The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-20
LOSS OF A BARK.
The Captain and Four
Men Drowned.
Timely Rescue of Eleven Persons
From an lsland-Story of
the Disaster.

The Auckland star OF December %. which
was received yesterday by the Monowai, says
that the steamer Hinemoa arrived at Dunedin
on December with the survivors Of the bark
Spirit of the Dawn, which had been wrecked on
Antipodes Island.
On the Rinemoa nearing the island on No
yember 80 Captain Fairchild observed flag
staff erected on knoll on the southwest end.
Proceeding TO the northeast end. where the
depot with provisions Is situated, he expected
to find some one there, but no one put in an ap-
pearance and he dispatched the second officer
to where The flag was and then commenced to
steam round to look for wreckage. On getting
to the south side he flagstaff was observed on
low terrace and some men walking about on
lie rocks. \ boat was lowered and put ashore,
and then piteous sight was beheld.
Eleven men, some of whom had very little
clothing, we've found standing on the rocks,
some with pieces of raw penguin flesh, which
they had been eating, in their hands. Their
first saluiation was: God bless you We have
been here eighty days" The whole of that
time they had BEEN living on the raw flesh Of
mutton BIRDS. penguins, penguins' eggs, roots
Of the pleuraphy lllum plant and creeping plants
resembling celery.
They proved TO be survivors OF the bark
Spirit of the Dawn, bound from Rangoon TO
Talcahuano.
After landing from the wreck they had MOTH
ing but what they stood in, and some or them
had little more than underclothing.
The place where they landed is about three
miles ftOm the Government depot containing
provisions, but none Of them ever searched the
island or went TO the top OF Mount Galloway,
1920 feet, from which the denOt can be seen.
They were so exhausted that they could not
walk about
They recovered strength as soon as the pen
! gums came about, and they got their eggs.
| Their greatest hardship was being without ire
! and proper place to sleep IN.
During the time the eas.aways were on the
! Island they saw four vessels pass 10 The south
ward and eastward, but their signal was not
| ~fN.,
number of goats. sheep and cattle on the
! Island, which is only 1000 acres in extent. not
one OF Them were observed by the castaways.
| Tue following particulars were supplied by
Mr.. IIorner, chief mate: "The Spirit of the
Dawn, Captain X. I. MilIington. lef Rangoon
on June II. bound for Talcahuano. Chile.
down the Bay of RengaI, and thea variable
| winds and moderate weather TO the New Zea-
land coast. On the morning of September
| about haIf-past o'clock. the man on the look
! out reported that he thought he saw breakers
| ahead.
Il was in charge of the watch and at once
ran forward, but could see nothing. However,
! finding the fog dense, thought It prudent TO
| call the captain and all hands. Captain MIL
| nngton on reaching the deck ordered the helm
! 10 be put hard no, but owing 10 the small
| amount OF sail the vessel had on her she old
not pay of sufficiently quick, and II was then
| discovered that she was close TO a reef of
rocks, upon which she Immediately struck.
"1he captain al once ordered The lfebelts 10
| be served out TO all hands, and gave instruc-
! tons for the starboard lifebOat 10 be cleared
! away, as The vessel was settling down very
! rapidly. However. we had no time TO get the
boat into the davis, and the captain seeing
| this, ordered the men TO take 10 the miZZen-
rigging. This they did, all but The second mate
and myself. We remained OH the main deck
and then got into the boat as she lay on the
sklds, and as the vessel went down she fioated
| of with us. The men jumped from the miZZen-
| rigging to the waller and then erawled into the
| boat with US. The captain was 10 the Iigging
at the tire, but he did not jump with the rest.
Tine ship then sank bodily and Captain Mil
| lngton went down with her. The carpenter
| and TWO adj seamen were also in the rigging.
| The fog became very dense, and We in the boat
| could not see ROCKS or anything else. The boat
| had oars and water In the boat, and she was
sight of the island, the tide taking US further
seward. Next day about IL o'clock In the
| morning the fog lifted and we saw the island.
We made for the island and got there about 8
! O'Clock in the afternoon.
The first night we slept In the boat sails, and
| after that We shocked up hut OF tussocks,
roofing IL with The boat oars and sails. We also
erected signal-staf1 out OF the boats mast and
| an oar, aud set sharp lookout for any vessel
that might come that way. We bad no cans
OF getting fire at all. The people all kept In
! good health. excepting RangOon native boy
named Herbert, VINO suffered In The feet. We
| attended him. After week or two we caught
peDguins, and In month we got eggs. All
were eaten raw. The Hinemoa came In sight
| the 30th of November, and we hoisted our flag
She saw it, sent boat ashore, and all hands
were taken on board"