The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-21
sH1pwRzcK ON A DESERT ISLAND
Terrible Adventure and Escape Of Ten
Naked Sailors
nom tie London standard.


From the London Standard.
PLYMOUTH, May 25.-In the mail steamer
Para there arrived here to-day some ship
wrecked mariners whose adventures present
features Of no ordinary interest They are
Capt. Stewart, the second mate, the car
penter, the saiimaker, and FIVE seamen, sur
vivoTs Of the ere = Of the Gettysburg, bark,
Of Aberdeen, which was wrecked of Mo-
rant Caves, thirty-three miles from Jamaica.
I be Gettysburg left MonteVideo on Feb. &
with crew Of sixteen all told, in ball St,
Tor Pensacola. On Aprl /, at 1890 A. m. /,
she struck on a coral reef outside Morant
Cages. The night was very dark, II rained
at intervals, and there was high wind
blJwIng. The current had carried the ship
southeast Of her course. Immediately she
struck the bark fell over on her port side
and commenced TO break up, and the stern
sank in deep water. Two boys, 10 N I. L
frey and Henry johnson, both alb ut IS,
apprentices from the training ship War
spite, WAC we're in the cabin, went do yn
with the bars, and Henry Bence, John
Olsen and William Vogwill were washed of
her stern and drowned
Capt. Stewart and ten Of the crew chung
TO the part or the bark's bottom which was
still above water, and while they were In
this position one Of the vessels boats Wes
washed within their reach. They tried TO
hold on 70 the boat till daylight, but at
2 q. m heavy sea struck the boat and
carried 1t seward. Capt Stewart and six
Of his men were washe1 OFF with the boat,
70 which they chung, but it filed with
water and beca ne useless. FJu men m n
aged to get back TO the wreck, but John
Forbes Of Aberdeen, chief mate, and
John Lindsay of Rhode Island, stew
ard, we're drowned. Capt. Stewart
seized an oar and hoated until a heavy sea
washed him upon the reef. He afterward
joined the Survivors Of the wreck. At day
break the Cages was made out mile to the
westward of the reef. William Carter swan
out to two spals, a mast and a yard, aud,
with the assistance of James era wford,
ordinary seaman, who joined him, coz
structed a raft a4ong ide the reef. By their
efforts the Ii es of Capt Stewart and six
Of their shipmates were saved. They were
towed on the raft to the nearest Caves.
Carter swimming all the way, and thus
steering the raft. There they found three
cocoanuts to eat, and no water, the isla ID
being uninhabited. They landed completely
naked.
After being there for two days they dug
for water, and found some, but very brack-
ish- On the third day Thomas Allan, an
able seaman, swan over to larger isl md,
followed by Carter and Crawford, and
stayed there all night. Next morning
Carter returned to the smaller caves wit
news Of having discovered more water and
cocoanuts. The rest Of the survivors then
swan over. except David Wolfe, a German
able seaman, who was injurel in the wreck.
aud Capt. Stewart, who was too exhausted.
Carter assisted Capt. Stewart aud
Wolfe across. They remained there
over two weeks, existing upon shellfsh.
small crabs and cocoanuts. During the last
few days they caus bit few birds (bobbies)
sleeping, and ate them raw, as there wa no
mea Of lighting fire. Some little root,
like the common white radish were also
found and eaten, but were difficult of mas
tication and digestion. A large shark was
on The watch to catch the
sailors, and they tried TO catch
him, but neither party succeeded. On
April II, at low water, Carter, Shaddick.
the second mate, and Edward Macdonald.
ordinary seaman, wade over to an island
and secured sufficient wood h. make small
raft. The sun was SO hot that they were
badly scorched and blistered A raft was
constructed by Charles Reese Jones. sail
maker, and all the sails were made out of
an old piece OF bag, some pieces of blanket,
and bed which was washed ashore.
On April % Jones and Allan started on
the raft for Jamaica TO procure assistance.
They were victualled with piece of pork
which had been washed up, all the cocoa
nuts left and nine pints of fresh water in
old bottles found on the island. The raft
sank to eighteen inches below the water in
the center, but both ends were elevated.
It's occupants were up to their waists in
water, and remained so for forty-eignt
hours, when, on the oath, they landed at
Beacon Point, seven miles from Morant
bay. There they lay down on the beach
exhausted, and slept till morning, when
they proceeded to White Horses three
miles distant. AT this place, at z a.
M, they found a black policeman.
who gave them food and took tnem
on to Morant bay, where the col
lector of customs gave the constable money
to get them more food, and telegraphed to
the authorities at kingston Jones and
Allan afterward lay down upon the piazza
outside the custom house, beng still quite
naked. About 3 p. m. two gentlemen, one
an Englishman named Barrett, superin-
tendent Of the to egraph station, W re- very
indignant at their being left in the street,
and protested against their being sent to
Kingston in their present condition. Mr..
Barrett took lem to Jan outfitter's and
provided them with clothes, ordered a hot
dinner for them. and provided them with
liquors TO bqthe and rub their legs, which
were very much swollen, lacerated. and
exceedingly stiff and sore.
From Morant bay they were conveyed in
a dray to Kingston, where they ere taken
to the Sailors Home, and the Forward gun
boat was seat to bring off Capt. Ste art
and the rest of his crew from the Caves.
The Forward arrived there on April 26 ard
took them off, eventually bringing them to
Port Royal on the morning of the 9th.
The steam launch took them on to Kings
ton. Capt Stewart and his crew were
landed at Plymouth.