The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-07-10
MAN'SsCRUELT TiY TO MAN
lnhumanlty ExeHpli[ieq by the SufferIngs
otihe Survivors Of a ShipWreCk.
GRAPHIC STORY BY CAPTAINS WIDOW.
Ship Almost Depop,,IateH by Jnvn
FeScr Survivors Driven from
shore ana Their Vessel wrecked
for Want of hasistanee-AlouoO ON
II iinrrcn EsInnd.
Liverpool, Eng, July Q, 1897,


The correspondent OF the Associated
presS has had an interview with Mrs,
ANDREW Christie, widow of CAPTAIN
christie. OF he wrecked British shin
traveller, which went on the reefs OFT
the island OF Rodriguez, in the Indian
ocean. $50 miles northeast OF Mauritius,
on the 9TH Of last February
Mrs. Christie tcIl!; a. terrible story or
the sufferings of the survivors Almost
| immediately after the Traveller leT,
Java Tor the Delaware Hrcakwa,cr The
Java fever broke out and spread rapid-
~. Everybody on board was more or
less affected including the Christie
baby, which died and was buried al
sea.
Another victim lcnred overheard and
was drowned. On December. 1ith. thr
chief officer died ana OH December 2sth
captain Christie succumbcd. leaving
only ten men to man the ship
Second Mate Ritch then decided tt,
steer FOR Nlnurltius, and when the Fray
eller finally approached Rodrisucs is
iand only he and two se1ilI,cn were able
TO work ship.
y pilot who put out from the island,
on learning the stnte of affairs. refused
10 go on board, and returned to Tho
Shore, where he spread the report that
everybody on the Traveller had the Vel
low jack
Hours passed and no assistance came.
Inc second mate. fearing that the Trav
eilcf would go ashore, launched a. boa /,
any any LOOK the sick survivors with him
With 4 view of landing them
The governor aud the inhabitants Of
the islands rushed down to the shore
ana threatened to shoot them If thcy
landed. Mr. Ritch appealed to them.
lmploring Them If they were Chris tians
not TO behave inhumanly. He said thai
his men were too weak to Dull bacl, 10
getting there they would probably he
drowned. He asked for assistance 10
take The Traveller out OF her dangerous
position and begged for medicine.
Ills appeals were roughly ignored and
| he was obliged TO put about and 60 l,a ri,
! % ,X Inc Vessel, WHICH they finally reached
almost dead with exhaustion and de-
! spnir. The last man had scarcely omit
tea the row boat when it was swcpt
away and lost.
NO assistance cnmc. and that night
thc traveller was carried upon the
reefs and wrecked
The next morning the Rodriguers sent
a pilot and brought off Mrs Christie,
her surviving child and others and
sncn with the assistance Of blacks from
ehe island, the survivors were taken Ia
q deSolnte island in the vicinity. where
,hey were Kept for twenty-five days.
lflnE III hutS made OF leaves and with
nothing but leaves to lie upon
80 FEARFUL were the Rodrigucrs OF
contact that the food for the survivors
was transferred from boat to boat be-
tore IT. was finally left upon tho beach
| or the sand islands. Blacks were sent
20 cook 1t, but no physician came for a
fortnight. and even when he did come,
according to Mrs Christie, he did not
land, but examined the sick through
from his boat. Meanwhile two had died
ana the second mate was the only man
strong enough to dig their graves. On
The 22d day, realizing that the monsoon
would soon submerge the sand island,
me Hodrlguers moved the unfortunate
10 Rodrigucs, where they remained two
months and were we'll treated, From
tnht point they were carried to Mauri-
tluS ana then proceeded honlewards.
Mrs. Christie says that the behavior
or the RodriSuers IS all the more mex
plicahlc In view OF theta ct that thcy al
lowed II large part OF the cargo OF the
traveller to be salycd.