Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-05
STOWAWAYS' AWFUL TORTURE.
Locked In the Cold Storage Room q
Pacific Steamer

Locked In the Cold Storage Room of
Pacific Steamer.
From the San Francisco Call
From death in a shipwreck to death by
starvation and thirst in a steamers cold
storage rooms seems stretch. jacobson
and Harry Christensen nearly met their
doom from both such causes, and that
within the last three weeks. On December
10 the schooner Vesta was totally wrecked
near the Carmanah light, and had 1t not
been for the heroism of Mate George Gen.
ereaux every soul on board would have per-
ished He carried line through the boil
ing surf to the shore, and by means of it
the shipwrecked sailors reached a place Of
safety. The wounds and bruises of Jacob
son and christensen received on that occa-
sion can still 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 Una
tllla. They got in the cold storage chamber
on December 80, at $50 a m. were sealed
up at Port Townsend and did not get out
on thelr prison until January 2. at AIS m
Ihey were then more dead than alive and
mad to be carried on deck Their tongues
were swollen and lacerated from licking
the sweat from the mast in order to all, v
their thirst, and they were so weak from
hunger that they could not stand. Chief
Steward Curtis saw to il that they got both
food and drink, and when the Umatilla
locked yesterday morning both the men
were able to go ashoreA
All that We suffered during our lives did
not compare with what We had to endure
during the past three days." said jacobson
on board the steamer yesterday. 1.-THE
vesta was caught in the gale that wreckeu
the steamer Cleveland, and we had q terri
BILE time of it. Waves were washing over
the boat continuously, and had 1t not been
for Mate Genereaux. who swan ashore
through the breakers, we would all nave
been drowned AS 1t was. Christensen and
1 have been in the hospital at Seattle.
From where We went ashore we walked
to the light house, where our clothes were
dried and food given us. From there we
went to Neah bay in rowboat, and from
there to Port Townsend, where we were
paid of. Christensen and then went to
Seattle, where we were sent to the hospi-
tai. When we were discharged we could
not get ship and no sailor boarding house
would take us in, so we resolved to stow
away on the Umatilla. We got into the
forepeak and hid among the cargo but on
the way to Port Townsend 1t got SO cold
that we crept into a place where we were
protected from the wind. That was the
freezing chamber, and there was a lot of
trunks and valises in 1t. We went to sleep
and were awakened by the crew closing up
the place In which we were hiding T. g
baggage was being sealed up by the custom
house officers in order to save searching
when the vessel got to San Francisco. But
we did not know that fact, and went to
sleep again. intending to show ourselves on
deck when the Umatilla had left Victoria
and was on her way to sea.
'You can imagine our feelings when we
tried to get out Of the chamber and could
not. Then we kicked and yelled. but no one
could hear us, and for awhile we gave up
Then we got hungry. but the hunger was
soon swallowed up In the raging thirst.
Whether I was cold or warm. hungry or
full. know not. All can remember Il
that all-cOnsuming thirst. A certain
amount Of moisture gathered on the iron
mast, and that we licked OF every time It
gathered. When II would ali be licked from
our feet AZ high a. our heads we would pale
mp the baggage until We reached the roof