Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-07-03

Thrilling Experiences of the surviv-
ors, Who For Seventeen Days w ere
Held Captive on Reef. With the
Vessel Gradually Breaking to Pieces.
Alden, June 30.-The Indian govern
ment's steamer Mayor, sent out in
search of the missing steamer Alden,
which was last heard of when leaving
Colombo on June / for this port, has
returned here, and reports that the
Alden was totally lost off the Island of
Socotra. at the eastern extremity of
Africa
The captain of the wrecked steamer,
some of her officers and crew and seven
white passengers were swept overheard
and drowned very soon after she ran
ashore.
Eight women passengers, nine chill
dren, two officers and a few of the
Aden's crew succeeded in getting away
from the wreck in boat, but they
have not been heard of since, and lit
tie hope is entertained of their safety.
The Mayor saved nine of the Adens
passengers and three of the white and
80 of the natives of the steamers crew.
All of these persons were rescued just
In all the drowned and missing in
clude 25 passengers, 20 European Off
GERS and SO natives Of the Adens crew.
Two days after leaving Colombo the
Alden was struck by a severe monsoon,
with squalls, violent and incessant.
Day by day the weather grew thicker,
and the passengers became more and
more alarmed, At o'clock on the
| morning of June 9 the vessel struck
upon the Rasradresa Reef, on the east
ern coast of the Island of Socotra
The engineroom was instantly flood
ed, and utter darkness ensued. Wild
with panic the passengers rushed from
| their cabins and fled terror stricken to
the upper decks in the scantiest cloth
| ing. The women and children screamed
in fright and confusion, but the men
retained their self possession and
courageously assisted the officers and
crew to do their best to save the YES
sci and to inspire calmness.
The storm continued to increase In
| violence. The seas washed the vessel
with terrific force. Daylight brought no
relief, and only served to reveal still
| further the awful situation. Misfortune
| followed misfortune. A lifeboat was
lowered, only to be swept away i'm
| mediately, with three lascars and the
| first officer, Mr.. Garden. The gig was
dispatched to the rescue, with Mr..
| Miller, the second officer, but both
boats were rapidly swept away.
The only remaining lifeboat was
then lowered amid a scene of intense
emotion. A cry of anguish broke from
the lips even of the men when this
| half capsiZed, throwing the sailors and
| the stores into the sea. After great eff
forts the boat was righted and the wo-
| men and children were lowered into it,
with the exception of Madames Gillett,
Pearce and Strain, who heroically de-
cided to share the fate of their hus-
bands, and Misses Lloyd and Weller,
who remained on board. The boat,
manned by European crew, left in a
tremendous sea and drifted rapidly out
| of sight
Vast waves still swept the wreck
dashing the people about and leaving
| them almost PROSTATE on the deck
| One by one, men, women and children
grown too weak to withstand the re-
peated buffetings, were washed over
board in sight of those who were mo-
mentarily expecting the same fate
Among the first thus engulfed were
| Mr.. and Mrs Strain and their two chill
| dren; Misses Lloyd and Weller, the
| missionaries; Mrs. Pearce's baby, with
| it's Chinese nurse and then Captain
| Hill, whose leg was broken, but who
| had borne himself calmly and bravely
| He was washed overheard with sew
| eral of the native crew.
| The storm abated slightly on the
morning of the 10th, and those who
were able to move began to search for
| food, hunger, until then, having failed
| to assert itself over more acute pri-
vations. This proved a task of the
| greatest danger, as big seas were still
| sweeping the vessel. The fourth en-
| gineer, while trying to procure water
| near the poop, was struck senseless
| and almost washed overheard before
| he could be dragged to a place of
| safety.
The search for food resulted in their
| getting very little of it, and this was
| shared out equally and in very small
| portions. All the time desperate men
| kept a sharp lookout. But no vessel was
| sighted until the 18th, and even then
| the distress signal was not seen. On
| the 18th, and again on the goth, other
| vessels were sighted, but the signals
either were not seen or were ignored
The weather usually moderated in the
morning but always increased in vio-
lence during the afternoon. Frequently
a sea 80 feet high would sweep the deck
| from stem to stern and carry away
portions of the vessel.
On June Is, when things were at
their worst, and the food supply was
almost exhausted, Messrs. White, Kelt.
Cave and Valpy bravely ventured
across the well deck to the storeroom
and got fresh supply That evening
two steamers were sighted. One pro-
ceeded without paying any attention
to the distress signal The other
anchored under the lee of the island
AS soon as she was sighted a lascar
mounted the rigging and signaled her.
In reply candles burned at her port
holes, and at daybreak on the 26th a
suspense of II days was relieved by
the spectacle of the steamer rounding
the point and heading towards the
wreck. She dropped anchor about a
mile away.
A very heavy sea was still running,
but the wind had moderated slightly.
With heartfelt joy, mingled with tears
of the men and hysterical sobbing of
the women, they saw the hfeboat
lowered. 1t took her three-quarters Of
an hour to reach the wreck. Everyone
rushed to the broken side of the ship
It was the lifeboat of the Indian gov
eminent steamer, in charge of Lieuten-
ants Dobbin and Goldsmith They
skillfully avoided the tremendous wash,
and rescued all of the survivors in tvn
trips.
Every attention was paid to them on
board the Mayor. Their health is i'm
proving, and they sailed homeward to-
day on the steamer India.