The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-31

WOO OiOWh loA OuI VI LSI COuIS0 NY ~
gale and badly damaged, and one night
at midnight she struck reef three miles
off the south shore of Addoo island. She
soon broke up, and 10 of the crew reached
the shore on the wreckage. The island
was not inhabited, but they found plenty
of fresh water and great deal of stuff
drifted ashore from the wreck They set
up tent and made themselves comfort
able, and rs all the officers had persisted
the men determined to have good time
of it before being taken off. To the east
of their island and separated by a chan
mel not over 200 feet wide, though deep
enough to float a ship, was an island of
about an acre i'll extent. 1t was mostly
of rock and had neither water nor YER
dure.
One day while the men were bathing
one of them crossed the channel to this
island and found some curious carvings
on rock. He jumped TO the conclusion
that there was buried treasure there, and
upon his return his story so excited the
others that they set out at once to see for
themselves. He was tired with his swim
and did not go with them. They had
then been on the island three weeks and
had bathed i'll the channel iaily without
seeing shark. Francois Moran was the
name of this man, and he related that the
swimmers had scarcely reached the rocky
island when three great sharks made
their appearance and began patrolling
the channel. 1t was matter for lest mt
first, but after an hour or two the men
Oh the rock began to realize the fix they
were i'll. While the weather was warm
they were without food or drink, and
they were also tormented by gnats.
The crossing was made about 10 o'clock
i'll the forenoon. Soon after noon some
of the men entered the water to return,
thinking TO shout and splash and brighten
the sharks away, but two of them were
quickly seized and drawn under, and two
more large sharks made their appear-
ance. This put an end to all further
idea Of quitting the rocks by swimming
while the sharks remained. The sur
vivors drew away to the center of the
island and there spent the rest of the
day and all of the night, but next morn
ing there were five sharks patrolling I'D
and down the channel.
The sailors had rescued several barrels
of beef and pork from the sea. Moran
was instructed to throw all this meat to
the fish and thus satiate them, and he
opened the barrels and heaved every
piece into the waters of the channel The
result was what might have been antici-
pated had the sailors reflected bit
While the five sentinels doubtless got
some of the meat the splashing or the
scent of food called up a school of ground
sharks to devour the bulk of it, The
l...e- Al
arms ached, but they would not be driven
away. Whenever man approached the
water, they made ready to rush at him.
and it would simply have been going to
a horrible death to attempt the passage
Moran eXerted himself to the utmost
to relieve his shipmates. He tried to
float logs and planks across to them to
make Il raft. but there was Il current to
Battle him. He constructed n fire raft
and foated it through the channel, but
1t did not brighten the monsters in the
least. Had the men on the small islands
kept their heads he would have saved
them. He built Il raft, attached length
enough of rope to cross the channel and
then by means of Il stone heaved stout
cord across. This was on the third day
of their captivity. They were so eager
for the raft that they broke the string in
pulling over the rope. This occurred
several times, and when they finally got
the rope they fought over it, and the raft
got loose. 1t took Moran two DAYS to
complete another, but by that time the
sailors were lying helpless and could not
be aroused. The seven of them huddled
together and died, and they had been
dead for three weeks when a craft put
in and rescued Moran, who was little
better than lunatic for long weeks
after.
Music and Children.
There never was u child so dull in