Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-05
~ CAST ON A DESERT ISLAND.
A Terrible Fourteen Months Fight
Against Starvation.

On February Ia q notice was posted
on change says the San Francisco
Chronicle, that reward of 800 would
be paid by A. s. Murray for informa-
tion as to the whereabouts OF the bark
Wandering Minstrel, which left Homo
lulu on December 10, 1887, on cruise
among the South Sea islands.
Some time afterward Mr.. Murray,
who is the local agent Of the South
British Fire and Marine Insurance
company, was told by sailor who had
been at Honolulu, but who came from
the Puget Sound, that he had seen John
Cameron. who was mate of the Wander
ing Minstrel, in Tacoma. Detectives
were Immediately sent there, but
further than to learn that Cameron ha
kept saloon ID Olympia and from there
had gone to Tacoma, their visit was
frultless and the fate of the Wandering
Minstrel remained a mystery until yes
terday, when Mr.. Murray received ad-
vices from Honolulu on the steamer
Umatilla.
On April there arrived at Honolulu
the British schooner Norma, Captain G.
Johnson. The Norma had been among
the South sea islands fishing for sharks.
On March IL the Norma arrived at Mid
way island, where were found Captain
f.. ID. Walker Of the bark Wandering
Minstrel and his crew. They were in a
pitiable condition. The captain and his
wife and four children had been on the
island fourteen months, during which
lime they had suffered most terribly
from the want of food, living on moth
ing but sea birds, their eggs, and what
fish they were able to catch. They
were living in q rudely constructed hut
and were in rags. Lack of food had
reduced them to skeletons and they
were so weak that it was March 26 be-
fore the sick were able to be moved on
board the schooner, which sailed at
once for Honolulu. On the voyage the
sailor Edward Davis Dawson, a native
of Mauritius, died of scurvy. The de-
ceased was buried at sea.
The account of the captain of the
Wandering Minstrel is one of terrible
suffering on an uninhabited island. In
his report he says: 1--WE left Honolulu
on December 10, 1887 arriving at French
Frigate shoals on the 18th and left there
on December 27. Arrived at Midway
island and anchored in Welles harbor
on January 8, 1883. On the island was
found G. Jorgensen, one of the ship
wrecked crew of the schooner General
Siegel, who had been left on the island
when the rest of the crew were saved.
The weather was fine, and quantity of
mence shark fishing, and preparations
were made to stay while at the island.
The vessel had but a small cargo, but,
besides fine fishing outfit. had a steam
launch and several life-boats. The
month OF January passed unevent-
fully, but February began with stormy
weather and heavy gales. On the Sd a
furious storm prevailed, the barome-
ter falling to 29:3O. Both an
chor chains parted, and third
anchor which was dropped was dragged
toward the reef. Seeing that nothing
could be done to save the vessel, at 1:30
o'clock that afternoon the boats were
lowered and the Wandering Minstrel
was left to her fate. She was then
striking heavily on, the coral-bound
shore. A safe landing was made through
the breakers, and all made themselves
as comfortable as possible on shore.
The storm lasted week. The bark
broke to pieces rapidly, and it was i'm
possible to save much of the provisions,
although few tins of meat and fruit
were recovered.
Things now began to look ser ions
There were fifteen people on the island.
and food was daily becoming scantier,
were together much of the time and
were continually quarreling with the
sailors and making themselves gener-
ally Objectionable. Finally, on October
Is, 1888, having induced the Chinese
cook to go with them, they
stole the largest lifeboat and
all OF the provisions in camp
and set sail. After that matters became
worse, all of the provisions being gone.
The four children and the wife OF Cap
tain Walker kept up nobly. About the
first of the present year two sailors died
from some disease, probably scnrvy,
Day after day passed monotonously.
The children finally gave in and were
all suffering from the scurvy, as was
Mrs. Walker, when the Norma picked
them up. One sailor was drowned dur
ing January while fishing, the boat
being capsized by heavy sea, and he
being too weak to swim. Three native
sailors who were on the island did not
suffer much, and showed but little what
they had gone through when they
arrived at Honolulu"
The captain and his family are very
thankful at their deliverance, as they
would surely have starved had they re-
! NAMED undiscovered on the island
much longer. Captain Walker will re-
! main at the islands until his family are
once more in good health. One OF his
children is very i'll and may not live.
Jorgepsen, who left the island so basely,
taking with him the provisions, was n
very dangerous man. He was suspected
of killing two of the crew of the General
Sigel, and at the time tried to get away
in boat. When the crew were res
cued he was left on the island. So un-
bearable had Jorgensen become that
Captain Walker reports but for the in
reference on several occasions of his
| wife he surely would have shot him.
The boat in which the three were must
have been picked up by some vessel, or
else the three reached Honolulu, and
without reporting the terrible predica-
| ment of the captain and crew sailed for
| this country.
A naval court OF inquiry convened in
| Honolulu on March 18th and justified
| Captain Walker in his position in rela-
| tion TO the loss OF the Wandering Min
strel. The court was composed of Lieu
| tenant Webb, OF Her Britannia Majes-
| ty's ship Cormorant, president; Il. Rain
Walker, British vice consul, and cap
| tain Bowers, of the British bark Royal
| Tar.
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