The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-05-11

Pacific Ocean-A Brave Woman Was One
of the Sufferers.
/ Captain Peterson of the bark Lady
LampsOn, his wife and five seamen ar
rived in Honolulu in an emaciated con-
dition. They came in an open boat only
1S feet long and reported that they had
been % days tossing about OF the Pacific.
While the occupants of the frail craft
were not entirely without provisions dur
ing their long battle with the elements,
the effects of short commons and lack Of
sleep and shelter were palpably apparent.
Mrs. Peterson, who was clad in a thin
black gown, was worn nearly to a shad-
ow, and her strength failed her COM
pletely as she was lifted from the boat
and taken into the Eagle House.
The men were sunburned, leaden eyed
and hstless. Their heads dropped, and it
was with difficulty that they could be
got TO speak. but Captain Peterson told
IN q few words that the Lady Lampson
had been wrecked at night on a reef near
Palmyra island when Al days ont from
Sydney, III the crew were compelled to
take to the boats. He was very weak
and spoke in a whisper, at the same time
begging that his wife be taken where she
could get nOurishment and a little rest.
The Kanakas lent willing hands to
help the waits of the ocean into hacks
and carriages, and they were quickly
driven to where they could command at.
tentiOn. The little BOAT in which they
had j%ourneyed over 900 miles became
an object Of interest for hundreds of peo-
pie. 1t was partly decked in with can
vas, and strips of the same material had
been stretched above the gunwale on eli
Their side to prevent her being swamped.
In the boat were q couple of nearly emp
ty water kegs and a small quantity Of
biscuit and canned goods.
II haven't had my clothing off for %
days" said Captain Peterson when seen
at the Eagle House. He was hollow
checked and unshaven and looked indeed
as if he had suffered both mentally and
physically. The Lady Lampson," he
said, was from Sydney, and we were
bound to this port with 600 tons Of coal
for Wilder & Co. We left Sydney last
November and were A days out when
the vessel struck. We had had bad
weather near Feejac, having been in a
hurricane for "a hours, but after that we
had fine northeast winds until we got
near Palmyra island, when the weather
became dirty. 1t was $50 o'clock on the
morning Of Jan. 1G when we struck. ]
had not had an observation for two days
The night had been dark and stormy,
but the water was smooth then. | knew
| was to the east of the island, and that
there was a sunken reef somewhere
around. | was on deck myself and had
two men on the lookout aloft. There is
a strong westerly current there, and ]
guess we were going about five knots an
hour with all sails set.
Five minutes after she struck she be-
gan to break up, and / ordered the boats
out. We lowered the two boats. took
charge of one, and First Mate Harry Mil
Ter took the ether. In my boat there
were, besides my wife and myself, Sec
ond Mate G. Brown and Seaman w.
Cartoon (both Swedes), Cabin Boy w.
Hayden of Liverpool, F. Weller, the
cook, who is n German, and E. EversOn,
a Norwegian sailor. The mates boat
contained a German sailor named Sny-
der Oscar Magnersen, a Swede; j. JOr-
gensen, a German, and a seaman named
Martin.
We started for Palmyra island in
company about Z in the morning, having
only five gallons of water for the two
boats. The island is only 40 miles from
the reef, but the current and tide We're
so strong that we were trying for nine
days to make Roadway against them, but
couldn't. We drifted to the westward.
so ! resolved to put back to the bark.
We suffered greatly through want of
water, and we had barely enough to
moisten our tongues, which were swollen
and dry.
1--WE found the bark settling down and
the water washing over her, SO we got
aboard quickly and put some canned
goods, biscuit and water into the boats.
We rugged the boats with canvas and
then started again for Palmyra island.
We tried for two days to make Roadway,
but the heavy swell and wind bafled Us.
Thinking l would lose sight of the mates
boat, | told him to steer for Honolulu,
and / steered for here myself. We lost
sight OF the other boat and have had
heavy gales ever since. l have only had
an hours sleep at a time during the day,
and have never laid down.. At nighttime
the spray came over, wetting US al to
the skin, and in the day we dried our
clothes in the sun, if there was any. The
men have been quiet and accomplishing,
ever though on short allowance Of food
and water, and, thank goodness, we lost
nobody from our boat. 1t wa a terrible
experience, though, the worst | have met
with during ii years Of seafaring.
After We passed the island of Maui
we struck a storm, and the boat half
filled with water. We thought then it
was all over after passing through so
many other dangers, but we managed to
bail her out and keep her Nght. The
first vessel we saw since We struck, Is
DAYS ago. was a steam schooner off Dia-
mond head this morning. / hope the
mates BOAT is safe, and if he steered TO
the eastward | think they are all right"
The Lady Lalnpson was well known