The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1901-10-10
Tai Of a sIariner.

For three months Capt. Charles s. Sey
mour Was sdriit 10 the waters OF the Aler
tian archipelago. During the next sil
weeks be went through the experience o.
Robinson Crusoe. alone on On isolaied IL
land and subsisting on shell fish. His OF
oape from drowning be owes to the deve
tion OF dog. His thrilling story wat
brought to Seattle by the steam schooner
Lskme, from Dutch Hsrbor, where Capt,
Seymour had been taken after his rescue
from Atks island.
Cspt. Seymour was 10 command OF the
Sitks schooner Iliamns. Ga the night oil
September 2s, 1900. the vessel broke from
It's moorings at Unga island and went
sdrift. With the skipper slime nm board
That one man should work the schooner
out Of the hsrbor during a gale seemed
impossible, bat Capt Seymour did it,
AT first, be Gays, tried, to snohor.
running from one end Of the schooner to
the other to drop both irons, They
would not hold, Snd l could not raise
them. Seeing that we were drifting on
the rocks, / hoisted the foressil and seiz
ed the wheel. BY good luck the tide and
wind, while terrific, enabled me 10 get
ont through the narrow passage. In ordi
nary weather II could not be done by one
man,
During the next four days ran before
the wind. As the gale steadily increased
in violence was continually running for
ward and oft. Then the rudder head
gsve way, l could no longer keep the
schooner straight. had TO let 1t found
er along,
Alter 81 days Of this the sea calmed
somewhat, 80 that / could climb over the
side OF the stern and rig up q temporary
steering gear. / got bolt into the rud
der, then took down my main topmssl
and lashed it across the stern so that the
ends projected over the quarter. To this
l rigged tackle to steer. For several days
l made progress. Then The gale recon
menced and the new steering gear went
over the side. Again the vessel was Ut the
mercy oil the sea, Having nothing left TO
rig up new steering gear, l had TO let
the schooner drift simlessly and watch
for chance 10 escape,
The opportunity came on February 20,
almost three months after my wild voyage
began, when ! sighted land. which after
ward proved to be Ksgatssks island, one
OF the Alentisp group, 1. is In longitude
I76 degrees 2G minutes, latitude "a de
grees 43 minutes north. had drifted
500 miles westward Of Ungs. When the
schooner was near enough TO land / lie.
90 . small kedse anchor. II would not
hold and II was rapidly drifting on TO the
rocks. ! got ont Of my boat and carried
line to rock. When thst snapped the
schooner went on sreef and begsn break
ing mp,
Itben started ashore 10 my boat. but
the snrf overturned IL, and / should have
persisted but for my dog. He swsm to
me and carried me TO land.
For . lev moments lay on the besch,
exhausted and almost frozen. When ]
reesined consciousness / set ont TO fud
food and shelter. 10 few minutes II
vas evident tbsi toe leland wss uninhsbit
ed. Neither food 10 shelter OF any kind
could be hs6. Having DO mstcbss !
could not start 6re, Ny eun was With
me. bat the ammunition vas 10 the bost
when it cspsiEsd. 30 ths. could not Kill
ses birds for food. Fibslly csme np
With The row boat, esst upon the beach,
Dragging II cot Of reach Of the tide / GI
ed over II pisee Of csbvss for shelter.
Daring the reIs siI days suffered 10
tersely from cold. sunser snd loreliness
Nothing estsble could be found bat .bell
feb. which hsd 10 eat raw, The westh
er. Of courss, vss severe. storming slmos,
ntinnslly. Al isst my boat wss noticed
b, spsriy Of in3isns from Atks island,
~bo we're passing Ksestssks on hunt
Ips trip. When they lsDded 10 inves,i
ss.e vas bsrel! able to crawl out 10 NEE,
them,