The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-20
Stood Between a Ships Gre
and Starvation.
But For Tt Thirst Would Have
Killed Nine Lives.
SEAWATER CONDENSED
Rude BrRzier Made Out Of Some
Copper
And a Portion of the Ship Made
a Fire to Boil.

New York, Dec. 20-To a single match
Captain Wallace Shackford and thecrew
of eight men of the schooner Johanna
Swan owe their lives.
The match stood between them and
starvation. Had it gone out when Cap
tain Shackford started to light the gal
ley fire with 1t they would now be dead
from thirst.
The crew and captain arrived here
yesterday on the tugboat R. ]. Barrett,
which took them off the German bark
Anna The Anna had taken them from
their sinking vessel.
The story which the men tell of the
ingenuity displayed in order to keep
themselves alive after the shipwreck
seldom has been equalled. With only
the rudest tools, a condenser was i'm
condensed to keep them alive until as
sistance came.
Caught in Big Storm.
The Swan was wrecked Sn the recent
big storm along the Atlantic coast. She
sailed from Satilla River for this port
on November Is, with lumber. Fair
weather was experienced until NOVenn-
south of Sandy Hook when she was
caught in the great gale. An effort was
made to beat to port, but it was IN
successful, the Swan being driven to the
southeast
On the morning of November 81 a
fierce blast blew the mainSaiI out of the
lumber, which was four and a half feet
high.
The only hope seemed to be to run be-
fore the gale. The foresaI was carried
away, the boom broken and the Swan
shipped great quantities OF water, until
her hold was almost full.
One huge sea carried away the for
ward house and stove in the main
IA TO Ri hnf
would go on her beam ends, Captain
Shackford ordered the crew to cut away
the shrouds. Having no support then,
the masts went by the board.
Great Sufferings.
The men sought shelter under the lee
Of the after house, and dashed them
selves to the wall. Soon the ship began
to sink by the head.
The crew had been without water for
nearly three days and were almost mad
with thirst and hunger.
On Monday morning a schooner was
seen six miles away, and to attract at
tention small spars were dashed together
and a red lounge cover put on them as
signal OF distress. No attention was
paid to the signal
At a. m. on Tuesday, Ernest Cam
eron, the mate, made his way to the
companionWay, and in the cabin he
found some cans of pease and beef,
apple sauce, blueberrfes and a ham The
ham was consigned to the sea and the.
other food was divided among the crew.
But not drop of water was to be had.
One Little LuCifer.
Captain Shackford had a single match,
and after days of agony from thirst it
was suggested that an attempt be made
to condense some sea water
Cameron made brazier out of an
old piece of copper. The crew chopped
part of the rail into firewood An old
iron tank was taken on deck and turned
upside down. There was a pipe in the
bottom. A hose used in pumping out
bilge water was run from the lead pipe
to a quarter bucket, on which a cover
had been placed.
When all was ready Captain Shack
ford lighted the match, he being sur
rounded by the entire crew for the pl1r-
pose Of breaking the force of the wind.
There was moment of deep suspense.
Then the shavings caught fire, and soon
the sea water in the tank was boiling.
AT the end of an hour enough water
had been condensed to allow two tea
spOonfuls for each man. The water was
brackish, but the men drank it eagerly
and thought it fine. BY p. m. five
quarts of water had been condensed.
There was little difficulty in getting the
precious fluid after that, as the fire was
kept going all the time.
SuccOr in Sight.
The men ate sparingly of their food,
not knowing when they could get more.
On the early morning of December 2
the lights of the Anna were seen. Cam
eron rang the ships bell violently. It
was heard on the Anna, which sent a
boat and took off the men.