The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-15
COCOANUTS SAVED HIM.
The DOur-Faced seaman's Tale of
Shtpwerclx.


From New York Commercial Advertiser.
l read in local newspaper three years
ago that a man clinging to a floating laz-
aret hatch had been rescued by a steam
ship, about 200 miles off the South Allan
tic coast of the United States He had
been days in the water and when found
was in an almost dying condition. Later
he reported that companion had chung to
the hatch with him for two days and had
then sunk. 1 saved this clipping, hoping
for further details. but if they appeared in
print 1 never saw them. Yesterday at
the Seamen's Mission, on Pike street, 1
met the man.
1 was reading last years magazine at
one of the tables, killing the time before
an appointment with the chaplain of the
floating church. The attendant was tell
ing visitor that they had deep-sea men
mostly at this home, sailors from ships of
the China trade, which dock at the foot
of the street. The boast of one mission
to another along the East river always is:
I'VE have deep-water sailors at our
house." Then one of the readers was point
ed out as an object of interest a relic of
shipwreck and desperate suffering on the
high sas.
He spent week holding on to a bar
rel in the Pacific" said the attendant. 1
asked the man a little later If such an ex-
perience had befallen him.
ut was in the Atlantic" said he, get
ting up from his seat lin thirty degree
that's off North Carolina. And it was a
hatch l had
He was boyish and well built. with a
wholesome German face and healthy blue
eyes.
How did you get in the waterfall
overboard?" l asked.
THE schooner capsized-the Helen Lee.
We had gale for two days, and were ly-
ing to with bare masts. The waves would
roll the schooner way over, and by and
by one came when she was all keeled on
her side, and it got underneath and cap
sized her"
"Was the vessel empty?''
ooh, no. We carried cocoanuts and or
anges and fifteen thousand of forbidden
fruit'-oranges, bigger than oranges-and
every time the schooner rolled ali of the
coeeanuts rolled, too. The mate dashed
himself in the forecrosstrees, and me and
man from Springfield, Mass, named
Harry Cross, caught on to this hatch. In
about half an hour we couldn't see the
schooner any more, and we knew she sank.
Then we said we would swim to the coast,
but Harry Cross said it was 200 miles off,
and we gave it up. We were In the Gulf
stream and the water was warm, though
it was December. and it was about 10
O'Clock in the morning"
was it hard work holding on?''
you have to lie on your stummick and
hold on with both arms, like this'-and
he stretched a hand to each side of the
table. Every twenty minutes the first
day the hatch turned over, or we might
have dashed ourselves to a ringbolt. One
had pulled out but the other was all right,
and the next day we found cocoanuts
floating. and we'd break them open by
pounding them on the ringbolt. The
thirst was terrible, and the nights, when
couldn't see anything. Harry Cross said
he knew he was going to die, but he
thought 1 should be saved. 1 thought so,
too from the beginning. The second night
Harry Cross let CO.
He was exhausted?"
mo; he said goodby.' 1t was like he
committed suicide. He told me he didn't
think he could stand another night, and
if anything happened to him to write to
his parents"
"What did you think Off"
ooh the thoughts" the man exclaimed:
Everything, I guess. 1t was fifty-four
hours in the water. The sun was shining,
and 1 lived on the cocoanuts. Then a
steamship threw me line, and l was
hauled on board, and then 1 fell down
ON the deck. 1 was ten days in the hospi-
tai at Savannah, and haven't been to sea
again"
The man was very sober-faced for his
wears. gentle but without trace of ge-
niality in his countenauce. How much of
the dour look was an effect of his adj
venture / could not say.