Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-03-30
TALES OF PLUCK
And ADVENTURE.
Adrift Twenty Terrible Days.

/ can hardly think OF it now without
shudder, those twenty terrible days
adrift at sea with my three little chill
dren, writes Mrs. Henry II. Mcdonald.
Added to the constant fear of drown
ing was the torture of thirst, the chill
of night and the scorch ing heat of a
tropical sun by day. Then after all
came the haunting fear that should
lose my reason, and in my madness
cast my own babies into the mouths
of sharks.
My husband is sea captain, and I
had gone from Hoboken, New Jer-
sey, to Port Blakeley, State of Wash
ington, to join him on what promised
to be a most delightful voyage.
He had splendid ship, the Star
buck, and she was loaded with a cargo
of lumber for Delagoa Bay, South
Africa. We started from Puget Sound
on October IT, and the children and I
were as comfortable as on an Atlantic
liner.
But at 10 o'clock on the night of
November 8 the cry of "Fire!" was
started by the forward lookout. Flames
were shooting up from the forepeak
The cargo of lumber was afre.
My husband and his crew fought the
fire with desperation, but it kept
breaking out afresh on every side. In
four hours the big ship was ablaze
from stem to stern.
My husband then ordered the three
boats to be made ready. They were
loaded with provisions and casks of
water. and the children and my
husband were in the largest of the
boats, but it was also the frailest.
When the order came to lower away
I gathered my children in my arms
and felt that we were being dropped
down to death. We pushed out into
the black night and watched our ship
burn down to the waters edge.
There were two other boats with
us. One was in charge of the first
mate, Charles Mcdonald, my hus-
bands cousin, and the other in COM
mand of Second Mate Howard. A
line was passed from one boat to the
other to keep them all together.
The fourth day out the second mate
cut his boat loose in hopes of getting
on better alone. We never saw him
after that and he was probably lost.
On the twelfth day the first mates
boat capsized and the cook was
drowned. The rest of the men we
took in our boat, making fifteen in
all, which crowded us so that we
could scarcely move. We had to
throw overheard everything but the
clothing we wore and our canned food
and water cask.
Then our real sufferings began. Be-
fore that we had had pint of water u
day apiece; now our allowance was
cut down to half pint.
My children and 1 were huddled to-
gether toward the stern of the boat.
The ships carpenter had rugged up
little awning of blankets to shield us
from the hot sun by day. But the
waves would wash over us, and at
night squalls came up, soaking every
thing.
I could have endured this we'll
enough, but it was hard on the poor
little darlings. You see, my boy
Howard is but seven years old, my
little girl, Maud, five years, while my
baby, Gladys, is only nineteen
months.
AS our water supply got lower and
lower every one OF us felt the parch
ing fever coming on. 1t ragged like
fire through our veins by day, and at
night kept us from sleep.
But worse times were to come.
The storms set in. Squalls burst
upon US and heavy gales rocked our
little boat, and the angry seas poured
into the little craft, wetting the
blankets and all our clothing.
Then the gales became more fre-
quent, and I felt sure we could not
reach land in that leaky old boat.
The allowance of water was down still
lower. We had plenty of hard bread
and canned fruits and meats. I par
took of nothing but the fruit. The
short allowance of water made the
situation serious, but the men be-
haved like heroes. They never made
a complaint, and took their turns
bailing out the boat. But often when
1 had just tucked the children in their
blankets a sea would almost fill the
boat and leave us wetter than ever.
AT length we saw land. 1t was the
twentieth day. My husband had
promised to the man who first saw the
shore big glass of water. He him
self won the reward
The land we had made was Hook
ena, and next day at noon we were
ashore. The natives came outside the
reef, and we were put into one of
their boats and taken ashore. I stag
gered like drunken man. My limbs
refused to support me. fell, on my
knees on the sandy beach, with my
little ones about me, and again
thanked the All-Seeing One for our
deliverance.
We took passage from Honolulu to
San Francisco, where 1 am writing
this.
An Unnamed Hero.