Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-02

,he Hawaiian group which came into the
possession of the United Sta ,es-ani in
LOO the government apo nted Lieutenant
Commander Rodman Governor OF Mid
way to have the territory surveyed. lnl
1903 the Pacific Commercial Gable me wa
completed and an Office opened at sand
Island, making the Midway group an i'm
portant point for the cable company. for
steamers and ships in general and for the
governments war vessels in particular.
In 1887 the bark Wandering Minstrel was
wrecked there, and Captain Walker and
his family and crew. barely escaping with
their lives, managed to get ashore. For
fourteen months they suffered there and
naarly persisted. The hardsh ps were ter
r.ble. But for the fish they caught in the
comparative shallow lagoons and the birds
and eggs they found IN the bushes they
would have starved. AS it was, many of
the crew died of scurvy.
1t is a singular fact that although Sand
Island, less than bwo miles long, has
abundance of clear, fresh, sparkling water
obtained by digging only Ave or six feet
INTO the sand, 1t did not prove healthful to
Captain Walker and his crew. On Eastern
Island, adjoining and only mile and a
quarter distant, the water is not 50 good,
but for some reason it Is much health. er
and there was no illness among those liv-
ing on that island.
The scurvy and It's dreadful ravages
were confined to those living on Sand ISL
and, which is now the headquarters of the
government and the cable company But
for the coral reefs which fence in the Isl
ands there would be no safety for them.
The Pacific storms, with their enormous
tidal waves would overwhelm them. Be
tween These walls of coral and the island
are the lagoons. flowing with water of q
dark blue color, but so clear that one sees
as in a mirror far down in their crystal
depths. Sharks swarm the sea outside.
AS these Islands are the SUBMITS of vast
submarine peaks, which In bygone ages
volcanoes threw up from the depths, one
can form some idea of the vastness of the
ocean there wilderness of waters
stretching for tens of thousands Of miles in
every direction. Not far from these island
are the deepest of ocean abysses, going
down from Ave to six miles.
! Not far away is a submarine mounta in
rising to within three or four hundred feet
OF the surface. If 1t had appeared above
the sea its tip top point would have been
called an island 1t scars three or four
miles up from the oceans bed.
Such are the sublime surroundings where
/ the Pacific steamer went ashore and its
/ shlpwGecked passengers were rescued from
/ the shark infested reefs. They had hardly
walked around the island twice when they
concluded they must have some kind OF
amusement. Amateur theatricals were
suggested and everybody said:-"Yes; give
IFv... FHana HHa1H -. L. IL
so THEY WROTE A PLAY.
But where are we to get a pIay?" The
\ answer came instantly, I'VE will write
! one" So out there on that lone island
thousands OF miles from civilization. the
playwright turned up and was ready for
4 business, just as If it were in New York
on old Broadway, with $50 typewriters
ii waiting to copy the parts.
| Mr. Arthur Maquarie, of St MarRa refs
I Lodge, ST. Margaret's, England, ana also
!. OF Florence, Italy, offered to write the
play, and quicker than Mr.. Hammerstein
composed his famous opera, which fs saFd
to have melted the King Of Belgium 20
tears, the piece was ready for productio,
| The author selected Midway a TIA 500
lof the play. With great skill he u,rC,t,- ~
around the Islands, the scenery, the ocesn
and the wreck, and all proved a hin TbiI
lis the story -Four handsome rIfta5 u''
. tlemen OF wealth and leisure. ha lin So
Tilted both In America and Japan ra'S5,..
on revenge. So they formed q 49,,
J Haters' Club and went sailing arornS "a.
, world Suddenly one night tbev -
wrecked on the Midway reefs "eie
. This opens the first act. Next tba..,,s,.
beholds the tenth anniversary OF tbsi- uItor
? ldence on the island. The duie - Ies-
haters have become Robinson Cr,,. "oliiSn
fact, the leading character Is paSte
Crusoe. He Is supported by his ~, ''I so.
day. who applauds like any otbaa TT n,
man. When his master, Robinson r Illl 90
recites poem OF his own co,l,- - usoe'
telling Of his experience on the isipsI lioh'
man Friday goes into raptures ~ aIn, the
9 and wants a raise in salary. SFPIoFaI
The next event LAthe arrival a,
OF Cooks toTists-all young wor,s.. party
( are captivated by Robinson ana M VINO
I Friday. Then follows a dance an, us us man
the young women. The play enfis sG9ns oy
women haters becoming converted ~ me me
charms OF the fair sex. Result the
! marry the Cooks tourists. Evsr,,.tt hey
from applause 10 eocoanuts, roses a-s
hsh, sea pearls and orchids greeted 90 "a
actors at the close Of the play. ''is
/ But this was not all Before the Tar