, 1890-11-13

and make It'll possible for "a boat To
run daily trip both ways between
Sprouts Landing and the Little
Dalles.
| Edward Richardson, who is one
of fourteen men sent to Destruction
island early in September last, to
build the foundation for the new
light house ut that point returned
to Astoria the other day footsore,
weary and hungry. He tells tho
Astorian n story of hardship en-
dured by himself and companions
that rivals some of the startling
stories of shipwrecked sailors made
famous in fiction.
"For the past two weeks" said
Mr.. Richardson, my companions
and myself have subsisted entirely
on CLAIMS, and prior to that time for
several weeks we were on half
rations."
The story of the hardships of the
meh as recited by Mr.. Richardson,
who may he termed one of the sur
vivors, shows that the government
Is guilty Of gross negligence in leav-
ing party of men on barren isl
and for weeks ut time without sup
plies.
ut was September 6 last" said
Mr.. Richardson, "that we were
landed on the island from the tender
Manzanlta. Some supplies We're
left with us, and the steamer
promised to call again in about ten
days. 1t was n good two weeks be-
fore the ManZanita hove i'm sight
again, and then she had but small
quantity Of provisions for us. The
vessel was en- route to Puget sound
TO attend on the naval commission.
or superintendent, MIR. Withers,
notified the captain of the ManZanita
of the condition of affairs and stated
that we would need more supplies
inside of II week, at the same time
giving him Il requisition.
We have never seen the Manza-
nita since, and no boat CT ne near
the island. At the end of the week
the supplies began to run short and
we were put OH half rations and
claims. Then Il few days later wo
had no prov isions at all save little
flour, aud the men would have to
kuock off work and 20 to digging
CLAIMS for breakfast, dinner aud sup
per. IL was CLAIMS three times II day,
aud some of the men became sick
Each day we looked for some signs
OF the Manzanita or q relief boat, but
none came.
"As we had no boat or any means
ot communicating with the main
land, we started signal fires OH the
end of the island, hoping to at
tract the attention of the Indians.
l. 81
burning, but without results.
until last Wednesday, when so,ne
Indians put of to US in canoes.
Myself and another of the men set
out with them Tor the mainland to
report the condition of affairs in
. Portland. Others wanted to come,
but the canoes would not accom-
modate them.
"On reaching the mainland we
walked Il long distance and finally
Reached Gray's harbor. This we
crossed in Il sail boat and then began
Il foot journey arriving vt North
Cove this Monday morning. Here
we caught the steamer for Sealund
and from thence came here by rail
and the steamer General Candy"
The absence of the steamer Man
zanita IL sorely felt ut all the Light
stations along the coast. 1t was
only last week that supplies ran out
at Tiilamook and the men there
were compelled to signal passing
steamer and obtain provisions
from it.
Bears are numerous about the
mouth of Smith creek, says the
South Bend journal, where there
are bear-berry patches TO the extent
of hundreds of acres. There are two
varieties of the "varmlnt"-thec conf