The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1893-07-27
RATHER ROUGH EXPERIENCE
Several Days at Sea Without Food or
Water.
CHEW CANDLES AND TARRED ROPE
To MOistFn Their Parched Throats-
The Cook Suggested Casting Lots to
see who Should be a Victim to Save
the Lives of the Others-FinalIy
Landed Safely.

| Mr. Robert jenkins, a son of Mr.. r.
A. jenkins, of Salem, recently went
to Pensacola, Fla, to take charge of
a canning establishment. Before en-
tering upon his duties he concluded
% t&he a ei OFT fishing cruise, but
staid out longer and had an expert
| ence which he had by no means bar
gained for, as detailed in the follow
ing extract from letter which we
are permitted to publish:
Nothing special occurred after this
until Tuesday morning, when we
sighted another vessel bound towards
Pensacola. This proved to be really
Pensacola fisherman; although they
had their boom broken during the
hurricane, as they were out in
were in port, still | was very
glad when he said he would carry me
to Pensacola, which place he expected
to reach in forty-eight hours. | told
Capt. HaSkill and crew gOOd-bye, and
boarded the Warren with Captain
Dolphin.
We were now southeast Of Appela-
chacola, near Cedar Keys, and the
wind was from the westward, so we
sailed and tackled, and the next Sun
day found us still trying to beat
around Cape st. Bias. Toward noon
the wind died and LETT US almost a
perfect calm; this was tough, as our
water tank was empty, except probably
gallon of stuff that had to be strain
ed through rag, and then it was
about the consistency of milk, but by
night that was gone. In the evening
a light breeze sprung up and we sailed
nd
weathered the Cape. We were now
feeling very dry, but did not get wa
ter until night when we spoke to
vessel and got four jugs full, but
Tuesday morning this was gone, as
well as our grub we had some flour
and hard tack, but could not eat 1T
without water. | tried toueat a piece
of hald tack, but could not swallow it,
because my throat was so dry. We
sailed, or tried to sail, all day Tues
day and Wednesday. Wednesday af-
ternoon we sighted land and headed
for it. When within a mile of the
beach two sailors lowered the boat
| and pulled for shore with a shovel and
four jugs, to dig for water; we could
not drink it, but we could moiSten
our tongues with it. That night we
had hard ssquall, and Thursday
morning we found ourselves about
twenty-five miles to eastward of
| where we were the previous evening
By this time we were chewing can
dies, some were chewing tarred rope,
| anything to get little moisture
| Soon, however, it commenced to rain
and we got buckets and pans, and
| held them under the sails; | pulled
| Off my shirt, which | had been wearing
| for eighteen days, and let it soak,
| but when | picked the cleanest place
| 10 r
as gall, and the water in the pans and
| buckets was salty, so our hopes were
| quenched once more. By this time
| our old cook was talking about cast
ing lots. Hewas frightened and tried
| to get all the rest so; as the blood in
his veins was dried up, he thought he
was safe to suggest it,
| However, even this cloud had sill
| yer lining. About noon we sighted a
vessel and in three hours two of our
men had boarded her and returned
with four jugs and two buckets of WA
| ter, some tea and tobacco. If that
water did not taste good none ever
did. That night we went down to
| supper, the first meal we had had for
| three days.
| We were now about forty miles
| from Pensacola; several vessels had
gotten in and reported us lost. Capt.
HaSkill came in Tuesday morning and
| reported US with a broken boom
homeward bound, ten days ago, sc
| Warren " Co., owners, knowing we
| did not have water and food to last
us as long as we had been out, sent {
tug to hunt us, and she found us that
afternoon, and pulled US to Pensacola
by eight o'clock that night. If evei
there was a thankful crew and pas
senger it was that night. When ",
pulled up to the wharf Capt. Haskil
was there looking for us. AS none O.
the crew had any money, for they hat
ed some beer l felt it my duty t,
throw in all the change [ had. Tha
night L slept in the boat. The mex
morning | went to the ticket office
pawned F-'s watch for a ticket II
Milton and reached there in time 70
| breakfast