Birmingham state herald., 1897-06-30
AN OCEAN WRECE'S HORRORS
The Survivors of a Lost Steamer
 in Port.
AWFUL TALE OF SUFFERING
Related by the Hunger-crazed Hnfortunates , Brave Women, Including Two Missiona- g. ries, Find Watery Graves.

:. Alden, June 29-The Indian govern sa ment's steamer Mayo set out in search of ]. the missing steamer Alden. from Yoko- ,. hama, on April 2S. via Colombo and Alden }. for London. which was last heard of when @ leaving Colombo on June ] for this port, 2 has returned here and reports that the :. Alden was wrecked off the island of Soco- ' tra, at the eastern extremity of Africa, !. on the morning of June g. The Alden car : ried thirty-three passengers from China zs and Japan. The captain Of the wrecked < steamer, some of his officers and crew : ard several Of the passengers were swept . overheard and drowned soon after she : ran ashore.
 . Eight lady passengers. nine children, :. two officers and a few of the Aden's crew ' succeeded in getting away from the wreck ; ina boat but they have not been heard of ! sfpce and little hope is felt, owing to the < bad weather that since has prevailed. 2 Nine of the Aden's passengers and three $ of the white and three of the yellow of the S steamers crew were left on the wreck. 7 All of these wsre rescued just as the Alden { was breaking up. The survivors of the s wrecked steamer wsre brought to this a port by the Mayo and are being cared ? for by the local authorities. In all the Y drowned and missing freluded twenty ]. five passengers, twenty European officers . aEd thirty-three natives of the Aden's 2 crew.
 2 NARROWING DETAILS. ; Londen, Junls 29-A dispatch to the z Daily Mail from Alden. Arabia, says: Two days after leaving Colombo the . Alden was struck by a severe monsoon, { with squalls violent and fneessant. Day ' by day the wea ther grew thicker and the Y Fta hnfra and more ai1rrn- : ed. At o'clock OF the morning of June .e 9 the vessel struck on the Razaderesa reef on the western coast of the island of So- 2 cotra Wild pa mic ensuisd, and the pas | senEers rushed from their cabins and Jed z terror stricken to the upper deck in the ' scantest clothing. The women ard children screamed in fright and confu-. ; sion. but the man retained their self 2 possession and courageously assisted the < officers and crew to do their best to save z the vessel and to inspire calmaess. E But it was soon sesn that the schooner z could not long sustain the shocks. end 2 the only chance was in the lifeboats. The : distress signals were given and the boats on the lea side prepared for launching. P Those on the other side had already been : washed away. Tn the meantime sesirlg . that some hours were liable 70 elapSe $ before 1t would be possible to launch the boats, the passengers gladly accepted the ]. assistance of the crew 10 obtain more , clothing.
 q q The storm cOntluzu 70 increase III VlO- ? fence and great seas washed the vesse1s 2 with terrible force. Daylight brought no
 relief and only serv,d to show more 2 clearly the .desolste scene.
 .-f Misfortune followed misfortune. A ' beat was lowered, only to be Swspt away . Immediately with three Lascars and the [ first officer MT. Charden. The gig was ; dispatched to the rescue with Mir. Miller. , the second officer, but to the despair of , all both boats were rapidly swept away ~fp1a only n iprr IfahOaf " h.
 lowered amid a scene of Intense emo tfon A cry of anguish broke from tf1e
 lips even of the mn when this half cap sized. throwing the sailors and .he stores into the sea. After great efforts the boat was lighted and the womsn and children
 were lowered in.o It, with the exception
 of Mesdanes Cillett Pearce and Strain,
 who heroically determined to share the fate of their husbands, and Misses Lloyd
 and Miller, who remained on board The 13naf, manned by q European crew left in tremendous sea and drifcsd rapidly
 out of sight.
 The waves still swept the wreck. dash
 Ing the people about and leaving them
 elmost prostraGed on the deck. One by one the women and children grew weaker,
 and, unable to withstand the buffetings,
 were washed overheard in sight of those who were rn9mentarily expec ing to meet
 the same fate Among the first thus en- gulf=d were Mr. and Mrs. Strain and their
 two children; Misses Lloyd and Weller, tne ms slonarltS, lMrS. Pe1rce'S baby, with
 it's Chinese nurse, and then Capt. Hilf
 whose leg was broken, but who had
 borne himself calmly and bravely He
 was washed overheard with several of ~4ae native crew
 All day the victims were picked off one
 by one until o'clock In the afternoon -s when those who still survived retreated ~below Many were badly hurt and pass 'eed the night in suspense and bodily pain,
 hudded in the small cabin which they expected would be their tomb. None of the survivors whom have seen care to talk of this terrible night.
 The storm abated somewhat on the morning of the 10th. and those who were able to move began a search for food, hunger until then having failed to as sert Itself over more acute priva tions. This proved a task of the greatest danger as :, big seas were still sweeping the vessel. The fourth engineer while trying to pro- cure water rear the poop was strlIoIx sense'ess and almost washed overheard before he could be dragged to pIacs af safety. Artificial respiration and similar expedents were resoirted to-. but it was several hours before he was restored to consciousness. Mir Pearce was only
 ssved from being washed overheard by the prompt action of his dauntless wife. The search for food resulted in their got ting very little of it. and this was shared