Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-08-29

time we could not open our eyes to
see anything around us, and this lasted
some two hours. When tho wind
quieted down there were only four or
five fellows within my range of vision,
and / came TO the conclusion that we
were all who were left. L supposed
that my companion had been thrown
into the water and killed by the float
ing glumber-which afterwardI | learned
to be the case. | changed my raft
several times now that the water had
become little milder. There was
plenty of choice, and at last / met n
good raft with Que occupant, who was
a Mexican and unable to speak Eng
lish; and as L could not speak Span
ish we were unable to understand each
other. BY signs l made out that he
had good raft and wanted me to join
him. | dived over and swan to him,
when l made the discovery that he
was badly crushed about the chest,
back and stomach. 1 picked up two
pieces of wood for paddles, and with
these I tried to paddle; but my COM
panion was too much crushed to fur
nish any assistance, SO I gave it up
and allowed ourselves to drift.
About this time on orange hoated
past and by the aid of long lath [
got it. We hal scarcely shared it
when we got sight of cocoanut, and
l Immediately set about trying to de-
wise some means to secure it. We
watched it until nearly dark, no op-
portunity Offering for its recovery, aud
Mt last, fearing that we would lose it.
in the darkness, | dlved over the side
of the raft and swan to the cacoanut,
secured it, and returned to the raft,
which boarded. Although the cocoa
nut had the iibres on, we opened it
and drank the milk also picked up
two onions, which | reserved for fu-
ture use. Shortly afterward we drifted
by the plush back of one of our
cabin chairs. This ] made the Mexi-
can lie down on. but he was SO badly
crushed that [ had TO get him up
again, and he sat on the chairback nil
night. Shortly after this got case
OF oil, which Hoated past, and opening
it / found that it contained eight tins
of oil. The wind was freshening, and
the sea was beginning to get rough
again. took the tins from the case,
knocked hole in the side OF each
with nail, and threw them oyerboard.
The consequence was that we hNd a
smooth patch around us for about two
hours. The next thing to come along
was velvet-covered cushion. L Sc
cured it, and as [ was only dressed at
this time in pair of trousers, lrippel
the plush oft the cushion and made u
sort of waistcoqt OF it, A straw hat
came sailing by and this 1 caught. [
placed it upon my head, first ripping
off the band and tying it around my
neck in lieu of scarf. The moon was
young, and came out about o'clock,
and set about Il o'clock. From
this time on we sat and watched the
stars, and were pleased to note that
the fresheniug breeze was blowing us
in an easterly direction, whero | knew
the land to lie.
We drifted in this way until day
light, when the welcome sight of land
met our eyes. Some half.hour after
ward I saw the smoke of steamer,
and after signalling her for about
an hour and half, we were
seen, and the ship hea lei for
us. II was the San Juan, which for
tunately was seven or eight days
late going north. The San Juan
picked up nineteen others besides our
selves. About ten others have since
drifted ashore. The San Juan took us
to San Francisco, where l soon took
passage across tho Continent en- route
b.