Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-06
STARVATION DIETS.
Boiled Rope, seaweed, Raw Boots and
Barnacles Have Saved Lives.

FROM aHsNers-
TIE hardest fare that six strong men and
a hoy of fifteen ever kept alive on was the
daily menu of the Windover's survivors,
who were cast up on the lrish coast heai
Kilsesg few weeks ago. They lived for
sixteen days on stewed rope-yarn, without
crum of anything else to help digest II,
except water; and, though it made them III.
they kept alive on ii ana dld mol "as'e
away very much. -.
The Windover was bark carrying SAT-
between Spain and the states, with an Ens
lish crew and she was dismasteu anu
abandoned about a thousand mics out vi
the Atlantic Three of the crew were killed.
by falling masts, and Two olnele W.
washed overheard: but the other seven tooN
to the whaleboat and set out LOT bri'aii.
Being in too much of a hurry they tooh loo
little food, but three large puts ol "a1v,
besides the tank the boat already heIu. lHe
result was they ate up the provisions III
forr days but had water enough for &
month and after starving two DAYS more
they tried boiling lengths OF tarrea t. T
rope into a pulp and swallowing II. me.
had a keg of paraftine wax, ano' thousn ~
made them very i'll at first. they eventually
contriyed to live on the boiled hemp, the
tar, boiled to jelly, adding 10 the ioui ~,
ment of the rope. They landed IN COM
paratively good health. ..,,a oe
the Irish coast little while ago kept THEM
selves going for ten days on diet aiaost
worse They landed in boat, when was
smashed by a wave on their Iyins ~
launch her. and they were left on the pare
rocky island, which has only a slight scalp
of coarse turf without food. fortunately
there is a spring on the island, pul .Io'niie
in the way of food but gulls, when tney
could not catch and nothing TO make d
Are with as a distress signal. There are
not even any shellfish, as there IS no peacn'
and the pair had to subsist for the zen
DAYS on cold, raw seaweed washed up u.
thnx
after that they tackled the seaweed, max
ing three meals a day Off 1t, until rescued.
When taken off they were good zeal ema-
ciated. but no Ill effects resulted Inc
SANG, thing happened on the same coas.
five years ago, when four fisherwomen were
imnrisoned on an inlet by the loss of their
boat. They lived on 'kelpie' grass for SIX
days.
A diet of boots is one of the commonest
of last-resource foods; and though 1t is
hard for well-fed person to imagine that
any one could masticate and digest shoe
leather. a pair of long seaboots VIII keep
man alive for fortnight. If he has httie
water Can't Maboly of the foundered
steamer Gwalior and his second officer ere
ated a record last year by living for seven
teen days on boot leather and pint OF wa
ter per day each ,;s
boots. they have to be cut up and shredded
with a knife, and the shreds cheWed ana
swallowed. Boiling. even when possible
does no good at all. but takes from the
boots what nourishment they contain "A
faxv ounces of leather. being so hard TO
digest. stays the stomach for fifteen or
twenty hours. ..r
yation diets for wrecked or castaway peo-
ple. however is that Of barnacles and IL
anything of the kind happens to you they
will probably be your staple 1000. par
nac,es are long, tough, half shellfish. half
vegetable creatures, that grow on the un,
dersides of vessels. Three Englishmen ana
a crew of Lascars who had peeh Ioreea 10
abandon the sailing vessel North Star few
months ago kept themselves going for over
a week on barnacles and only two OF the
g;,.a ono internal cramps and cause an in
sufferabe thirst; but they do nourish the
frame. You have to reach under the yes
not IN leave the best half of them sticking
to the planks Only starving person could
POSSIBLY eat them. Many castaway crew,
however, has found them better than noth-
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