The Topeka state journal., 1900-07-27
FORGOT HIS HUNGER.
Sailor Passed Twenty Days Without
Food on an Island.

st. Johns, Newfoundland, July 81
Almost beyond belief is the tale of suf
fering told by William Warwick, a
sailor, who was rescued from Isle du
Morte off the southern coasts of New
foundland last Saturday, after he had
spent twenty days without food on that
desolate piece of rock. Warwick's feet
have been amputated and 1T is hoped
that he will survive his frightful ex-
perience. but his physical condition is
very bad.
For the first time since his rescue
Warwick is able to talk intelligently
today. Like other mariners who have
been placed in similar straits, he kept
close track of the flight of time and
was able to tell of his experiences and
sensations in reasonably consecutive or
der, as follows:
..On July 1, with two shipmates.
Oliver Smithwick and Henry Winn, L
deserted the British schooner Little
Pet We slid down the line by which
the yawl was made fast astern and cut
adrift. Smithwick had robbed the gal
ley of stores enough to last for three
DAYS. We expected to reach the French
lobster factories on the west coast OF
Newfoundland, where W1nn sa1d there
was plenty of work at good wages
when we had been afioat about six
hours, it blew a gale. The yawl upset,
and the last 1 saw of Winn and Smith
wick they were fighting in the water to
get on the yawl. They were out of
sight in a minute, and I fancy they were
drowned.
II kept afloat When it got daylight
my legs were swollen and cramped, and
I had no feeling in my arms. saw an
island and SWAN for it. The surf rolled
me up on the rocks and pounded me. L
remember dragging myself out OF the
reach of the waves and going to sleep
I woke up about noon and the sun was
frightfully hot. My skin was all puffed
out in blisters. My legs were so swollen
that had to cut my trousers on with
& sharp piece of stone. / could not get
my knife out of my pocket lay there
in the hot sun all the afternoon, too
weak to move. When 1t got dark went
to sleep again for awhile. ana when
woke up it was raining. My tongue was
swollen SO that L could not keep 1t in my
mouth. I rolled over and drank my fill
form hollow in the rocks and went to
sleep again.
ION July 8, at daylight, I dragged my
self to the top of some rock to get my
bearings. l could see the mainland,
about ten miles off to the north My idea
was that l was off Cape Race, and was
right, for. after dark 1 saw the Cape
Race light.
1T may sound strange. but up to
July / had not been hungry, although
1 had not had anything to eat since
leaving the Little Pet 1 guess l was
suffering so much that l forgot to get
hungry. There was plenty of water in
the hOllOWS of the rocks l went off on
a cruise around the island for some
thing to eat and found that 1 was upon
a rocky desert There was not weed,
a bush nor a root on the whole island
On July 5 I became very hungry. The
sun came up as hot as in the tropics
and my skin began to peel off. I drank
a quantity of water, but could not drag
myself around much. A fishing schoontA'
passed, but I could not attract it's az
tention.
ION July 1 tore up my trousers and
made a sort of hook out of the buckle.
tried to fish, but havin~ no bait, of
out of my head at times with pain and
hunger.
s'On July L soaked the pocket of my
trousers, in which 1 had carried to-
bacco. in water and chewed the wet
cloth It seemed to me that it stayed
the hunger some
ION July / was in a kind OF stupor