The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-05


earth. shut out from the upper vaults by
strong doors. These lower dungeons were
not more than five feet long by four feet
high, and from their szA one may form
some idea Of the sufferiqgs endured by the
poor wretcheS, loaded with irons, crushed
down by impenetrable walls of
earth, In utter darkness, starved and
beaten by their cruel guards, with no living
soul TO pity and 10 hope of release but in
death. BY the aid Of torch we saw deep
holes scratched in one of the walls, bearing
the impress Of human fingers. Perhaps
some unhappy murderer, g0aded TO mad
ness by such fortunes of mind and body as
drive mea to tear their own flesh when
buried before the vital sparkiis extinct, had
gasped out the earth Ia his desperation, aud
left the marks of his death agonies upon
the clay that entombed him. As we sounded
the walls, deep echoes breaking upon the
heavy air seemed yet TO mingle with his
curses, and its last sepulchral throb was like
the dying moan of a maniac
AT last, about thirty years after the
founding OF the colony. some 800 prisoners
broke loose from their chains, murdered the
guards aud escaped. They seizsd the gar
rison and for several days held possession Of
The island. Just then a Nantucket whale
ship happened to put into Cumberland bay
for food and water. The convicts seized the
as many of their number as the vessel could
possibly carry. Two hundred of them
crowded in, and they threatened the
ships officers with instant death in
case of failure to land them on the
coast of Peru, whittier they deter
mined to go to escape the vengeance of
the Chilean government. The captain of
tue whaler ran over to the nearesU land on
the coast of Chile, and, leading the convicts
n hai hat IN
only about thirty miles north of Valparaiso.
lney soon found out their dangerous sltua-
ton; but it is said that every one of them
succeeded in eluding the Chilean authori-
ties, and eventually joined the Peruvian
army, which was at that time advancing
upon Santiago. Most Of the prisoners left
on the island escaped by different vessels,
and were scattered over the globe. But
very few of those engaged in the massacre
were recapture1, and they were shot in the
central square of Chile's capital All this
occurred less than forty years ago.
Speaking Of those days brings to mind the
story of a former governor of Juan Fernau-
dez, which is still told and believed by every
one on the island. Looking up to the utter
most peak of YOnka-an abrupt precipice
on all sides, rising 5000 feet into the blue
one sees the dim outlines of a dim cross,
and wonders how in the world it got there
Many attempts have been made by sailors
and others to scale the peak, but always
without success. except in a single instance.
One day the governor of the convict colony
went out riding, as was his usual after
dinner custom. and when near to Yonka he
beheld SO remarkable a vision that he
galloped back to the village in hot haste
and related that he saw away down
i'll the valley, very tall man. dressed all in
black aud mounted on very white horse.
The strange rider had face of CHASTITY
wilderness, and, turning, he looked steadily
at the governor with eyes of fire, the glare
of which made the air hot all around"
Trembling with fear, the governor made
the sign of the cross, whereupon the phan-
tom put spurs TO his horse and rode straight
up the precipice TO the top of the peak,
where he paused and looked back. Seeing
the sign of the blessed cross repeated, the
mysterious horseman lifted his hands wildly
as if in despair and plunged out of sight on
the other side.
Being devout man and a believer in
spooks, the governor recognized this as an
omen of impending calamity, which could
only be everted by placing cruciflx on top
of the peak. For this purpose he selected
two criminals who were under sentence of
death and offered them their liberty if they
would make the ascent and erect the cross.
The prisoners resolved to hazard the at
tempt, as on the other hand there was the
certainty of death. Tools, ropes, ladders
aad provisions were furnished, and they
were sent off with the warning that If they
they would be Immediately executed. For
more than a week they toiled incessantly,
driving spikes into the cliff, and day by day
went up little higher, letting themselves
down az night by ropes to the base of the
precipice. On the eighth day they reached
the summit, almost dead from fright aud
worn to skeletons by the terrible ordeal
through which they had passed, so that for
many hours they lay completely pros
trated.
The table on top of the peak is a vast rock
forty feet in diameter, and in the middle OF
1t a clear spring bubbles up One of the
men bathed in the water and felt so re-
freshed that he at once knew it had magical
properties. He peered over the western
precipice to see where the cascade fell,
when 10! directly below him. stretched
from crag to crag on the awful gorge was a
clothes line hung full Of linen shirts. white
as snow. Deponent does not say what this
porJended. but the convict called his cons
rade to come and see, ami while they were
looking q tremendous hurricane came up,
compelling them to fall fiat on their backs
to avoid being blown over the
abyss. After the wind had passed they
looked again, but clothes and line had dis
appeared. and nothing was 20 be seen but
the bare rocks. Then they fell on their
knees in prayer, and an angel appeared,
who sao we'd them tree suddenly grown
up beside the spring, and bade them use it
for the cross. They did so; and then, let
ting themselves down by the ropes, fastened
to the governor to relate this adventure
The tale so impressed the pious dignitary
that he not only redeemed his promise by
giving them freedom but sent them home
laden with gifts, and had crosses erected in
various parts of the island and daily masses
said by the soldiers for long time after
ward.
On that side OF Crusoes Lookout which
faces the bay, marble tablet has been set,
bearing tho following inscription: I'm
memory of Alexander Selkirk, mariner, a
q native of Largo, county OF Fife, Scotland,
who lived upon this island in complete
solitude for four years aud four months.
He was landed from the Cirque Ports galley,
So tons, 10 guns, A. D. 1905, and was taken
of in the Duke, privateer, on Feb. II, 1909.
He died lieutenant of Fl. B. NJ. S. Wey-
mouth, A years. This tablet Is erected on
Selkirk's lookout BY Commodore Powell and
the officers of H. B. NJ. s. Topaz, A. D. 1868"
Standing where Crusoe stood when he
was monarch of all he surveyed, and his
right there was none to disDute-oue looks
off upon lovely valleys aud wooded ravineS,
fair and solitary as the Happy Valley of
Rasseas, till recently seldom trodden by
foot; environed on every side by the long
swelis of the Pacific, unbroken to the
horizon, except by the dim shapes of the
islands belonging to the same group.