The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-04-16
ROBINSON CRUSOES FROM GOTHAM.
They Organized With Warner Miller
as General Commanding,
And Stald on a Desert Island Just
Six Days Too Long.
The Tough Experience OF the PAS
sengers OF the Aguan.

New YORK, April 15.-The correspond.
ents Of the New York papers who accom-
panied Hon. Warner Miller, president of the
Greytown, have written up the story of
the wreck of the steamer Aguan In the Ca
ribbean sea. and the six days experience of
the passengers and crew. including Mr.. Mil
ler's party on desert island. Some Of the
experiences are thus related in the New
York Press:
Calculating that it would be three or four
days at least before the relief for which
First Mate Lapsby was sent could arrive,
the party proceeded to make itself as COM
The nearest land to R0ncador Island, Old
Providence, is about seventy-fve miles dis
tadt, and 1t was calculated that the boat
would have to go $50 or 200 miles further to
Hs iieying Vessei So camp es1 %as Organized Ts
with ex-senator Warner Miller as cOmman-
der-in. chief and Lieutenant Guy Howard as
adjutant and active executive. 1t was de-
clded to transfer the ships provisions and
water to the island as soon as possible, for
the latest arrivals reported the Aguan as
gradually filling water, and beating against
the rocks as the waves and the wind
rose. SO several trips were made
to her daily In the small boats, up to
the tanks OF water removed to the island ex-
ceDt one large one, which was submerged by
the sea as it rose in the vessels hold, before
II could be lifted out and carried off. The
dread that the supply OF water might give
out before relief arriyed was the specter that
from all apprehensions on this score on
Easter Sunday when a spring was dug at
the western end Of the Island. 1t was ex
pected that this water would be brackish,
hsNe n rNsrr a.wlt .-eA
tasting 1t was the quantity Of carbonate of
lime In solution, giving 1t flavor much like
that of the limestone springs In the neigh
borhood Of the Blue Ridge Moun-
tains of Pennsylvania, Maryland and
Virginia. 1t was Immediately turned to use
It's discovery to the time Of departure life
took en- brighter hues. There would be no
dying CT thirst at any rate. But IL one had
to be shipwrecked on desert island In the
tropics why could it not have been such
desert island as ones youthful dreams and
yearnings create In composite mental pho
toeraph OF Robinson Crusoe's island and the
Swiss Family Robinson's island and Captain
Marryatts island? an island luxuIiant with
tropical yerdure, oranges, bananas. lines,
bread fruit. edible roots and birds of bril-
liant plumage! Instead of natural manure
heap, populated chiefly by tramp crabs and
ugly, squawking birds.
Lieutenant Howard instituted schedule
OF guard duty, the sentinel being stationed
at the stone fort till the second day, after
which guard was kept at the camp. The cor
respondent Of the Press had the utmost diff
Guilty In preserving duly stern countenance
while on guard duty Friday evening at the
fort with a loaded pistol In his hip pocket
and special instructions In his head to see
that the crew and laborers did not make
raid on the stores of intoxicating drinks.
The sentinel was naturally made to under
stand the character of viciousness by such
cheerful remarks as these:
Steward bring me coffee In my sta teroom
at 6 sharp, do you near?"
The prevalent idea, of course, was that the
casks OF rum were kept from the crew and
laborers so that the capitalists, engineers,
newspaper men and "dOods" In ex-senator
Miller's camp could enjoy wild carousals
but the fact was that the casks of rum were
emptied into the ocean at the ship. The bot
tied liquors were guarded with military
strictness for use in case of sickness.