The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-12-22
AN ISLAND KING.
Strange Life of a Former New London
 Sailor.

strange LlIe Ol ct tOFlHGF NeW LOlIuoi
 Sailor
 Andrew Hagan, formerly of New London, whose death from foul play at Tristan d'Achuna was reported in Thursdays Day, was we'll known to the old Whalemen of this port. Away back in the early forties he was second mate of the whaleship Phenix of the Bill lings fleet, and successively first mate and captain of the same vessel. He settled down for life in Tristan q Achuna years ago, and has lived there straight along. He married daughter of Governor Glass.
 When the whaling business was at it's height vessels stopped at the island daily, several coming to anchor off the island at times, but as the whaling business declined of course the visits of ships became less in number from year to year until they ceased altogether. Merchant ships also called at the isl and, but steam created another change in the fortunes of the island, and for many years no vessels stopped at Iris tan and the Inhabitants led easy, indO- lent lives, the men especially having nothing to do, but follow their own in clinations as far as the limits of the island would permit, the burden of l whatever work there was to do falling on the women.
 A few years ago a vessel went ashore at Tristan and laid her bones there | The sailors remained on the island, and l marriages followed as a matter of course. One day a vessel was seen in the otfing, but bound right along on | her course with no purpose of stopping at the island. All the men with the ex- | ception of Hagan, who was too old-he was about eighty when he was mur- | dered recently--put off in a boat to in tercept the vessel and learn the news of the world and perhaps induce the captain to make a short stop at the | island. They never came back. Wheth- CT they boarded the vessel and went on to the end of the voyage or were l lost, or what became of them, is not known, but they did not come back to the waiting families on the shore,
 This left Mir. Hagan the sole monarch of the island. It must have been that later on, when the Italians who made up the major portion of the crew of the wrecked ship, had been on the island long enough to feel at home, troubles arose At all events it is suspected that Hagan was murdered by one of the Italians, for he was found in the bush with his throat cut from ear to ear.
 Tristan d'Achuna lies in latitude 36.I south and longitude H. The island rises to a height of 5000 feet. There is 6 good beach, and rising from the beach a table-land where the inhabitants dwell then higher up another table-land, ant then on up to the peak of the mountain The climate is temperate and very agreeable. The winds blow pretty off and on mostly, as it is but seldom that they can anchor.
 The produce of the island is mostly confined to potatoes, though a few ap pies are grown. Cattle and sheep are raised and in the whaling days the ships called for potatoes and fresh mea principally. It was no uncommon sigh l in those days to see one hundred sail; pass in single tWenty-four hours.
 New Londoners were well know, there. Governor Glass, who was thu governor appointed by the British gov ernment, was a Scotchman. He had if teen children, of whom but five now survive. They all, or nearly all, camt to this city and made their homes.- New London Day.