The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-08-03
Ninety"Six Sailors On q Myster.
iOus Island That
NO ONE CAN LOCATE.
On This Island May be Living Command,
er Hunt and the Crew Of the
United States Man.of. War
That Disappeared Long
Ago..

dent Of the United States Ia not i'm
portuned to send forth a naval exped-
ition to solve the most fascinating sea
mystery that ever existed-and this
one has bafTiad all inquiry for nearly
half q century.
If Robinson O%rusoe" is the most
absorbing piece Of sea fiction ever
Trlts9n, how much more interesting
would be the authentic record of ad.
ventures Of no less than ninety. six
Robinson Orusoes all cast away on the
same uncharted island in the North
Pacific forty six years ago.
Whenever Sea.faring veterans con-
gregate to exchange experiences and
"reminiscences the probable fate OF
this whole ships crew of CruSoes Ia a
favorite subj >ct Tor speculation.
Aye, aye, Captain" says q griz-
zlad old second officer Of q tramp
steamer, Il remember the Levant as
we'll as If I'd seen her comm up the
Bay only yesterday. In those days she
was a man o. war to be proud Of. The
United States had few stauncher. The
whole crew lost, you say, Bill? Not a
bit OF 1t. Pitcairn's not the only I'M
charted island to show up just in time
to a v O. shipwrecked crew."
Right o are, Mate" says the
Captain, and there's still a patch out
In the Pacific south Of 20 north. lati-
tude and east Of longitude lac as big
as tho State Of Maine that nobody
knows any moro about than they do
OF the North Pole. You all know
that's about where the Lavant got
caught by the typhoon back In '6O.n
That's the idea, Captain. IL there's
no island IN that patch, says /, why
has,nobody ever run aoroas the wooden
bull OF the old Leyant, or any Of her
foatin' junkp"
TIE TELL.TALE MAINMAsT.
Except ner mainmast that strand
cd on K~aalualu In the Hawaiians,"
says Bill, making q historical correo
tion.
""Tbat atYapded sparsgoessto 2resss
what I'm tellin' ye," says the CID
tramp second officer. Why was moth
In but the mainmast Of the Lsvant
ever seen afterwardsp We'll, I'll tell
ye, The mainmast went overheard
when the typoon fust struck her, an
laid q clear course for Hawaii. But
the oflicerS managed to keep the LIE
wants nose p'inted SOU sou'east for
Panama till this here undiscovered is.
land bobbed up, caught her fast on 3
coral reef an made r. )hinson Orusoes
of everybody aboard"
Such, In a nutshell, are the posi-
bilities-perhaps, even, the possibili-
ties -regarding the fate OF the officers
and crew OF tho Levant.
Commander William e. Hunt, with
ninety five officers and men, started
With the sloop of-war LevGnt from
Hila, Hawaiian Islands, on Septem-
Der Is, 1860, bound for Panama via
the California coast. These were the
officers under Commander Hunt:
Lieutenants-McB. S. Porter, &c O
Stout, Colville Jerrett and r Il. Bo-
wen. Surgeons. S. Gillian and
William Bradley; Purser, Andrew j
Watson; Master, James O. Mosely;
First Lieutenant Of NJ ,rines, p. l.
Browning; Acting Boatswain, Harri-
son Edmonston; Gunner, Robert S.
Kings Carpenter, John Jarvis; Sail.
maker, Charles S Frost.
The Official early records Of the Le-
wants disappearance are brief, but in
teresting and significant. Command
er j. b. Montgomery, United States
Flagship Lancaster at Panama. The
following are from Montgomery's re.
ports to Washington from his flag.
ship waiting in the Bay Of Panama:
NOV. 20, 1861 have recently re-.
ceived letters froin William &c Hunt
that the Levant is now ready and on
It's way to this port"
January 81, 186l-The Saranac
and Wyoming viii proceed In search
OF the Levant, TO Hilo and Honolulu
The unusual length Of time since sail
ing produces serious apprehension for
her safety"
February 13, 1881-No word yet.
Hurricane last September dismasted
an American clipper, and II. b. M.
line OF battleship Gauges had her sails
blown from the yards.
"a letter from Commander Hunt,
dated September 3 1860, stated he
would start from Hilo In ten or twelve
days. 1t Is now known that he sailed
from Hilo September 10, without
change Of purpose TO return to this
port"
February ID, 1861-Commander
j. K. Mitchell, OF the Wyoming, al
Hilo, reports his cruise from Panama.
No word, except that Hunt intended
TO take the usual Northern route tC
Panama, via the coast to California,
to get the record Of his work before
Congress-"
June s, 1861 Thomas Miller, u
s. Consul at Hilo, reports q mas
washed ashore seventy-llve miles from
there, supposed to be the MAMMA
OF the LevanG. Charles Spencer, Isaac
Nichols and Christopher Baker ex
am!nod this mast OF yellow Pine and
pronounced 1T to be that Of the LIE.
want. Part OF a lower yard five feet In
circumference at the sings was founC
near the mast. Consul Miller and w
l O. Parks, Marshall at Hilo, confirm
! this opinion. Baker was the pilot wiz
plotted the Levant In and out OF HID
harbor, and he had the dimensions O
her masts and sparS."
ACT OF CONGRESS JULY "a, 1891.
= Juno 80, 1901, shall be deemed ant
taken to be the day on which thu
( slo0p Of war Levant foundered at sea.
! This act of Congress, Implying tina
. the Levant, having "foundered," wa
l i%rreparably loss with all her Grew, fail
cd to draw any curtain Of Oblivion owe