The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-08-04
KILLED BY
SAVAGES.
Captain Spicer of the
Glooscap Tells a Hor-
rible Tale.

Hard aground In the Delaware River. q
little below Marcus Hook, is IL vessel the
crew of which will DO glad to get on land
again after voyage that is bound to be
memorable to all of them, from the cup
tain down.
The vessehis tho British ship Gloosccp.
Captain Spicer In command. The Gloos-
cap sailed from Illoio. in the Philippines,
on the aS day Of last March. She was
laden with cargo Of sugar destined for n
Philadelphia conslgnee. With fair wind
and smooth sea the ship BOWED merrily
along until off the coast of Cape Melville
Island, small bit of land forming one of
the Balabac groop of the Philippines aud
lying about thirty miles below the south
ern extremity of Palawan or Paragun.
Like many of tho two Thousand islands
forming the Philippines Balabac is in
habited by tribe of natives noted for
their savageness and fighting powers.
When the Glooscap came in sight Of the
island, on April 2, Captain Spcer was
surprised to find signal Of distress flying
from the lighthouse which had long been
maintained there.
Lowering aud manning a boat, Captain
Spicer had himself rowed ashore. Making
bis way to the lighthouse, he found the
keeper and his family barricaded inside
and in a sgate of seml-cxhaustion and
starvation. A quick trip of the boat back
to the Glooscap brought a supply Of nour-
ishing food, under which tho unfortu-
mates in the lighthouse quickly revived.
Then the lighthouse keeper told his story.
According to 1t two weeks before the ar
rival of the Glooscap the natives on ths
island had suddenly and unexpectedly de-
scended upon the lighthouse and the little
village or hamlet surrounding 1t. With
exultant yells they quickly put to death
every Spanish man, woman and child they
could find, the only persons escaping be-
ng the lighthouse keeper and his family.
all of whom fortunately happened to be in
the lighthouse when the attack was made.
After burning all OF tho houses in tho
village the attacking party retired, but
not before employing every strategem OF
which those who composed it had knowl-
edge to get at the inmates of the light
house. Fearing that the natives would
return, the Lighthouse keeper was unwill.
ing to venture out. and for two weeks or
until tho Glooscap came to his rescue, he
and his family remained inside the light
house walls -
A npct thou boH nplu tIa ~
to bother theln. This was bad enough,
but when to it was added thu terror Of
gradually disappearing provisions, with n
possibility of being unable to procure
more before starvation had doue it's work,
the situation grew worse. As long as he
had tho oil with which to do 1t. the keeper
kept the lamps in the lighthouse going
and his night signal of distress showing,
in the hope that some passing vessel
would come to his aid
But tho vessels sailing through Balabao
Strait at, that season OF tho year are
comparatively few and the time came
when every drop OF oil and every mouth
full of food in the lighthouse, or on tho
lluule lSiuuu uuuU iuuUuSit NuS oAuhhsee
ed. Had tho Gloosoap been a day or two
later in putting in an appearance. the
chances are that all of those who were In
the lighthouse would have perished from
thirst or hunger, or have been slaughter
cd by the murderous natives upon ventur-
Ing out of doors. =,
Captain Spioer left supply OF oil and
provisions. promising to notify the Bit
ish Consul at Batavia. This he did and
the latter probably say that permanent
aid and re.enforcemonts were sent to Cape
Melville Island.
The remainder Of the G!ooscap's long
voyage occupied nearly fouc months. the
ship arriving at the Breakwater only last
Wednesday. Tho four months in tho
water had covered her bottom with bar
nncle5 and hor progress up tho Delaware
was almost as slow as 1t had been coming
across the seas although tho powerful tug
Asa Hughes had her In tow.