The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-30

1OT CullIOrEld ana curing MS aDSeHCe
he underwent an experience the recital
of which reads like one of Robinson
Crusoe's adventures on the island of
Juan Fernandez or one Of Jules Verne's
most imaginative works of fiction says
the Wilkes-Barre Times Here it is:
After spending three months in Cal
ifornia Mr.. Meixell went to Seattle,
Washington, and in the later part of
March he and twenty-nine other men
left on the schooner Elsie, 1000 tons
burden, for Kotbebue Sound, in the
extreme northern portion of Alaska.
After being out twenty-one days the
schooner run against a reef. 1t was
about one o'clock in the morning and
impenetrable darkness enveloped the
fated schooner. The men aboard
aroused from their sleep by the violence
of the shock, emerged from their
berths and attempted to dress. But il
was impossible, as the water had at
tained a depth of foot and a half in
the ship and it was rapidly rising. The
men saw that it was a desperate fight
for their lives and, without waiting
longer to strive TO cover their almost
naked persons, they attempted to &c
up the hatchway. But they were
swept Ddth Dy al VI ""'c'
knocked down in the cabin, which by
this time was filled with water to a
depth of four and half feet.
ALMOST ABANDONED HOPE.
"The unfortunate men almost aban-
doned hope of escape. But they re-
solved to make q desperate attempt to
ascend the hatchway. Another hercu-
lean. almost superhuman effort, and
they succeeded in reaching the deck,
where they clutched the rigging and
clung to it with all the tenacity of
drowning men with one chance in a
hundred of escape. Surrounded by
Cimmerian darkness, they could see
only few feet beyond them. No sign
of land-only the tossing, black waters
on every side. For four hours the men
Clung to the rigging, shivering as with
ague in the ice-cold water At last,
after a seemingly interminable period.
day broke at 4.30.
"As the rays of morn gradually dis
PEELED the gloom about them and they
were enabled to see some distance, the
mems hearts sank as their anxious
eyes discovered no sign of land. But
as the morn broke more fully and they
were able to see farther and more dis
tinctly their hearts again leaped with
zone to discern land in the distance, a
half mile away. By means of the life
boat they We're able to reach the beach;
II was with great difficulty, for their
limbs were stiff and almost frozen and
thcir strength and endurance had al
most given out during the long and
terrible hours which they hung to the
rigging. 1t was $50 when they reach
ed the beach, after two hours wrest-
ling with the life-boat.
"They found the island on which
they were stranded to be one almost
entirely of sand, with none but the
most scanty vegetation upon it. Upon
exploring the place, they looked around
in vain for some signs of human life
and habitation. To their dismay, they
found that, besides themselves, there
was not another living soul upon the
island.
THEY WE'RE MONARCHS.
Like Selkirk they were monarchs o
all they surveyed; to their right Their
was none to dispute. Like Nerne's bal
loonistsi they We're landed on a Mys
terious island. The men were arraye'
only in their underclothing. all tn
rest of their clothing, together will
provisions, tools and everything els
being on the wrecked schooner n
clothing, no food. no shelter, on a cold
sandy, sterile, uninhabited, and almos
unnhabtable, island-their situation
was indeed bleak: yea, almost hope
less.
1.-THE thirty men We're strong, able
bodied and fearless, as they deter
mined that If they must die the,
would meet their fate like men and |
would be orly after a desperate strug
gle for existence. When they had suf
ficiently recovered from their disma
to use their wits to any purpose, the
set themselves about to secure the nee
essaries, without which they could no
long survive. Food and fire they mus
have, and have quickly, and after thai
clothing If they could get 1t. Their
were a few matches among the part
and after waiting for them to dry the
built a fire of driftwood, of which ther
was an abundance on the island.
Then they went upon a search 70
food. 1t was with slight hope that the
started upon their search, for the is
land was nothing more than a barre
waste. After looking around for som
time they came upon a stream in whic
they were delighted to find sea salmo
in large numbers. With sticks the
we're able to kill a considerable nun
her of the salmon, which they carrie
to the fire and after cooking them a
best they could by penetrating ther
with a stick and holding them owe
the flames, they devoured them vorac
iously.
MONOTONOUS LIFE.
1T would be a long story to tell o
the life of the little colony on tn
island. They were able to reach por
tions OF the wrecked vessel, and piec
by piece, they recovered enough O
their clothing to save them from freez
ing to death. Each succeeding day O
their lives on the island grew NOR
gloomy. They We're isolated from tn
world and civilization. and as the day
grew into weeks, they began TO aban
don all hope or rescue. At one time tn
shipwrecked men seemed determine
ia hang the captain of the vessel, who's
incompetency was responsible for tn
wreck. Nearly all the men We're typi
cal Westerners and most of them wer
strongly in favor of melting out sum
mary punishment to the captain VIII
had brought the disaster upon then
But the more moderate membefs of til
party pleaded for the captain and pre-
vailed upon his would-be eXecutioneI
TO spare him.
'For forty-five days the party live
on the island, subsistlng on fish an
saving themselves from freezing I
death by keeping up a raging fire {
nh.
no means OF helping them TO forge
thoir faa tfnl .alioht aud than lrpa,