Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-04-25
CRUISE OF THE STARLIGHT.

In book entitled Adventures by
Land and Sea, which l picked up the
other day, l saw brief reference to the
strange adventures of Captain Wheaton
of the snip Starlight Among all the
forcastIe yarns ever heard that story
relating it the reader will be as much
mystitied as have always been regard
ing it. Indeed. never yet met sailor
who did not firmly believe in the truth
of Captain Wheaton's every statement
l tell the story because / was an actor in
the first and last cha ters.
1t was in October, 1859, that shipped
second mate on the Starlight, which
Was then lying in the port of Honolulu.
She was an old whaler and had been
sold at auction and cheaply refitted
for Il vo age TO Lima and return, in the
interest of some California shippers. We
left port in ballast only and were two
men short of our complement Captain
Whea;on was Barnegat man and the
crew all English speaking people. For
the first fortnight no ship ever had bet
ter weather. The captain, as l under
stood him, was an earnest, conscientious
man, being above the average in point
of intelligence, and of strictly temper
ate habits.
At the end of the fortnight the fine
weather was broken by rousing gale,
which struck us during my night watch,
and all hands had to be called. We had
II or.l of thn
and were finally compelled to lay to,
and it was while we were bringing the
ship to the wind that the captain was
washed overheard by heavy sea which
boarded us. With him went one of the
sailors, the hencoors, several spare spars
and booms, and a lot of deck rattle, and
by the time the ship had shaken herself
Gear Of the foam it was too late to rem
der any assistance. Indeed, it was Il
serious question just then whether any
of us would live another half hour. The
storm did not break for nearly 20
hours. and the old ship was so strained
and Knocked about that her life was
ended. The gale had scarcely abated
when she began to leak faster than the
pumps could throw the water out, and
on the 17th day of the voyage we had to
abandon her.
When we lad been afoat for four
days III the open boats we were picked
UP by the American bark Yankee Boy,
bound from B ,ston to San Francisco.
We We're then to the north of the equa-
tor, and fully hu..dred miles from the
Galapagos Islands These islands lay a
good distance to the left of the true
course from Honolulu to Lima, and that
date every one of them was we'll known
and all We're inhabitated by natives who
could speak more or less English.
Now, as we got the gale dead from
the north, and as the send of the sea
was southwark for several days, Captain
Wheaton could not possibly have been
floated toward the Galapagos. He must
have been driven down toward the
equator, or po sibly toward the Marquee
sas group. although to reach any of
those islands he would have had to drive
for hundreds of miles, and for days and
weeks How was man swept over
board in gale to sustain himself above
few hours, even if not drowned at
once3 Ask yourself these questions,
and you will answer them as all others
have done, and you will be as greatly
mystified over the captains story.
On the 4th day of September, 1860, as
the English whaling ship Lady Bas-
combe was near the equator, being about
midway between the Marquesas group
and the Galapagos, and the time being
II o'clock at night, she was hailed from
out of the darkness, and five min
utes later had Captain Wheaton aboard.
He had then been afloat for three days
and a half on a small but well con.
structed raft, which was provided with
sail and had carried him safely and
buoyantly an estimated distance of 100
miles. The captain was in good health
and spirits, but would answer no ques-
tions until he had seen the captain of
the Bascombe, The sailors knew that
he must have been wrecked, but that he
should be alone in such seeming good
health in that dreary spot was great
mystery to them. Captain Moore, OF
the Bascombe, had heard of the loss OF
the Starlight, and when Captain Whea-
ton introduced himself he created a big
sensation. He was at first taken for an
imposter, but he had letters and docu-
ments in his pockets to prove his identity
at once. That being settled, he told his
story.
have heard him tell it four or five
times over, and can relate it almost
word for word. g.
When, Captain Wheaton was swept
overheard he gave himself up for lost.
He got but one look ut the ship. and
realizing that she was driving away
from him and that he was beyond
rescue, he ceased swimming, and hoped
to drown at once. Just then hen cooI
Hoated within reach, and in a second
he changed his mind and fastened to the
float He was clear on the point of float
ing all that day and far into the night
I Then he lost consciousness, but did moi
let go of lis float He remembered
| NOTHING of the next dav until about ar