Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-10-20
ABANDONED AT SEA
Twenty-Five Days at the Waves
Mercy.
PERUS OF AN AMERICAN CREW.

A Captain Who Sang "Dowu Went Nc
Ginty'' in the Face of Death-The Yes
sci Abandoned and Blown Up No
Water Other Liquid for Five Days
Close Call for Bloodshed-ScurvyT Treat
ment Given the Castaways by American
Officials.
SAN FRANCISCO Oct. 20.-Full details
were received by the Honolulu steamer
yesterday of the wreck of the American
ship w. A. Campbell and the terrible suf-
ferings of the mate and ten sailors in an
open boat for twenty-five days. Mate A.
X. Sullivan and six men arrived on the
steamer yesterday. Sullivan is a young
American of considerable literary ability,
as he has had two articles printed in The
Century Magazine, 1.-The Loss of the Rap
pahannOck and Around Cape Horn" He
told an admirable story of the wreck. He
rehearsed the details of the coming on of
the hurricane off the coast of Mexico when
the lumber ship ran before the wind. The
men tried to shorten sail. but such was the
fury of the gale that they We're powerless,
and the deck was soon Uttered with wreck
age of spars and ,rnasts.
A Regular Mark TapIey.
Finally it was decided TO abandon the
ship, as it was apparent it would soon sink.
The water tanks were all burst in and only
a small supply could be secured from the
donkey engine. The captains young wife,
who bore herself bravely, and his baby
were put in the larger boat with Captain
Havener and thirteen sailors. The captain
before he left the cabin sat down at the
piano and played Down Went McGinty"
He decided to set fire TO the ship for fear
she might wreck other vessels, so as they
showed off the torch was applied and soon
afterward she blew up, as there were explo-
SUES on board
Put the Men on Short Ratfons.
"After staying together two days" added
Sullivan, Il decided to push on as my boat
was the swiftest. All hands were put on
short allowance-hah condensed milk and
water and three biscuits a day; canned
meat at morning meal, and in the evening
one tin of fruit was used. On the tenth
day our water gave out, and put the men
on the same allowance of wine On the
fourteenth signs of weakness were noticea-
Die in several of the m,n. Twenty days
Aut and all our liquids were exhausted
Chileans Stole the Food.
"The men behaved well. with the excep-
Mon of three Chilean sailors. The men no
ticed that the Chileans seemed to stand the
short allowance of rations better than
themselves, and 1t was decided to ascertain
che way they did it. Watch was set, and
dnring the night they were discovered eat
ing from the rations of the supposed sleep
ing sailors. 1t was all could do TO save
the lives of these Chileans, as several of the |
men drew their knives and swore to kill |
The thieves
No Tidings of the Other Boat.
FINALLY, as / was stronger than they, I |
,verpowered them and threw their knives |
overheard. Just before we sighted land |
those men became very weak and would |
have died had not help come that day. |
No tidings have been received of the miss |
ing boat, which contained Captain Have |
ner wife and child. Second Mate Alexan- |
Ser Murray, Third Mate Percy f. Turner |
md eleven men. 1t is thought they were |
picked up by a vessel going roung Cape |
Torn, or persisted.