The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-13
FEARFUL EXPERIENCE.
CREW OF A STEAMER WRECKED
ON AFRICAN COAST.
The Wife of Captain Christie of the British
Steamer Traveller Gives An Account OF
Their Sufferinss-The Crew Stricken
With Java!fever-On Putting in at Rod.
rigues the are not AlIo~e ed toL-and-The
Vessel Drifts on Reefs and is 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
wrecked British ship Traveller. which
went on the reefs off the island Of
R~odrigues. in the Indian ocean, $50
miles northeast of Mauritius. on the
4th Of last February. Mrs. Christie
tells a terrible story OF the sufferings
Of the survivors.
Almost Immediately after the Trav-
ellerTeft Java for the Delaware Break
water, the Java fever broke out and
spread rapidly. 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 18th the chief officer
dice and on December 2Sth Captain
Christie succumbed. leaving only ten
men to man the ship.
Second Mate Ritch then decided to
steer for Mauritius and when the
Traveller finally approached Rodrigues
island, only he and two seamen We're
able to work the ship.
A pilot who put out from the island,
on learning the state of affairS. refus-
ed to go on board and returned TO the
shore where he spread the report tina
everybody on the Traveller had the
yellow jack.
Hours passed and no assistance came.
The second mate, fearing that the
Traveller would go ashore, launched a
boat and took the sick survivors with
him with a view of landing them. The
governor and the inhabitants of the
island rushed down to the shore and
threatened to shoot them if they land
ed. Mr.. Ritch appealed to them. i'm
ploring them if they We're Christians,
not to behave inhumanly. He said
that his men were too weak to pull
back 10 the ship and that if 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 We're thoroughly ignored
and he was obliged to put about and
go back to the vessel, which they fin
ally reached almost dead with eX-
haustiOn and despair. The last man
had scarcely quilted the row boat when
it was swept away and lost. No assist
ance came and that night the Travel
Ter was carried upon the reefs and
wrecked.
The mex morning the Bedriguers
sent a pilot and brought off Mrs.
Christie. her surviving child and 9TH
ers, and hen with the assistance Of
blacks from the island. the survivors
We're 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. SO fearful We're the Rodri-
guers of contact that the God for the
survivors was transferred from BOAT to
boat before it was finally left upon the
beach of the sand island. Blacks were
sent to cook it. but no physician came
for a fortnight and even when he did
come, according to Mrs. Christie, he
did not land, but examined the sick
through a glass from his boat.
Meanwhile. two a died and the
second mate was the only man strong
enough to dig their graves. On the
twenty-second day, realizing that the
monsoon would soon Submerge the
sand island. the Rodriguers moved the
| unfortunates to ROdrigues, where they
remained two months and We're we'll
treated. From that point they We're
carried to Mauritius and then pro-
ceeded homeward.
Mrs. Christie says that the behavior
of the Rodriguers is all the more in
applicable in view of the fact that
they allowed a large part Of the cargo
of the Traveller to be s~alvaged.