The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-14
CHILD DRIFTS FAR OUT TO SEA
ALONE A WEEK At LEAST, STARR
ING IN AN OPEN BOAT.
Small Naked Cuban Castaway Picked our
Of a stolen Fishing Boat In the Gulf
stream $40 Miles From Homo and
Brought Here by Galveston Steamer.

Brought Here by Galveston Steamcr.
Jose Vega. a little shaver Of a Cuban.
IL years old, is in St. Vncents Hospital re-
covering from the effects Of six days OF ex-
posture and starvation in a dory adrift in
the Gulf Stream. He has not only lived
through an experience that hardy mariners
wouldn't he ashamed of al an event worth
mentioning, but he'll get well in week or
30, the doctors say, and be sent back to
Cuba to tell his story to Juan and Andres,
il they are alive.
Juan and Andres are Jose's two play
mates, with whom he stole the dory in San
1.azaro harbor, probably ten days ago
(Jose thinks it must have been years ago.,
to 60 out fishing for an hour or two. San
Lazaro ia small port near Havana.
jose, naked and near death, with almost
every bone in his little body showing what
starvation had done for him, was $40 miles
away from home last Monday when his
dory was sighted by the officers on the
bridge Of the steamship FL Dorado, bound
from Galveston to New York. Then he was
saved, and none too soon. Another day
would have finished him. The child was
80 emsciated that he weighed only IS
pounds. His body was blistered from head
to foot by the sun. He was covered with
salt water bois He had begun to chew
his shirt for food.
The story of the rescue, AS told in Capt.
Prescott's log was as follows:
Aug. 10. 3l5 P. NJ. latitude 30 degrees 40
minutes north, Ion gitude 70 degrees % minutes
west-Sighted small dory OF dugout three
off hnw
lowered small boat. Crew found small boy.
Zoo weak to tell his story Probably drifted
out from Georgia coast. 100 miles OIL
Two days later Capt Prescott was able
to enter this correction in his log
Aug. IO-small boy picked up on Aug. 10
is Jose Vega. /? years old. from San I.aHaro.
six days Was probably, out seven or eight
days. Had drifted $40 miles on Gulf Stream.
BY the time the II Dorado reached this
port vest erday three days Of good food and
careful nursing had brought little Jose
around so that he was able to tell about
his adventure, which began with Juan and
Andres and ended with the rescue at sea.
The dory was hauled on board the FL
Dorado when Jose was rescued and was
brought TO New York. The name painted
on the stern is Reampago, which means
lightning, and on the bow is 4 harbor
license number, + 2940
DtbpNt Ills COtIlU lOp lllllf JOSt Rl
distinctly when one Of the sailors who had
been assigned to watch him asked him
where he got his boat. II was his first
grin after the heroic work of the ships
doctors had brought the life back into his
wasted body, and it was good hearty one,
for the recollection of how he and his com
rades stole the boat Of old Pedro, he fisher
man, was still funny, not Notwithstanding the
days Of suffering the prank had brought
to him. The sailor who asked the ques-
ton spoke Spanish, of course, and Jose
answered his questions IA fast as his feeble
condition would allow. Gradually the en-
tire story Of his involuntary voyage
was brought out.
Juan, said the little fellow, il Juan Values,
and Andres, Andres Roias. The three
boys were in swimming when they spied
the boat Of old Pedro, the fisherman, who
doesn't like small boys. There were mast
in the boat, a sail ready 10 be set, oars for
the rowing and plenty Of bait for Pedros
day Of fishing.
swim, they planned to steal the boat for an
afternoon OF sailing and fishing, and when
Pedro went up tho beach they showed it
out into deep water and jumped in. Juan
and Andres declared that they knew how
to sail a boat but jose soon discovered
that they did not When he cried TO be
taken home they called him baby, But
pretty soon the wind began to blow, the
mast snapped of short and, with the sail.
went overheard, Juan, in trying TO save
the sail cut his hand Oh a rope and Andres
fell down on the slippery seat and hurt his
nose.
The multiplicity Of misfortunes moved
even the stawart Juan and Andres to tears.
Still Andres said that the tide would carry
them back TO the beach sooner or later and
that meantime thew must do what all ship
wrecked persons did make an even division
OF the food supply The food supply was
q mass OF bait. which was divided into three
heaps and partaken of spaIingly, The
boys were not hungry, but shipwrecked
sailor must play the game.
Meantime according to the account OF
little Jose, Cuba faded in the distance.
The masts Of the fishing boats in San
La2aro harbor disappeared and MORO
and Csbanas were no larger than the hIts
of old Pedro and his brother And once
more Juan and Andres became alarmed,
and talked OF swimming back horne. But
Jose saws that as he could swim only half
the distance that the others could he begged
them 10 stay with him. As compromise
measure Andres suggested that they pray,
They prayed as eloquently as they could,
but the current did not seem to turn. So
Andres declared that on the appearance
OF ten stars he was going to swim Tor II
and Juan said he would go to- They told
jose that they would send boat out for
him, and jose says he cried and begged
them not to leave him, but they wouldn't
listen
A hundred stars came out, when Andres
stripped himself OF his clothing and told
Juan to do the same thing. Then they
said prayer saws jose, and plunged into
the sea. He saw them swimming side by
side for an eighth Of mile, then the dark
ness closed in on them and the little twelve
year old was alone in the night.
The little fellows story from this time
on az repeated by the sailor who got ii
from him yesterday is ono of pitiful suffer-
ing He was alone on the ocean FOR days,
with no water and only few fragments Of
bait for food The boat thar Andres and
Juan had promised to send for him never
came He ate some Of the bait and il made
him sick He ate more of il after while.
and it made him scker. but he managed
finally TO keep some Of il down
All day long he broiled in the sun. and
all night long he suffered from cold, The
clothes of Andres and Juan, he said, he
threw overheard in fit of rage AT their
desertiou of him and failure to send a boat
after him. The second day he saw ships
in the distance and yelled and waved
his arms at them. but they passed. out of
his sight. He drank aea wsSer and il made
him sick. He got little relief finally when
a shower passed and little pool Of rain
water formed in the bottom OF the boat.
When his hunger got 80 he couldn't stand
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