while, but it soon became evident that un-
less some port was reached very soon there
was danger of the water getting ahead of
the pumps. Tie vessels bow was directed
to Tahiti and all sail crowded Oh in order
to quicken her speed. The men labored
unlringiy at the pumps up to the four
teenth day out, which was Sunday, Nav
9th. Then the pumps became unmanage-
able, being choked and out of order. The
water came pouring in il torrents as soon
as the pumps stopped, and it was soon re-
allied by all hands that the ship Yves
doomed. a heavy sea, with some premo-
nitions of a storm, helped To make matters
still more hopeless to those on board. At
IL o'clock that night matters had reached
such state that the Captain ordered the
boats manned, preparatory to abandoning
the rapidly sinking ship. The Captain and
his son, who was first mate of the Don
Leon. accompanied by one of the crew,
took one of the small boats. and Second
Maze Kemp, with seven others, got into
the other. They were none too soon in
leaving the vessel, as they had Just barely
| time to pull away from her before she gave
| a sudden lurch and disappeared. The two
boats were kept together as well az posi-
ble but this was most difficult task, as
the sea was now running mountain high
and heavy gale was blowing from the
northeast.
TERRIBLE VOYAGE.
Two nundreu miles were they from land
in that terrible weather, and both boats
were leaking like baskets" as one of the
sailors put it. The sea constantly broke
| over them and kept them drenched to the
skin and chilled TO the marrow. When
daylight appeared thelittle boats were con-
siderable distance apart, but they managed
to get together again after several hours
hard rowing The gale was still bowling
about them, and it looked as though they
would be capsized or dashed to pieces every
mome:,t. What little food had been taken
into the boats was washed out by the break
ers, leaving the poor seamen entirely with
out anything 10 keep body and soul to-
gether. For three days and three nights
did the gale rage and toss the boats about
on the waves like straws, and then it SUBJ
sided 1t was high time it did, too, for the
poor men were well nigh exhausted. Hun
cry, wet, stiff and cold, and fearfully chafed
and sore from the motion of the boats they
had but little life left or strength to pull an
| oar. What was their joy. then, to discover
| that the storm had driven them within
sight of land instead of out to sea, as they
had all anticipated. With shout of Joy
| they took hold of their oars again, despite
| their weak condition. and worked with a
will until the shore was reached.