The Eddy current., 1898-04-16
LOCKED UPTO FREEZE
AWFUL TORTURE or TWO
sToWAWAVs.
tuHsred Cruelty by thirst Canght the
Drops ~ water Triekilng Down the
Mast-More Dead than Alive when
Rescued.


Mast-More Dead than Alive when
Rescued.
From death In n shipwreok 20 death
by starvation and thirst In a steamers
cOld-storage room seems a stretch.
jacobson and Harry Chrlstianson near
~ met their doom from both such
causes. and that within the last few
weeks, says the San Francisco Call on
Dec. 10 the schooner Vesta was totally
wrecked near the Carmanah Light and
had II not been for the heriosm OF the
mate all souls on board would have
perlshod lie carried a line through
the boiling surf TO the shore and by
means Of II the shipwrccked sailors
reached place OF safety. The wounds
and bruises jacobson and ChrlAtlansen
received on that occasion can atill be
seen on their bodies After reaching
Seattle some OF the men came home
overland but the sailors In question
slowed away on the steamer umatilia.
They got In the cold-siorage chamber
on Dec. 30 at $3.50 q. m. we're sealed
up al Port Townsend and did not get
out Of their prison until Jan. ?, at 4:i5
D. m. They were then more dead than
alive and had TO be carried on deck.
Their tongues we're swollen and lacer-
aled from licking the sweat from the
mast In order 10 aiiay their thirst, and
they we're 80 weak from hunger that
they could not stand. The chief stew
ard saw to n that they got both food
and drink. and when the umatllla
docked yesterday morning both the
men we're able TO go ashore. "All that
We suffered during our lives did not
compare with what we had TO endure
during the past three days" said ia
cobson ON board the steamer THE
Vesta was caught ~ the gale that
wrecked the steamer Cleveland and We
had a terrible time Of a. Waves were
washing over the boat continuously,
and had II not been for the mate, who
swan ashore through the breakers we
would an have been drowned. 40 "
WAS. Chrlstiansen and | have been In
the hospital az Seattle. From where
we went ashore We walked TO the light
house whore our clothes we're dried
and food given us. From there we
went 10 Neah bay ln a rowboat, and
from there to Port Townsend where
we we're paid on. Christensen and |
then went to Seattle. whore we were
sont to the hospital When we we're
discharged We could not get a ship and
no sailor boarding house would take
us In. so we resolved to stow away In
the Umatlla. We got into the fore
poak and hid among the cargo. but on
the way 10 Port Townsend II got so
cold that We crept into place where
we were protected from the wind. That
WAS the freezing chamber and there
were a lot Of trunks and valisos In Il
We went 10 sleep and were awakened
bv the crew closing up the place 10
which we were hiding. The baggag6
was being sealed mp by the custom
house officials In order 20 save search
Ing when the vessel got 10 San Fran
cisco. But we dld not know that iac
and went 10 sleep again, Intending
to show ourselves on deck when The
Umatllla had left Victoria and was OF
her way 10 sea- You can imagine on
, feelings when we tried 10 get out o
. the chamber and could not. Then Va
4 kicked and yelled but no one coull
hear us and for awhile We gave ur
' Then we got hungry but the hunge
(. WIS soon swallowed up IN the ragln
3 thirst whether / was cold or warm
hungry or full. know not All ! ca
remember rs that all-consumlng thirst
A certalr amount OF moisture gathorc
on the iron mast and that we licked o
every time Il gathered When II woul
/" an be licked from our feet as high O
= our heads we would pile mp the baf
gage until we reached the roofing an
then we would begin at the bottoi
J. again. Finally. when the crew OF th
= steamer was getting ready for the con
. ing docking OF the ship we made on
" selves heard and the seals were brokel
" We were taken on deck and coul
y. barely gasp 'waterl' u was given
"a rs and then in little while We %
ra hungry. That meat they gave ~ tas
o. ed better 20 me than anything ! eyl
70 ate In my life We are all right no'
N but / never want to go through an 81
N perlenco like that again
10 Luckily the cold air was not turn'
a into the chamber or the two m'
Al ,..,,,,td have henu frnzen to dpath