St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-20
ON A DESERT ISLAND.
A Shipwrecked Crew Starving for Ten
Days.
WATER-SOAKED CRACKERS
Death of the Captain After Being Trans
ferred to the Steamship
Santiago.

The rescue at sea of the crew and cap
tain of the German bark Lydia Ammo
proved to be, ON investigation, one of
the most thrilling stories of shipwreck
and privation ever recorded. In addi-
ton to being exposed to the elements
while drifting about on the ocean for
several days in TWO small lifeboats, the
crew was forced to live for ten days
upon the ice-coated Sand-bar upon
which their vessel had stranded. Dur
ing that time they were subjected to
short rations and unable to get drop
of fresh water.
The shipwrecked crew remained
within sight of the wreck, which lay
stranded about mile off shore; and it
was the proximity that insured their
subsequent delivery from a horrible
death from exposure and hunger. FIRE.
quent trips on raft, which had been
improViSed for the occasion, were made
to the bark. The sailors were thus en-
abled to secure few articles of cloth
ing and all the eatableS which had not
been rendered unfit for food by the salt
water. The raft had been constructed
of timber which had f1oated away from
the wreck.
The provisions found by the crew
aboard the wrecked bark consisted OF
damaged salt pork. beef and soaked
bread and crackers. The latter were
only eatable when dried. During all
the time the crew remained on the
sand bar the storm in which their ship
was wrecked never abated. The wind
blew with hurricane force against the
small strip of land, and rain fell nearly
all the time, making it utterly impossible
to start fire with the driftwood at the
crews disposal. AT times waves broke
over the bar and drencheG to the Skin
the already half-drowned men.
ERECTING THEIR FIRST SHELTER.
1t was only on the seventh day after
they had been stranded OH the island
that they were enabled to erect rude
shelter from the wreckage which was
swept alongside the bar. The life-boatS
were drawn upon the beach, and UNI
derneath them the eleven furnishing
sailors crowded nightly and huddled to-
gtther for warmth. A tall pole, which
had been washed ashore from the
wreck, was erected on Sand-hill. and
Oh top of it piece of canvas was
tackled. This was intended as signal
of distress to attract the attention OF the
master of any vessel which happened to
be sailing in the offing. A lumber OF
other sticks of wood were set up at differ
ent points of the bar as signals of dis
tresS. In the meantime the men were
living upon dried crackers and few
canned vegetables. The weather was
intensely cold and was accompanied by
a furious snow squat. The snow was
gathered iD receptacles and melted. and
this, with the rain which was caught.
was the only water the men had to
ever, and the supply uncertain. The
Ifeboats showed signs of dryneSS, and,
under the apprehension that the boats
would go to pieces, the men were forced
to fill them each morning with salt
water and then bail them out at night
preparatory to seeking shelter.
DESPONDENCY, AND SUICIDE THREAT
ENED.
AS the DAYS passed and there seemed
to be no chance of escape from their liy-
ing death. several of the crew became
Respondent and lost all hope. Two of
the men threatened to commit suicide,
and constant watch was kept upon
their movements. The captain, who
had been sufferer from lung trouble,
fell suddenly sick, and one morning ne
was unable to regain his feet. His men
did all in their power to make him COM
Portable, but the relief was not ade-
uuate. For six days the shipwrecked
crew thus lived upon their bleak, lonely
| isle. The bar began to be surrounded
by perfect barrier of ice cakes, which
were accumulated by the force OF the
waves. In order to reach the Heating
wreckage the sailors were compelled to
| climb over the ice wall and drag the
| timber from the waves.
A TRIP TO THE WRECKED BARK,
| On the sixth day the men took advan-
| tage of lull in the storm to construct
| the raft, which enabled them to float
| out to the wreck and secure W hatever
articles they found necessary to employ
| for their comfort while they continued
on the island. The men took turns i'll
| padding, and succeeded after many
| hours in reaching the wreck. A chest
of carpenters tools was found floating
| in the forward hatch. This was hauled
upon the raft, together with keg OF
| nails and number of other useful ar
| ticles. A small chest of water-soaked
| bread and biscuits was found. The fresh
| water cask had broken away, and was
! found crushed beneath the cabin
! floor and filled with salt water. The
cask contained the only supply OF fresh
water on the bark. 1t was midnight
| The next day the wreckage. which had
| been from time to time collected, was
| used in building the rude hut. Pieces
| of tarpaulin were thrown upon the roof
! and nailed down to keep out the rain.
| With the assistance of pieces of boards,
| which were used as impromptu shoyels,
| sand was thrown up against the walls
| of the rude structure, which helped