The San Francisco call., 1896-01-17
RESCUE OF A
MODERN CRUSOE,
Arrival Of the Schooner
Wahlberg at San
Diego.
SHE HAS STRANGE NEWS
A Half-Crazed Man Found on
an Island Without Food
or Water.
HIS SUFFERING WAS INTENSE
Thought He Is A. w. Hall of Pasa.
dena, Who Left There Short
Time Ago.

SAN DIEGO, CAL, Jan. 16.-The
schooner Wahlberg, Captain Martin, which
arrived from the Lower California coast
to-day. brought the news of marine dis
aster and the rescue of q half-crazed
Crusoe on desert coast.
The Wahlberg itself has q history, hav-
ing come into this port after its successful
filibustering expedition to Hawaii. Since
that time Captain Martin has devoted his
energies to the more peaceful work of
gathering guano off the Lower California
coast and islands.
1t was on his last trip that he learned of
the loss of the schooner Claretta and
talked with the sole survivor, a long
haired, half-starved sailor, his mind
shattered by long Yigils, danger and
thirst
The Wahlberg sailed from San Diego
about month ago and joined the
schooner Ida, Captain Pickens, down the
coast A heavy blow came on and the
little vessel ran into Rosalia Bay, 800
miles south of here, where they were
windbound for some days. On January
4 the 1irst day of their arrival, the skipper
of the Ida discovered sign of life. .on the
barren coast some three or four miles
distant. With glass he made out a man
waving a rag frantically to attract the at
tention of the men on the schooners.
Captain Pickens sent boat ashore, and
two men went along the beach and over
the sand dunes till they found the stranger.
He was fearful sight, emaciated ragged
and with long hair and beard. He turned
bloedshot eyes on his rescuers and half
orr yyl lad ard rrhara oir ~
provisions about him in the shape of cans
and boxes, but all food had been con-
sumed. A ragged sail, hung over a fork
and stick on the sand, served for shelter.
There was no fresh water in sight.
The man was taken on board the Ida
and warmed up with coffee and food. He
was almost unable to speak, and was silly
and rambling even after renewed strength
brought his speech back. Repeated ques-
tioning brought from him the statement
that he had been on the sloop Claretta and
been wrecked a month before in a north
easter. All attempts to learn the mans
name failed. He could not RENE mber, and
would constantly recur to the wreck or his
sufferings. His tongue was badly swollen,
and it was apparent that he had reached
the limit of endurance.
He said he had reached shore from the
wreck with a few days provisions, but
they had all gone and he had lived for two or
three weeks on gulls eggs. He found water
in a little gulch back from the beach, but
he saw to his horror that il was running
dry, and for many hours before being res
cued he had been suffering from thirst.
He dare not leave the beach as the country
-. "A ha ierhf how Ioct cha
to hail vessel.
In the terrible ordeal his mind began to
give way and by the time the schooners
appeared he was crazy. 1t was proba BILE
that with strong exercise of his will he
retained sense enough to signal the ves-
sells, as he lapsed into complete imbecility
for time after his rescue. The man had
not recovered his senses completely when
the schooners separated, and Skipper Mar
tin of the Wahlberg did not learn his
name.
The Ida sailed before the Wahlberg ana
is due to arrive here with her rescued pas
senger.
1t is believed here possible that the
rescued man is A. w. Hall of Pasadena,
whose escapade is connection with the
sloop Clarette is already known. Hall left
here some months ago In the sloop, but
VINO went with him is not known. Six
weeks ago Captain Porter of the schooner
Ellen saw the Claretta at Playa Maria,
Lower California. and the sole occupant OF
the vessel told him that Captain Hall had
been drowned on the way down by being
knocked into the sea by the boom.
Captain Porter brought letter from a
man addressed to Mrs. Hall at Pasadena.
1t was limited at the time that Hall
might have sent up the news of his drown
ing in order to swindle the life insurance
companies. Now, however, it may trans
pire that the story was true and the sur
viving sailor was the man rescued at Rosa
lia The sloop was small and worth about
$500.