The herald., 1897-10-23
When the Vessel Struck
Starbuck Reef
DRIFTED FOR A FULL MONTH
AND SUFFERED EVERYTHING
BUT DEATH
Twelve Survivors of the Wrecked
Seladon Reach London and
Tell Their Story
Associated Press Special Wire.

|
LONDON, Oct 22-Second Mate Oh
sen of the Norwegian bark Seladon from
New Castle, N. S. W., on July 13, 1896
for Honolulu, which was wrecked in the
ivs London with G0zen of the survivors
anG tells terrible story of their expe-
rience. The Seladon struck the reefs
off Starbuck island on August T. This
crew was obliged to take to the beats
ard the vessel filed so rapidly that there
was no time to save clothing, while
they barely got a few provisions, the
ships compass and chart. They for
got the sextant. Eight men manned
each of the two bots and made for NAL
den island, as there was g,o refuge on
Starbuck island. Failing to find Maiden
island, they tried to find Christmas is
land. After eleven days the first mate s
boat was capsized and the mate
drowned
The heat Of the sun peeled their faces
and bodies, their lips blackened and
swelled from want of food aCd water.
The only food they had in a6,dintion to
the small quantity of provisions which
they carried from the vessel was the
very small flying fish. Finally the cap
tain and the cahpenter became III. Still
there was no glimpse of Christmas is
land Then they tried course they
thought perhaps would bring them to
Samoa or the Fiji islanGs. Finally
Captan1 Jaegaer died. After % days,
when fooG' and, water We're exhausted,
TREY caught a little rain.
The party drifted without food for six
days ard finally on September they
were cast on a coral island and their
boat smashed by big wave. The island
upon which they were thrown proved TO
be Sofia island, inhabited by ten people
and belonging to an American subject
living in Samoa. They lived there for
ten months on turtles, birds and, bara-
mas. The carpenter died soon after they
landed. A few steamers passed the ISL
and ard they tried to attract their atten-
ton by waving signals, but failed. FL
nally they put off in small boat and
hailed. steamer, which took them to
Suvaand from there they Travelled to
Sydney.
A CAPTAIN DEAD
PORT TOWNSEND, Wn., Oct. 90. -
Speculation has been rife among ship
ping men here tonight as to the result
of a telegram received this evening from
Tatoosh, to the effect that the American
bark Guardian, Captain Thomas M.
Marden, which sailed nine ays ago with
a cargo of mine properties from Cowi
chan for Santa Rosaie, ha passe Cape
Flattery at $40 this afternoon, bound
into the straits, in tow of the tug Wan
derer. The Guardians flag being at
half mast, the general belief here is
that Captain Marden has died at sea,
and the first officeH fearing to assume
the responsibility of continuing the voy-
age. has put back for instructions.
1t will be impossible for the tug to ar
rive here with the Guardian before or
o'clock tomorrow morning.
A CREW SAVED
GREENOCK, Oct. 22.-The British
ship Waterloo, Cautain Nicol, from
Vancouver, B. c., May u, arrived hera
today. She landed the crew of the Aus
tran bark Gloria from Buenos Ayres for
Havre, who were picked up after having
abandoned their ship iu sinking con-
dtion in September in latitude "a north,
longitude AZ west