Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-07-01
THEVRECE OF THEADEN
It Resulted in the Loss Of Seventy
eight Lives,
AND FORTY FIVE WERE RESCUED.

= 49, -
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 S0.-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 l 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 a boat, but they
have not been heard of since, and lit
tie hope is entertained Of their safety.
The Mayor saved nine of the Aden's
passengers and three of the white and
All of these persons were rescued just
as the Alden was breaking up.
In all the drowned and missing in
clude rs passengers, 20 European Off
GERS and 80 natives of the Aden's 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 8 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 fed 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 We're rapidly swept away.
The only remaining lifeboat was
then lowered amid 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
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
its 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 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 20th 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
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 Valpv bravelY yentured
across the well deck to the storeroom
and got a 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
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 lifeboat
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 two
trips.
Every attention was paid to them on
board the Mayor. Their health is inn
proving, and they sailed homeward to-
day on the steamer India.