The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-04-01
THE CAKES IS SAFE

AL OAAAAA0 ~ OAAA ~
Arrives in New York After
a Terrible Voyage.
CREW STRICKEN WITH sCURvY
Six Men Died on tho Psssage-Cap-
&ain's Wife Took Her Turn
at the wheel.
New York, March 23.-The long
overdue clipper ship T. F. Cakes, which
left Hong Kong, July 4, 1896, 259 days
ago, with general cargo, for this port,
and which had been given up as lost,
was towed into port this morning, by
the British tank steamer Kaskeck,
Captain Muir, who picked her up last
Thursday. The crew were sick with
scurvy, and six had died.
The Kasbeck was bound from Phila-
delphia for Fieme, Austria, with q
cargo of oil, and left the former port
Saturday, March Is. On the following
evening, at IL O'Clock, blue lights were
seen. Captain Muir ordered the steam
er's course altered, and the steamer
bore up to the distress signal. At /
O'Clock, she was close alongside the ship
and stood by until daybreak, when
signals were observed flying from the
ship, asking that boat be sent along
side, as the ships crew were SO help
less as to be unable to man their own
boats. Chief Officer G. P. Helshem
and three seamen at once put off in the
Kasbeck's yawl, and, when within
speaking distance, heard tale of suffer-
ing and sickness from those on board
the ship such as made them shudder.
Captain Reed, Of the Cakes, reported
that his crew were all laid up with
scurvy, and that the provisions were
well-nigh exhausted. He was unable
to navigate the ship with the few hands
he had at his command, and begged
that he at once be supplied with fresh
food, and vegetables and taken in tow
for the nearest port. Mate Helshem
returned to the Kaskeck with the mes
sage, and Captain Muir at once decided
to take the vessel in tow.
Tie weather, which had been threat
ening, now became boisterous, and a
northerly gale sprang up. Neverthe-
less, preparations were made to pass q
hawser to the Cakes, when the boat,
with load of provisions was sent.
The sea was rough at the time, but
Chief Officer Helshem volunteered to
attempt to board her, and, as the en-
gineers reported the propeller to be
working we'll, it was decided to send
hawser aboard. Accordingly, line was
dragged by the boat, and after deal of
hard work, two hawsers were made
fast.
Mr.. Helshem and his boats crew of
three did most of the work on the ship.
They found only the second and third
mates able to help them. The provi-
sions they brought were godsend to
the scurvy- stricken survivors of the
ships crew, and they began to gather
hope that they might live to see land
again. From the time the hawser was
passed until New York was reached,
no incident Of Importance occurred.
Captain Reed, of the Cakes, told
terrible story of suffering and privation.
When the Cakes sailed from Hong Kong
the crew was apparently in the best OF
health, with the exception of Captain
Reed, who had been ailing for some
time, but who, under the careful nurs-
ing of his devoted wife, thought him.
self on the road to recovery. When
about six days out in the China sea, q
terrific typhoon was encountered, last
ing several days. during which the fore
and main topmasts were sprung. The
vessel was obliged to run before the
gale, which had no sooner blown itself
out than it was followed by second
typhoon, which blew with great fury
for twenty-four days.
The vessel had then got well out in
the North Pacific, and SO far off her
course that Captain Reed decided to
shape his course via Cape Horn, rather
than by Cape of Good Hope, hoping
thereby to make better time. The
weather remained fine until Cape Horn
was rounded, 1877 days out. In the
meantime the Chinese cook had been
taken down with severe cold and died
November IL. Afterward seaman
named Thomas King was taken down
with what appeared to be scurvy, and
died December 20. In quick succession
Seaman Thomas Olden was taken sick
and died January IL; Thomas Judge,
another seaman, was taken i'll with
cancer Of the stomach, and later Mate
Stephen Bunker showed symptoms OF
scurvy. The latter died February 4,
and was quickly followed by George
King, an old man, who died on the 9th.
On the 18th Judge succumbed, making
in all six deaths.
One by one the other sailors were
obliged to quit work, until on March ]
nobody was left except the second and
third mates, the captain and his wife,
All were well-nigh exhausted, and
when strong northerly gale blew up
that day, the brave woman was obliged
to take the wheel, and for eight hours
without relief and without as much as
a drink of water, she kept the ship on
her course.
The provisions were running short,
although a supply had been obtained
January IL from the American ship
Governor Rohie, from New York for
Melbourne, when of the island OF Trim
idad, and the crew was left without
other than the barest necessities. A
sharp lookout was kept for passing YES
sells, but nothing was seen until tho