The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-10
A Shipwrecked Crew.


A representative Of the Daily News has
obtained from Mr. OLSEN. second mate
of the Norwegian bark Seladon. the story
of the wreck of the vessel, and an account
of the adventures of the survivors. These,
numbering sixteen. were brought 10 this
country by the Or.zaba from Sydney. and.
having landed on Thursday morning. spent
the night at the Scandinavia Sailors Home
by the West India docks, and leave for
Norway this morning.
The bark was on her way laden with coal
from Newcastle, New South Wales. to Hon
olulu. They were threading their way
through these dangerous seas, amid the
treacherous currents which rage herea-
bouts---sweeping backwards and forwards
at the rate of as much as forty TO fifty
miles In the twenty-four hours---when late
one night they struck. They backed the
yards, but in vain. The bark was fast,
and her back was broken Two boats
were hurr:edly lowered. eight men, includ-
ing the captain and Mr.. OLSEN. getting In
to one, the chief mate and seven men get
tirg into the other. They lay on the sunk
en- reef on which they had struck untu
daylight, hoping that they would be able
to get more food, and especially the sex
tant and chronometer. But when day
dawned the seas were beating fiercely over
her. and they steered northward, hoping
to make Christmas Island, or some inhab-
tied land. The crew had only two break
ers Of water, a few tins of beef, salmon,
and sardines, and bag or two OF biscuits.
They had also a compass and cnart OIL
the South Sea, and various odds nd ends.
Being close to the equator, which, as a
matter of fact, they crossed twice before
they eventually reached land, the sun beat
down upon them mercilessly, though now
anG then clouds hid 1t for awhile, and
also kept them supplied with water. This
rain-water was caught in the sails, and
thence poured into the breakers again. The
allowance was four spoonfuls al SIX in the
morning, ana four spoonfuls at six O'Clock
a. night.
The men kept watch as though they had
been in their own ship---four on and four
off. One steered, one saw to the sail, the
other baled perhaps---that is, until they
could not walk from one end of the boat
TO the other. But though fearfully weak
this was not yet. The captain was the
first to go About dinner-time Chow priul
these everyday words sound in dealing
with such a story0 the captain said to Mr.
Olsen: ''Olssen, don't think shall last
long" 'Oh, yes, captain, you WILL give
me a little water, Olssen," said the cap
lclil- soO OiSsci, tlidl iiC " do -Acoi -
dead, called to the steward and whispered
Let him have just a spoonful" The cap
tain swallowed it, and lay down on tht
thwarts. When OLSEN looked down again
ne was dead. This was about five O'Clock
in the afternoon. The captain had brought
a bag with him with clothes in It, charts
and one or two tr:fles after the wreck
They took off his watch, which containec
photographs of MS wife and children, emp
ted bag, and reverently placed the cap
tain in 1t. They spoke as much as they
could remember of the service for tht
dead, sang some simple hymn which i:
sung in Norwegian houses when one =
dead, lifted his remains on to the gun
vale and let him fall gently into the ocean
He sank at once.
At last they took their last meal, and
for six days never tasted food. On th'
thirtieth morning land was sighted, ans
they came up to one Of the innumerabl'
coral islands which stud the Southern
seas. A fearful surf was lashing Ii, bu
they ran the boat ashore. She was shiver
ed to little bits. Two natives of the FijiaI
group came running down, one brandish
ing a tomahawk and a long knife; but h
was able to speak a little English. an'
on Mr. OLSEN saying they were shipwreck
ed men the natives and their familie
proved good friends to the miserable men
The carpenter was delirious and could no
! walk so they wheeled him up to the hut
in a wheelbarrow. The rest being too veal
to walk alone, took one another'S arms
! and thus managed to follow their com
| rades. The Fijians gave them three bos
| ties of beer, and the remains of som
chicken; they also killed a pig, cooked
| in the ground in native fashion. But no
one of the men was hungry. However, 4
a few days they slowly began TO recove
the use of their limbs, all but poor Chip:
the carpenter, who died. He was a ma
of sixty.
And now began their life on this tin
| island, which was practically desert, bu
! for few bananas and cocoa palms. The
| built themselves hut; cut roads; plante
| little; prepared copra; and did the bes
| they could. During six months the turtle
| came ashore to deposit their eggs, an
| were caught, eaten. or dropped for stoc
| into a tiny lagoon in the middle Of tn
| island. They caught some small sea bird:
of which Mr.. OLSEN does not know tn
name; ate cocanuts; and for a treat ha
! one of the few fowls or pigs which be
| longed to the natives. This was not luxu
| r.ous fare. Luckily they found anon
| some tools pair OF scissors, and neve
therefore. grew into Robinson Cruesoe'
/ Having no matches, they got fire by rut
| bing two sticks together And on Chris
| mas day they even managed 10 get u
| a little concert beneath the lovely tropi
moon; having, in fact, found broke
accordion, and patched it up in honor c
| the day.
On the 7th of July. 1897. looking out owe
| the ocean one morning, a sail was s.gh'
I - =.
! ly excited, OLSEN jumped into Little boa
| bclch ging to the natives and put off I
| her. She was little government cruise
| Her captain and OLSEN was soon at clos
quarters, and, after some debate. the vi:
| itor having but a scant provision on boar
| agreed to take the crew to Sura on the cor
| dition that they brought some Of the
! turtle aboard. Which they did, arrive
| So fely in FIJI. sailed in another Norwegia
! bark for Sydney, where they went aboar
the Orizaba. and sailed for England.