The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-08
INQUIRY May BE
MADE OF JAPAN
Attack on the Crew Of the SsWall
Being lnvestigat ed.
GUHBOAT SENT TO FORHOsA
DETAILS AWAITED BY THIS
GOVERNMENT.

Washington. Dec. Rear Admiral
Robley i. Evans, colnmander in chief
Of the Asiatic fleet. has despatched the
gunboat Annapolis to Tamusi, Formo-
Ga, TO make q thorough Investigation
into the attack on the crew Of the
American ship Benjamin Sewail which
was abandQued Oct about forty
miles southeast of the island Of BOtel
Tobag0. Upon the result Of the mis-
sion Of the Annapolis win depend the
decision of the state department as TO
whether an inquiry of the Toxic gov
eminent viii be necessary. Official de-
tails of the search for the missing
boats crew from the wreck OF the Ben
jaiGin SeWall made by the Don Juan
de Austria and the Wilmington are
contained in reports received at the
navy department. On the arrival Of
these gunboats at South Cape. For
mOsa, the Don Juan De Austria was or
oered TO proceed TO Botel Tobago,
where. 1T was learned, three japanese
shipWrec6ed sailors from the Benjamin
SeWall were to be found. One Of these
told the story of their experience to
Lieutenant Commander Denfeld, COM
handing the Don Juan de Austria,
briefly to this effect;
Struck by Typhoon.
"The Benjamin Sewau shipped from
Singapore for Shanghai with a cargo
OF teak. When three days out she was
struck by a typhOOn and lost all three
mdSts. The captain gave the order for
all hands to abandon the ship. AOki
who tells the story, went in boat in
charge of the chief officer, together
with the third mate and his wife, two
japanese seamen. two Manila seamen,
an American negro, a Chinese cook, a
Chinese carpenter and a Russian sea-
man.
shortly before sunset on Oct 10,
when five miles from the north shore
of the island, they were attacked by
four canoes. each manned by about
twelve savages armed with knives.
Captured by Savages.
at this time" says AOki, eve were
rowing with three oars and also had
a sail made by piecing together blan-
kets. etc. For provisions we had three
cans of pineapples and two or three of
milk and some salt meat and ships
alongside US and as many as could
clambOred on board and stripped US
to our skins, not even sparing the wo-
men. We all had some money and the
chief mate, the cook and one Of the
| seEmen had watches. They pried OF
/ all the brass work, took out the bow
[ plug and capsized the boat. After this
I
about an hour 1t was now quite dark
and we could not see where they
went"
Two Drowned.
/ AOkl says that the negro and the
! Chinese cook drowned ten minutes aft
er the boat capsiZed, and later the
/ chief mate, who was an old man. All
] oe the remainder made for the shore
! except the third mate, who was an
] American, and the japanese woman,
who. as she could not swim to the
| shore, the third mate refused to leave.
/ When the three Japanese reached the
/ shore they hid among the mountains,
| fearing another attack from the say
ages. After remaining in hiding FIVE
Gays they were rescued by a party of
natives and brought to the police sta
/ ton.
The Japanese government has or
dered a thorough search made for the
/ FIVE missing persons on Botel Tobago
island.