Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-01-14
THE CITIZEN
Crusoe's Island Gone.

Every lover OF romance must regret
the disappearance beneath the racine
waves of the island of Juan Fernando.
1t was on this island that Daniel Defoe
laid the scene of his famous tale of ad-
venture, entitled Robinson Crusoe,
there is hardly a child in America who
is not familiar with its striking tradi-
tions. says the Atlanta Constitution"
Several weeks ago it was announced by
a Spanish skipper that the island had
been submerged, but IN the absence OF
corroborative testimony the story was
not credited. Within the last few days
however the announcement has been
confirmed by other mariners, and there
is no longer room Tor skeptIclsn.
In this connection it may Oe OF some IN
trest to review the remarkable history OF
this island. Il received its name from
bold Spanish navigator, who first landed
uron its shores in 1865 and subsequently
settled up on it with his family.
Eventually the Spaniard quit the island,
becoming weary of its solitude and IS
olation.
Still another tenant of the island in Ia
| ter wears was a MosquetO Indian who was
| left upon its shores by an English soldier
| in 1851, but who wss rescued by pass
| ing vessel some three or four years after
ward. The adventures Of this solitary
| Indian during lis period on the island
were similar TO those narrated III ROBIN
| son CruSoe." He had nothing with him
| but pocket knife, gun, small horn
| cf powder and a few shot. With such
means Of support as the island iarnisAed
he managed TO exist until deliverarce
| finally came. 1t Is barely possible that
Defoe was III possession OF these facts al
the time Of writing his book.
But the hermit whose adventures Oh
the island foreshadowed The story OF
Robinson Crusoe, was ScotchnIan ny
| the name of Alexander Selkirk. In Feb
| 1900 Capt. Rodgers commanding an Eng
lish vessel dropt anchor on the coast oi
| Juan Fernando, seeing no signs OF life
or kabitation on the island he went ashore
| and discovered a man in sheepskin, after
| narrating his adventures TO the captain
| the hermit brought forth a volume show
/ ing the faithful account which he had
kept of every little incident connected
| with his long Imprisonment on the Is
and. Selkirk returned home with Capt
| Rodgers, and in all likelihood, this jour
| nal fell into the hands of Daniel Defoe,
who based upon it the most remarkable
| tale of adventure ever written in the. Eng
lish language.
Although ''Robiuson Crusoe" is COM
monty regarded as a work of fiction 1t IS
not without historical inspiration, and
the genius of the author consists rather
in the fluent and graceful style of the
narrative than i'll its charm of original
ity.
Before leaving the subject, it is we'll to
call attention to the fact that the island
of Juan Fernando is indebted for its
fame not only to the story of Robinson
Crusoe but also to the celebrated poem
of William Cowper, which begins with
the familiar line, 4 m monarch OF all |
survey" While these masterpieces OF
| genius cannot rescue the island from its
watery grave in the calm Pacific main,
they can at least preserve it from obliv-
| ion and render it for all the time to come
one of the green isles of literature.