Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-03
WRECKED IN THE PACIFIC.
A Thrilling Story Told by the Captain OF
the Gam nheIl.


WASHINGTON, Nov. 8.--Mail to the
navy department from Honolulu hat
brought an interesting story of the
wreck Of the steamship William A.
Campbell, of Thomaston, Me-, in cy
clone while on a voyage from Port
Townsend to Queenstown in the Pacif,
ocean Aug. 20, In latitude IA north, Ion.
gttude 1870 west.
The story was transmitted by CAPITA in
Wiltz, of the United States steamship
Boston, and differs from the first ac-
count received here in one essential
point, and that is the statement by Cap.
tain Wiltz that the Boston went on q
cruise after castaways.
Honolulu advices, previously received,
stated that the United States minister
was severely criticised for his failure te
send the Boston in quest Of the missing
sailors. Because OF the criticisms the
minister prosecuted the editor of the
semi-off1cial newspaper at Honolulu,
and the overthrow Of the tottering
cabinet was hastened.
Captain Wiltz's statement is that the
officers and crew of the Campbell left
ship in two boats, the captain, his wife
and little baby in one containing four.
teen people, the mate and ten men in
the other.
The boats separated at the end of two
days. At the end of twenty-three days
the mates boat reached a point on one
Of the Sandwich islands near the town
Of Hilo, the crew being in terrible con-
ton. The mate said:
1--WE have lived on half tin of water
a day, tin being about the size Of a
condensed milk can. The water lasted
eight days, and then we lived on the
same allowance of wine, beer or stout
We had no rain at all, in consequence OF
which we got no more water. In addi-
tion to the liquid food we had about
three dozen tins Of various preserves
We could not have possibly lasted three
days longer and one day more would
have killed some of the crew. Prayers
were said by me twice day, think /
prayed fifty times day. Strange to say,
all were answered except the prayers for
rain. 1t was just punishment for our
former SINS"
According to Captain Witt the con-
dition of the boats crew on landing
was as follows: Two severe and eight
other cases Of scurvy; the psatoaty were
suffering from boils and blisters. Many
had to be lifted and carried from the
boat by the natives to the house of the
sheriff of the district In which they
landed. On hearing of their arrival the
United States steamship Boston left
Honolulu Sept. 28, reaching Hilo Sept.
80, and took the mate and crew on
board. She then went to sea and eruised
for two days over the water on which 1t
was possible that the captains boat
might be found, but without success.
Then, returning to Honolulu, he
landed the men, who were put in the
hospital for treatment. At the request
of our consul general at Honolulu the
Wilder Steamship company sent out one
of their steamers to prosecute further
the search for the captains boat, but up
to date of sailing of the mail steamer,
Dot. 4, nothing had been heard Of IL.
Captain Wiltz regards the chances Of
the boats crew as good, in view Of the
fact that to reach Hilo from the scene Of
the wreck they would be obliged to
cross the tracks of four lines Of vessels,
and it is possible that they may already
have been picked up.