Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-21
LOST ON THE PACIFIC.
A Horrible Story Of Shipwreck and
Suffering in an Open Boat.
CASTAWAYS In AWFUL STRAITS.
Driven Mad by Thirst and Forced to Par
take of Erman Flesh.
A FEW OF THE SUFFERERS RESCUED

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH
SAN FRANCISCO, July 20.-A horrible
story of shipwreck, of suffering in an open
boat under a tropical sun, and of meals
made from a dead woman's body comes
from the coast of Mexico If true-and
there seems to be no reason for doubling it
it throws new light upon the fate of the
SLAYER brig Tahiti and her crowded cargo of
Gilbert Islanders, men, women and chill
dren, who were taken from the South sea to
work on coffee plantations in Mexico.
Last September the Tahiti put into
brakes Bay, near San Francisco, having
been blown many hundred miles out of her
course. She was short of water and pro-
visions, and her rigging was sadly in need
of repair Aboard were nearly 400 Gilbert
islanders, crowded into space sufficient
for half that number. and there were also
Captain Ferguson and his wife, H. n.
Leavitt, New York lawyer, and a young
physician, DR.. John Gibson, of San Fran
cisco.
Gibson left the ship, as did the Fergu-
sons. Leavitt, who was really the trader in
slaves, remained aboard and took in new
Captain named Paulsen. The port officials
ihouC O ACcUAC dLICmpt W bclIc buC lduigA,
but she got away and sailed for her destina-
tion, San Benito, Mexico
Wreck Lost on the Pacific.
The next heard of her was in October,
when the steamer Roseville sighted her,
floating bottom up, off the Mexican coast.
Warships, steamers and sailing vessels have
hunted for possible survivors, without sue
cess. Even the wreck is lost somewhere on
the Pacific.
Now comes strange story Leon Mar
tell. an illiterate Mexican, is the narrator.
He has Just come from Manzanillo, Mexico,
where he spent several months Four
months ago, while up the coast 60 miles
from there, he heard of and visited two
shipwrecked men. One was a Russian Fin,
nsmed Johansen, and the other Gilbert
Islander. They said they were on board
the Tahiti when she capsised, and that with
four others they escaped in small boat
The brig capsized in heavy squall on
the night of October 10, and was bottom up
inside of five minutes The boat in which
Johansen claimed to have made his escape
was on top of the house, and foated off
when the brig capsized. Four others, three
men and woman, all Gilbert Islanders,
climbed in with him. They had neither
food nor water, and only three oars When
daylight came, the brig was out OF sight.
Forced to Eat Human Flesh.
On the fourth day the woman died and
the men were forced to eat portions of her
body to keep themselves alive For the
first few days after leaving the brig it blew
gale, and. the men had all they could do to
prevent the boat from being swamped.
Several heavy showers fell, but it did
them little good, as what fell in
the boat or was caught in their clothing
was so mixed with salt spray that con-
stantly flew over them. Then the sun came
out and beat down upon the unfortunate
castaways with tropical force, and they suf-
fered terrible tortures from thirst.
One of the islanders drank salt water and
went mad on the tenth day, and finally
plunged into the sea. Four days later an
other islander died, and the two survivors
threw him overheard. That night it rained
hard, and the suffering men caught enough
water to quench their thirst. The next day
the body of the woman, though carefully
preserved, became so repulsive that Johan-
sen threw it overheard, preferring to starve
rather than eat any more of it.
On the morning of October 26, 16 days
after leaving the ill-fated brig, the boat was
cast ashore, and, more dead than alive, the
two men crawled out of her and laid down
on the beach. They we're carried to the
huts of some fishermen nearby, and it was
there Martell found them. The islander
had recovered from his terrible experience,
but Johansen was still sick.