The San Francisco call., 1897-09-24
Awful Suferings Of the
Grew Of a Norwegian
Bark.
Made a Perilous Voyage Of Two
Thousand Miles in an
Open Boat.
Subsisted for Ten Months and Ten
Days on Oocoanuts, Sea Birds
and Turtles.

Full particulars of the loss of the Nor
wegian bark Seladon arrived on the Mail
steamer Moana yesterday. The vessel
was wrecked on Starbuck Island, guano
depot in the Elice group in August, 1896
The crew, after terrible suffering, reached
Sophia Island in an open boat, where
they remained until taken off bv the
steamer Clyde and landed in Suva f il, a
year after the disaster.
Second Mate CLAUS Ladi in telling the
story said "AlI went we'll until the night
of August Z. 1896, when the vessel struck
Starbuck Island while running at a speed
OF seven knots an hour" The seas began
to break over the ship, so that the boats
were launched and provisioned, but when
a return was made o the wreck 10 secure
a sextant it was impossible to get aboard
as the Seladon was breaking up. The
boats then steered for Maiden Island and
later for Christmas Island, but missed
them both.
Continuing, Ladi said:
On the 18th day of August, eleven days
from leaving the ship, the gig We were towing
capsized. We picked up all in her except
Kristlan Nilssen, chief mate, whom we never
saw again. We made fast the capslZed boat
and lay to til morning. At daylight cast
teen days OUT the captain, Adolf jaeger, died.
He had been i'll for long time previous TO
leaving Newcastle We buried him, and
nothing occurred 10 make any change during
our sailing till the 30th August, twenty
three days out, when our provisions were
finished.
Our last tin of meat five pounds, was shared
out among fourteen men at one meal day
and lasted three days. Having had rain Oc-
casionally we caught it in the sells and so had
water. During all this time we never sighted
J. TFarr hHr No asit
to ske etons and very weak. We sailed on,
however more dead than alive, Tor six DAYS
more. and on the evening of the sixth day
sighted Sophia Island An hour later we
reach ed IL ana attempted to land.
We drove straight on 10 The reeI and were
cast ashore, our boat being smashed to pieces
We lay on the beach, unable 10 stand until as
sisted by some natives. We reached their
houses and were treated by them with the ut
most kind ess. The natives consisted of two
Rotuma men and four native women. On the
seventh day after our landing on Sophia
Island the carpenter, Tollah Olsen died, never
recovering from the effects Of the exposure in
the boats The natives shared wnat provisions
they had with US, and for The rest OF the time
we subsisted on cocoanuts, sea birds and tur-
tie. which were not by any means scarce. On
October % one of the Rotuma meu died, and
we buried him near the carpenters grave We
remained on the island in all ten months and
ten days TIL the arrival OF the steamship
Clyde, only sighting one sailing ship good
way off and & steamer that was too far off 10
see the signal We holsted on the highest tree.
According to the chart the wrecked
sailors must have sailed about 1000 miles
in the ships boats before they reached
Sophia Island.
The barkentine Andrew Welch arrived
on Wednesday from Honolulu after
quick trip of thirty-three days. Captain
L. Piercy Drew feels so ashamed of his
record" passage that he has decided TO
take vacation. He starts for the East in
a few days, the mate of the r. P. Rithet
taking command of the WEIGH.
The handsome big tug Fearless will
leave for the Cordell Banks tomorrow.
party of fishermen are going on an ex-
cursion, and as plenty of fish were caught
last Sunday and there is every appearance
OF the fine weather continuing the catch
should be good one. Captain Glenn Ran
dali thinks the excursionists should bring
in at least two tons Of the finny tribe.