The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-04

told his story. which is herewith given in
his own language:
This is a queer tale 1 have TO tell" he
remarked, as he took his seat at the cabin
table. We have many serious charges to
make against the bark's owners, Messrs.
Buchelh & Locra of Callao. IL was a de
hberate attempt 10 destroy ship and crew.
according TO my way of thinking, and in
this am backed by every one on board.
In the first place fictitious names were
substituted for the names of those who
signed for the voyage. The ship was pro-
Vlded with dummy provisions, and it
looked as IL the owners tried to arrange
it so that we should either go down with
all on board or starve to death in mid
ocean In either event our identity would
never have been known to the world.
The bogus names would have been hid
den.
we have cargo of small value. but
it is heavily insured. There is some trick
in this case that l do not clearly under
stand. Time Will show, however, so let
us get down to facts
When l signed in the Adalguisa I
knew nothing about her. ! could see her
from distance, but that was all. When
l came on board and and saw what sort
of ship she is l would have given good
deal to get back on land, but il was too
late. for we set sail Immediately.
Nearly every man in the vessel had
also been deceived. Some Of them said
that their suspicious were aroused when
they saw their names changed on the pa
pers of the CallaO custom house. but none
had any idea that they would be sent out
in such a death-trap
we got under way on the Goth of July.
There We're nine hands all told on board.
Just before we sailed a launch came along
side with big case marked provisions,
which was hoisted on deck, then stored
in the hold. We had besides this box,
a quantity of rice, several cases of dried
fish and modest of sea biscuit. | thought
that we had very small lot of provisions,
even including the box. and said so. &C..
After we had got out to sea / realized
what awful danger we were in. Our ship
was often to the very keel. All her run
ming gear is rotten and we dare not pun on
the ropes for fear that a spar might fall
on us, or that we might fan to the deck
The masts are decayed and the sails are
torn. ,...
Il demanded of the captain to tell what
sort of a fix he had got us into. He con-
fided in me and said that he hardly knew
what was up, but he was certain that
some sort of fraud was being perpe-
trated He told me that he had been told
to go to Humboldt for a cargo Of lumber
and was given the trifing sum of $500 to
pay ali the expenses Of the trip, which
would cost at the smallest estimate $2,000
Another thing said he, L have discovered
that we have not enough water on board
to last thirty days
providence was kind to us II rained
so l am spared the sorrow Of telling you
of any suffering from thirst. But new
horror presented itself. We had used W
nearly all our pork and potatoes, so de.
cided to open our provision box. A tackle
was made fast and the thing raised to the
IL
vealed sent the cold chills creeping IN
my back, for the box contained only three
or four cans of oil, some scrap iron anC
a mass of ShaVlngs. l knew then thai
some diabolical fiend had planned oul
voyage to the hereafter very carefully.
Then we got down to starvation diet
We lived for days on rice alive with
weevils, tea and biscuits soaked in lard
The rice was so thick with vermin thai
we had to keep our eye on the bags tc
see that they didn't walk away Wt
grew emaciated, weak and could scarce
ly handle the ship.
up to the latter part of August thieves
sci had not leaked, but we got into a galt
about that time and she opened up Tn,
pumps had to be worked to keep hel
afloat. The crew were obliged to labol
between decks also, for we had $50 paltr,
/ bags of salt that had to be continually
shifted to prevent the water that rollet
about in the blges spelling It.. Theil
strength was fast leaving them as We
approached San Francisco.
THE blow kept up, then the captain
began to weaken. He cannot speak q
word of English-he is an Italian--and he
used to pace the decks and mutter t.
himself in his native tongue Finally he
came to me and said that he guessed, hs
would run into San Francisco and Their
quit the snip.
He then told me that the owner had de
sired him 70 secure cargo of redwood
lumber which would then he heavily in
| sured, and wreck the ship at sea or OF
some convenient rock. The crew he said
could never be identified IL lost.
1T was probably planned that he ant
| myself were to get into that boat Won Sc,
astern. You win notice that the boat /,
a good one, and that it Is the only new
thing about the Adalguisa. 1t is pro
vided with good oars and "A sail
Il made no reply to the captain. onJ
told him he was right to head for THU
city. We were all but dead from starva
ton, the vessel was taking water below
| and through her hatches and we wouls
surely have all persisted had we tried /,
make Humboldt. SO, half dead with star
walton, we arrived here" .. .,a
There is only one thing that Mr. Rob
erts added to his story that makes Il still
more weird. Every man of her crew b
of different nationality, but all o
them. understand more or less Spanish
They proved a good lot of men, however
and stuck together well. f 4e.,
The Adalguisa will never get away from
San Francisco. The Peruvian consul ha
taken her case in hand, and as he
skipper has spent his 1900 allowance tn,
vessel will be SOLD to pay her crew, all o
whom are chatting TO get away from he
! and to forget the narrow escape. The YES
sci is totally unseaworthy, and n Is tn
greatest wonder imaginable that sh
ever reached port or that any Of her mel
! survived to tell their experiences.
The vessels owners are wealthy peopl
who are classed among Peru's most prom
| inent citizens