The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-07-10
HORRORS OF A PLAGUE SHIP
TERRIBLE CRUISE OF tn e BRITISH
MERCHANIMAN TRAVELLER.
Crew Stricken With Fever-Put Into Rod
rique Island But Are Forbidden to Land
Men Row Back to the Ill Fated Ship
Which LATER Was Carried Upon the Reef


Aso" AstCA " ttAc 1A1 atou snip
Which Latter Was Carried Upon the Reef
and Wrecked.
Liverpool, July 9.--The correspondent
of the Associated Press has had an in
terview with Mrs. Andrew Christie,
widow of Captain Christie of the wreck
ed British ship Traveller, which went
on the reefs off the island Of Rodrigues,
in the Indian ocean, 800 miles north
east Of Mauritius, on the 4th Of Febru-
ary last She tells terrible story Of
the sufferings of the survivors.
Almost Immediately after the Trav-
eler left Java for the Delaware Break
water fever broke out and spread rap
idly. Everybody on board was more
or less affected, including the Christie
baby, which died and was buried at
sea- Another victim leaped overheard
and was drowned. On December IA
the chief officer died. and on December
les Captain Christie died. leaving only
ten men to man the ship. Second Mate
Ritch then decided to steer for Maurt-
thus, and when the Traveller finally ap-
preached Rodriguez island only he and
two seamen were able to work the
ship.
A pilot who put out from the island.
on learning the state Of affairs, refused
to go on board and returned to the
shore, where he spread the report that
Everybody on the Traveller had the yell
low jack. Hours passed and no assist
ance came. The second mate, seeing
that the Traveller would go ashore,
launched a boat and took the sick sur
vivors with him with view Of landing
them.
| The governor and inhabitants Of the
island rushed down to the shore and
threatened to shoot them If they land
ed. Mr.. Ritch appealed to them, Inn
ploring them. If they were Christians,
not to behave inhumanly. He said
| that his men were too weak to pull
back to the ship, and that II they sue,
ceeded In getting there they would
probably be drowned. He asked for
assistance to take the Traveller out OF
her dangerous position and begged for
medicine.
| His appeals were roughly ignored ana
he was obliged to put about and 60
back to the ship, which they finally
reached almost dead with exhaustion
and despair. The last man had scarce
ly quilted the ,rowboat when it was
swept away and lost. No assistance
came, and that night the Traveller was
carried upon the reefs and wrecked.
The next morning the inhabitants Of
the island sent a pilot and brought Off
Mrs. Christie, her surviving child and
others, and then, with the assistance
Of blacks from the island, the survivors
were taken to a desolate sand island in
the vicinity. where they were kept for
twenty-five days. living in huts made
Of leaves and with nothing but leaves
to lie upon.
Blacks were sent to cook food, but no
person came for a fortnight. Mean
while two had died and the second
mate was the only man strong enough
to dig their graves. On the twenty
second day, realizing that monsoon
would soon submerge the sand island,
the inhabitants moved the unfortu-
mates. They we're carried to Mauritus
and then proceeded homewards.
| Mrs. Christie says that the behavior
of the inhabitants was cruel.