The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-02-22

IN one OF the boats rough nuts We're
erected. The captains wife and his
two children lived in the lighthouse.
Now commenced g. weary four
months of starvation, misery and
watching for the relief steamer that
never Cnme The nearest civilized
town was 40 miles away and with
no provisions it would have been i'm
possible for one Of the boats to make
the trip. II. f..s s"%
In two days time after the landing
was made at the island every particle
Of food had been consumed.
Seamen Tompson, Canning and two
men whose names are forgotten were
detailed under an officer to hunt for
seals, and fortunately number OF
these frequented the waters in the vi
entity of the island. Seal meat and
periWinkles furnished diet for the en-:
tire party up to the time Of the res
cue.
Five or six of the men were taken
sick and Seaman Noble went stark
mad and had to be kept under close
watch.
Days passed, but no sail came in
sight The clothing of the men had
Worn to rags and they became 50 ema-
Giated that it was a pitiable sight to
watch them crawling helplessly about
looking for musSels or trying to get
shot at q seal.
Some time in the early part Of jan
uary one of the lighthouse keepers
died from starvation and exposure,
and Seaman Harkell and two others
showed signs Of losing their reason.
The seals had become shy and were
Ia nd to shoot, and even seabirls SEEM
ed to sl1un the place.
Suddenly one morning in the latter
part of the month a sail hove in sight.
All hands fell down upon their knees
and prayed to heaven that their sig
nails would be sighted.
The vessel hove to and sent a boat
ashore. The motley crowd of starving
men drew about the new arrivals and
begged for food. The craft proved to
be the Chilean bark Reina Margarita,
in distress from lack of provisions!
The ckipper took Captain Greenbank
off to his vessel and showed him that
there were four sea BISCUITS in the
bread chest. The crew had been liv-
ing On a short allowance of beans and
a little rice. However, the bark's com
m&Dder offered to take Noble, the now
dangerous lunatic, and two men of the
island party to Valparaiso; the offer
was accepted, when the Reina Mar
CARTE, sailed away, leaving the bal
ance of the shipwrecked crew a. the
lighthouse enough beans TO-: ona good
square meal. The bark also carried; a
letter from Captain Greenbank to the
British Consul at Valparaiso.
From Valparaiso word was sent to
Montevideo when the bark arrived.
A request was made to the Arg >ntine
Government to hurry relief ship to
the island Immediately and that Gov
eminent acted promptly and dispatch
ed a supply steamer without delay.
In the meanwhile the exiles were
again thrown on their own resources
for food. Their novels on the beach
became dirty, damp and cold and the
sick men were given up us lost. II
was hard work to urge any one to I'M
dertal1e the exercise of seal-hmting
and one meal a day Of boiled seal hide
and flesh was in orl1el,
BY this more than half the crew
were scarcely able to get about, and
all thought that the end had come
Even the lighthouse keeper had about
abandoned the hope OF keeping his
beacon flaming any longer at night
and wanted to let it die out, then sur.
render his own life.
On March 10Th the relief ship arriv.
ed, and not a day too soon. The sur
vivors could scarcely rise from theil
beds in the novels and in the light
house to greet the long looked-for-as
Sistance that had come in the nick Of
time to save them
All hands save the lighthouse man
who was given two assistants and left
provisions enough to last him six
months, returned with the relief SHIP
to Montevideo and then scattered t.
all parts Of the globe, it being only
prior to the sailing Of the A,strasis
for this port that Mate Turner go
home and then reshipped in that YES
sci.
Captain Greenbank's log was los
and the records Of the voyage of tn,
Grown Of Italy practically obliterated
so far as the public is concerned. unit
now.