The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-06
ADRIF'r ON THE PACIFIC.
The Terrible Suferings Of Ship
King James Survivors.
FIVE DAYS WITHOUT FOOD.
Their Companions Tossed Into the
Sea as Fast as They Died.
FIVE DAYS WITHOUT FOOD.
Drummond's Boat Lived Through
the Awfal Ordeal-The. Captain's Son
Perished With Eleven Others.

the steamer Los Angeles, bound south.
left Hueneme this morning the man on
the watch sighted a whale boat, which
afterwards proved to be the missing boat
of the British ship King James, which
burned at sea week ago. A man was
seen standing in the boat and waving q
handkerchief. The steamer gave whistle
and the man fell suddenly into the
bottom of the boat. The captain or
dered the steamer to oe put about
and make for the strange boat.
When the Los Angeles slowly steamed
alongside sorrowful sight met the eyes of
the passengers. Lying in the bottom of
the boat were four men, their clothing
torn. their hair matted, their forms
emaciated and too weak to do anything
but wave their arms in feeble manner.
Their faces were scratched and bruised,
and they appeared more like men who
were ready to gasp their last than those in
whom sufficient energy ex isted to be re-
stored to life.
Two men were lowered and called on the
men in the boat to rise and be helped
aboard the steamer, but they were too
weak and only waved their hands and
moaned in a pitifui manner. Each man
they were tenderly cared for by the sur
geon. Capt. Drummond was in the best
condition of any of the men rescued.
After being warmed and fed he began to
recover strength and was able in three
hours to tell the following story:
After the fire on tho King James was discov-
cred. IL had gotten on such headway that it was
impossible to stay it, 20 We put out two life
boats. provisioned them and placed sixteen men
in each. You already know Of the escape of
the first mates boat We left the ship at
O'Clock on the morning of March 20 At $40
O'Clock on March 81 . heavy sea arose and my
boat was capsized. Twelve men, including my.
self, succeeded in clinging to the upturned
boat For six hours We hung to that
boat, and it seemed six years The
men prayed and prayed for help
and 1t was the saddest scene have taken part
in for many years. Tho men finally succeeded
in turning the boat, when the sea had calmed.
Then for fourteen hours we remained in water
up to our waists We bailed the boat out, but
our provisions and oars and even the rudder
were lost We tore away part Of the covering
FOR the air tanks to make o&rs and to improvise
a rudder. The second day one man died, the
third day two men and on the fourth day three
men, including my soA
Hero the captain broke down and began
sobbing. When he regained composu.e
he continued:
shall never forget those few days. Some of
the men were like maniacs. They cried for food
and water. and we exhausted ourselves in try
ing to hold them down. Before each man died
he would become incoherent and curse and
pray alternately. We could not 20 TO
sleep. because We were afraid that some OF
the men In their moments OF Insanity
would cut our throata As the men died
We threw them overheard. We could not have
stood it two hours longer. We knew that We
were near Hueneme, and II We had oars we
could have got ashore. We were drifting there
when the wind blew us out again. Thank God,
we are saved, and God bless the captain OF the
Los Angelica
When Capt. Drummond spoke of his son
his sobs and anguish were piteous. The
men are at Redondo and are being cared
for. Two of them are very weak and it
will take careful nursing to bring about
their complete recovery. When picked up
by the Los Angeles this morning the cap
tain and three remaining members of his
crew had been five days without food or
water. They were so weak as to be unable
to stand or walk, and had to be lifted from
the boat by the willing arms of the res
cuers. The names of those saved are:
Capt. William DrummOnd, Joseph Muller,
a seaman; Edwin Flint, sailmaker, and
John Spiney, an apprentice. Those lost
were:
DAVID IRELAND. second mate
WILLIAM DRuMMoSD, the captains son.
THIRD MATE JAMES CHRIsrY.
OLIVER ROBINSON, an apprentice.
JOHN JOHNSON.
WILLIAM SPENCEA
PETER PETERSON.
FRANK KENYON.
STEVEN BREEDEN.
WILLIAM BREEZE.
JOHN WILLIAMS, and
FRANK LARSEN, seamen.
The surviving members Of the crew will
remain on board the Los Angeles until
she returns to San Francisco.
The other half of the crew, who landed
at Point Conception the day before, are
al the lighthouse there, and will be taken
overland to Santa Barbara.