The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-08-01
WHERE IS IT /?
Ninety-Six Sailors On a 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 LoHg
Ago.
Hardly 8 year passes that the Presi.
dent OF the United States is not i'm
portuned to send forth naval exped-
ition to solve the most fascinating sea
mystery that ever existed-and this
one has bafded al inquiry for nearly
bali century.
II Robinson Crusoe'' is the most
absorbing piece Of sea fiction ever
written, now much nore interesting
would be the authsntic record OF ad.
ventures Of no less than ninety SIX
Robinson Crusoes all cast away on toe
same uncharted island in the North
Pacif1, forty six years ago.
Whenever sea-far1ng veterans con-
greeats to exchange experiences and
"reminiscences the probable fate Of
this whole ships crew Of Cfu'oeS Is q
favorite subject for speculation.
''Aye, aye, Captain" says gciz-
zled old second officer Of a tramp
steamer, II remember the Levant as
well as If I'd seen her comm up the
Bay only yesterday. In those days she
vas man o. war to be proud OF. The
United States had few StaUncher. The
whole crew lost, you say, Bill? Not a
bit OF it. Pitcairns not the only un-
charted island to show up just in time
to save a shipwrscked crew."
Fright you are, Mate" says the
Captain, 'sand there's still patch out
in the Pacific south OF 20 north lati,
tude and east OF longitude lac as big
as the State Of Maine that nobody
knows any more about than they do
OF the North Pole. You all know
that's about where the Levant got
caught by the typhoon back In go"
That's the ides, Captain. II there's
no island in that patch, says /, why
has,ncbody ever run across the wooden
bull Of the old Levant, or any Of her
bJatin' juuk?"
THE TELL-TALE MAINMAsT.
Except her mainuast that strand
ed on Kaalualu In the Hawaiisns," )"
says Bill, making a historical correc
tion.
THAT stranded spar goes to prove
what I'm teliin' ye," says the old
tramp second officer. Why was moth
In but the nainmast Of the LsVant
ever seen afterwards? Well, I'll tel;
ye. The mainmast went overheard
when the typoon fust struck her, an
laid q clear curse tor Hawaii. But
the officers nauRged to keep the LIE
wants nose p'inted SOU sou'east Tor
Panama till this here undiscovered is'
land bobbed up, caught her fast on 8
coral reef an made Robinson Crusoes
Of every body aboard. ;"
Such, In q nutshell, are the posi-
bilities-perhsps, evan, the possibill-
ties-regsrd1ng the fats Of the officers
and crew Of the Levant.
Commander William E. Hunt, with
five officers and men, started
with the sloop. .of-Wsr Levant from
Hils, Ha a~aiian Islands, on Septem-
ber Is, 1860, bound for Panama via
the California coast. These were the
officers under Commander Hunt:
Lieutenants-MeB. S. Porter, E G
Stout, Colville Jerrett and R. T. Bo'
wen. Surgeons S. Gillian ana
William Bradley; Purser, Andrew
Watson; Master, James Q. Mosely;
First Lieutenant Of Marines, P. L.
Browning; Acting Boatswain, Harrl-
son Edmonston; Gunner, Robert S.
King; 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, Omitted 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-
ceiyed letters from William E. Hunt
that the Levant is now ready and on
it's way to this port"
January 81, 1S61-The Saranac
and Wyoming will proceed In search
OF the Leyant, to Hilo and Honolulu.
The unusual length Of time since sail
ing produces serious apprehension for
ner safety"
February 13, 1861-No word yet.
Hurricane last September disnasted
an American clipper, and &. B. NJ
line OF battleship Ganges had her sails
blown from the yards.
"a letter from Commander Hunt,
dated September 3. 1860, stated be
wouid start from Hilo in ten OF twelve
days. It is now known that he sailed
from Hilo September l6, without
change OF purpose to return to this
port.''
February IA, 1sel-Commander
J. z. Mitchell, OF ths Wyoming, at
Hilo, reports bis cruise from Panama.
No word, except that Hunt intended
to take the usual Northern route to
Panama, via the coast to California,
to get the record Of his work before
Congress.
''June 8, 1ssl-Thomas Miller, q.
S. Consul at Hilo, reports a mast
washed ashore seventy-fve miles from
there, supposed to be the nainma.t
of the Levant. Charles Spencer, Isaac
Nichols and Christopher Baker ex.
amined this mast OF yellow pima and
pronounced 1t to be that OF the LIE.
want. Part OF a lower yard five feet in
circumference at the sings was found
near the mast. Consul Miller and W.
@. Parks, Marshall st Hiio, confirm
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