New-York tribune., 1905-01-30
WERE READY TO EAT BODY
WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER
Thirteen Shpwrecked Men in Open
Boat Thirteen Daus.

story of thirteen days of suffering In an
open boat and rescue just when cannibalism
had been decided on told yesterday by one
of three OF the thirteen survivors of the wrecked
steam dredge Texas. who arrived on the Cunard
Line steamship Etruria, from Liverpool The
three men were Olaf Haga Hans Petersen and
Peter Gerasola. The story of the wreck Of the
Texas has been told in part, but never in years
has such a detailed story Of suffering in AT
open boat been related at this port Many Of
the rescued men still in hospital in England
and those who landed yesterday bore traces of
the terrible adventure through which they had
passed.
The Texas was built in Germany and was
owned by the United States Engineering Com
pany, of this city. She was especially built for
work on the new harbor improvements at Gal
weston, and bound for that port when she
foundered in heavy gale $50 miles northeast
or the Azores. She left Danzig on November 23
with crew of thirty-three men. in command of
Captain hinot- On December % she ran into
heaVv gale, and about midnight of the fol-
lowing day she sank
The captain and twelve men managed to
launch the port boat and got away. The chief
offlcer and the remainder got another boat over
the side but they had no sooner got in her than
she swamped. All were drowned The cap
talns boat drlfted for thirteen days covering
some five hundred miles and the men were
finally picked UP by the barkentine Mercedes
On the same day-January 6-they were trans
ferred to the steamship Zenos. bound for Lon
DON One man died in the open boat
Olaf Haga told the story OF their sufferings
yesterday. His story bridges over q space Of
days when all were hystercaI and many were
insane. He said that from the start there was
always something going wrong with the craft
ohe got one side nearly full of water, and that
was pumped out Then they put into Kiel and
remained there eight days. From there she
went to Southampton, and was forced to stay
seven days
TROUBLE BEGINS AT START
When day and a half out we had trouble
IN the rough seas" said Haga, and we were
forced to throw overheard one hundred and
sixty tons of coal which was in bags on the
deck On December 23 the captains dog went
overheard, At that time the sea was breaking
over us and had broken down the guys ana
stays Of the masts and stack. Things were
not so bad, when the engineer discovered tha:
there was leak forward. The suction pump
was fitted up, and some 1900 tons of water was
pumped out.
The dredge was laboring heavily, and we
were making no headway. Hardly had the for
ward leak been attended TO than the discovery
was made that she was leaking aft This leak
soon gained and put the fires out Then we
knew the end had come We had tow large
boats aft and a small boat amidships This
small boat had been broken by the sea
AT 10 o'clock Christmas night We were
level with the water amidships. and the sea
was breaking over us like surf. An eight gallon
cask Of water and biscuits were thrown
into the port boat and the captain and twelve
men launched her. 1t terribly cold and
we had no mitts peatackets.
PART OF CREW PERISH
we saw the men working at the other boat
on the weather side Twenty men got into her
We looked back and saw them trying to launch
her We looked again, and the boat was gone
and the men were in the water. Again we got |
another glimpse, but could see no one. and the |
sea carried further away, and the water |
dashed about us. and we saw nothing more.
The twenty four-foot boat was small and we |
had TO huddle together. We had four oars and |
spread q blanket for sail We had no COM |
pass, and the captain, steering by the stars, |
headed for the southeast. We were divided into |
.hree watches The first three days it was very |
cold but after that it began TO get warmer. We |
sept before the wind for two days. and then |
-he wind shifted TO the east and for three days |
olew hard. We then forced to take down
he blanket and mast and use IL for drag.
In all that time one man had to keep UP
constant bailing. We had 10 crouch in the
bottom 0f the boat and take turns standing up
o stretch. Three times 4 day brandy glass
" water and some biscuit were served to each
nan The biscuits were divided into four parts
lnd each got a fourth.
ALL THE FOOD GONE.
Seven days after we left the Texas the food
which had been getting lower gave out. Then
he water was all gone. Soon after that one
nan, a Maori from New-Zealand, died. The
nen suffering terribly. and as soon as the
eath OF the man became known a Norwegian, |
Hansen. went crazy. First he had visions Of
ood. and then he said he knew how we could
-et all we wanted We can eat the dead man.
70 said, and got ready an empty condensed milk
an. and declared that he would drain the blood
C-1t;u,tsd on third pscs.