The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-08-30
AFTER MANY DAYS.
A Fruit Laden Steamer Eas q Peri
lous Voyage.
All on Board Forced to Eat Shark
and Allowed One Swallow Of
Water Day.


with eight passengers and cargo o1
rotten bananas and with the bones o.
half eaten sharks on board to indicate
the pecils Of her voyage, arrived OF
Scotland lightShip last Monday night
On July 30, the Dcnsld Steamship
conpany's steamer AthoS left Port An.
tonic, Jamaica, tor New York, six
days voyage. with provisions In plenty
for this short period. Three hours cu'
OF port an eccentric rod on the engine
broke, and from that hour until last
Sunday week, proceeding sometimes
only an hour a day under her own
steam, the Athos drifted at the merc7
of the storms, in constant danger OF
famine, once without drinking water,
and receiving supplies from tins to
time off passing vessels until on Aug
uss 20 tie disabled steamer gave up
and signalled the steamer Alta for a
SOW. This steamer brought the Athos
10 New York.
The trouble was In the engine all
the time. From July 80 to August T.,
one OF two breaks daily were recorded
in the engine. The log chronicles the
fact that the daily delay was only 80
minutes long or August 5.
Two days latter the catching OF she
sharks is recorded Cinnamon on board
attempted to eat the sharks but the
meat made them i'll and the fish were
thrown into the sea. During the next
two days boats we're lowered from the
Athos to search for food fish.
Ga August s the disabled steam,r
sighted the steamship Adirondack and
signalled "All well on board" bnt on
the tenth the last tank OF water was
opened and was found to be tainted
with the juice Of rotting bananas.
Some dolphin were caught two days
later and on August 18th the incipient
famine was further relieved by the
steamer Mcntevideo, which supplied
provisions.
For neatly week between August
10th and 18th the engines shaft was
useless: but not only was the steamer
forced to drift about while repairs
were under way but for two days OF
this period q great storm and high
seas broke over the helpless steamship.
The leg indicates meanwhile that more
dolphin were caught. Finally, On Aug.
ust Is, the coupling farge broke and
the Athos abandoned the attempt to
make New York under her own steam,
after 20 days Of continuous accidents.
1t was decided to accept the first offer
Of q tow. This did not come tor two
days, during which second food fam
inc was aVerted by the steamer Vera,
which came alongside the Athos sup
plying eatables and drinkables.
At Scotland lightship last Monday
night the tow line broke, as q last
chapter in her long series OF accidents
and the Athos could not repair the
broken line in the dark. but anchored
for the night while the Altai brought
her passangens to quarantine. Tues
pay tugs were sent out to bring the
Athos into port.
Passengers OF the Athos, on landing
Tuesday, reported that the famine
caused small mutinies among the
ships crew OF Is Cinnamon. Trouble
first started among the coolies over
the dearth Of tobacco and rice. A
negro helper wss stabbed during one
OF the fights Of the hungry crew, but
the ofh:e and passengers were not
seriously menaced.
At one tine the only water to be
had vas ocean briue which had been
boiled and condensed. One swallow a
DAY to each person WAS all that this
prCcsS allowed.