New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-19
CHASED BY CANNIBALS.
Ship DRIFTS Fire Months Along the
Equator.
SHE RUNS SHORT OF PROVISIONS

SHE RI Ms SHORT OF PROVISIONS.
The driving ashore of the Standard Oil Com
pany's four-masted ship JuteOpOlis yesterday.
related in another column, was the climax OF a
voyage replete with adventure. For days she
lay becalmed in the tropics. with the pitch boil
ing out of her seams Her crew was chased
by cannibals. No more able to make any place
desired than the Flying Dutchman. she
FIVE months overdue. one seaman was killed.
At time the was placed short
rations.
The Juteopolis left Iloilo on April 80 for
New-YOrk with a full cargo Of sugar. There
just enough wind to take her out through
the Bashee Channel. BY the time the ship
south of the Caroline Islands not a breath Of
wind could be discovered. II the JuteopOlis
moved at all it was just as likely to be astern or
to leeward as ahead. The crew amused them
selves by dropping corks overheard and betting
whether they would be astern or ahead at the
same time the next day.
For more than two months the ship drifted
over an area Of a dozen square miles. the crew
doing nothing but eating up the provisions and
watching the pitch sizzle on the decks. ''as
idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean,"
said Captain Thomas Curd yesterday in disgust.
Great Scott. that painted ship could have gone
twice around the world on the blasted painted
ocean while we were bObbing up and down
that -- - section of the Pacific Ocean.
1t was altogether too - pacific
ocean for me-"
Finally a bit OF breeze appeared and the
Juteopolis began to side crablike. toward the
Solomon Islands. making two miles Ieeway to
one. Roadway AS a result the ship was really
sailing almost due west. Just opposite the way
Captain Curd wanted 10 go. He then shaped
his course more to the northward. and passed
through the Caroline Islands.
The wind failed again when the ship was
island about ten degrees north OF the
Equator. For twelve days the JuteopOIis drifted.
around the island. with from twelve to fifteen
canoe loads OF naked savsges hanging around
them. eying the plump sailOrmen with hungry
eyes
Half dozen times Il necessary to make
a show Of force TO keep the cannibals Off. and
the sight OF generous sized kettles the beach
soon wore the crew down from the pIumpness
which they had acquired with three meals day
and no work. Finally the vessel caught the
northeast trades and made northing Of about
thirty-eight degrees north.
By this time provisions had run low and the
men half rations. 1t was apparent that
they had not enough provisions to reach New
/ York. and the ship was headed toward the
Hawaiian Islands. After reaching and reach
/ ing the ship finally made Honolulu Harbor.
/ where she stayed five days sailing for the Horn
L
\ Breakwater, where she put in for orders. after
/ run Of 49, days In this part of the run a trip
/ ping line block Of the staysail fell and killed
/ seaman named Petersen. who was buried at sea.
/ When the Juteopolis reached port her hoodoo
/ was still with her. Between her and the shore
/ after she had been driven the beach. there
/ was a scant fifty yards OF ice more than two
/ inches thick. which It was possible TO get to
/ the shore. Her crew. thlrty-seven all told.
many OF whom were Lascars. were bundled up
\ in their bedding. not having any cool weather
I Stops on board In the forecastle they had
/ forsaken their hunks. even though there was
! good fire board. and lay curled Up together
/ tor warmth.
1T was warm enough" said one OF the crew
I until got off Hatteras Then got wind
/ enough 20 make up for anything didn't get I'm
/ the Eastern ocean II we'd had half a cap
\ full OF what got the way up from the
/ Breakwater. would have jammed this old
I hooker around the Horn in a way that would
/ have made the hair OF the old windjam-
I mers stand end We all iced up
/ both the hooker and ourselves None OF
/ us had anything warmer than whites
! or half worn out dunEaree and We were nearly
frozen. After We loaf about all over the equator
| we nearly frozen by the weather in this port
/ I've been in all the ports OF the world. but this
/ blOomin' place Is the worst / ever The old
mans thermometer stood above - degrees all
/ the way up To Hatteras. and then II slumped
/ worse than a barometer in a typhOOn- 10 was
more than half killed the Lascars on board"