The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-07-20
SWAN THIRTY MILES
Remarkable Escape From Death of a
Merry Hawaiian.
(Honolulu Cor. Chicago News.)


! Edward Duyauchelle, Of Molokai,
is the hero of most remarkable story
of human courage and endurance, and
of a marvellous escape form death.
The fact that he was one of the team
that represented the National Guard
of Hawaii at the rifle shooting at Sea
Girt, n. j., last fall, will perhaps add
some interest to the tale of his thrill
ing experience.
Monday night May %. Duvauchelle,
who is a fisherman, living at Pukoo
on the southern coast of Molokai. with
three native Hawaiians as compan-
ions, left home in a whaleboat with a
load of fish for Lahaina, about u
miles away. They arrived there safe
ly sold their fish, and about o'clock
started in a dead calm to row back.
A light breeze sprang up and they
hoisted sail, making the sheet fast
A sudden squat capsized them before
they could ease off the sheet. The
boat became waterlOgged and began to
drift out to sea. They were at the
time a mile or two from Kaanapali
Landing. Maui They made a float
with four oars and the mast, and with
this to help them, two of the natives
at their own request, started to swim
ashore to get help.
After awaiting their return for
hours in vain Duvauchelle and his re-
to the conclusion that the two men
had failed to reach the shore by swim
ming. They made float of the boom
and gaff and all that was left of the
boats gear and started. The current
carried them in the direction of Napili,
and they were able to gradually make
their way toward the shore When
within half a mile of it they discover
ed, to their CONSERVATION, that the
current was setting against them, and
that in spite of all their efforts they
were drifting farther away-this time
in the direction of Molokai, which
seemed to them to be about ten miles
distant They therefore made up their
minds to swim toward the shore of
that island. They seemed to be max
ing considerable Roadway, and by sun
set were as near as could be judged
four or five miles from the shore.
They had moonlight until nearly
midnight, when the moon set. BY
this time Dan Pawaa was becoming
exhausted and could barely keep him !
self afoat. Thereupon Duvauchelle |
gave up the float entirely to him, plac-
ing him on the middle of it, and he
himself swan without the assistance
of the float When about 500 yards
from the shore of little rocky inlet, |
about a mile from the Molokai coast, |
Pawaa was overcome with exhaustion,
and, bidding Dauyauchelle good-by. |
dropped from the float, sunk and never !
rose. Duvauchelle succeeded about an !
hour later in reaching the rock and |
dragging himself, wounded and bleed /
ing beyond reach of the waves, where
he fell asleep from exhaustion. not
awakening until past noon the next
day. Then he swan to the Molokai
shore, mile away, and made his way !
home.
When he started on his swim he had
taken off his shirt, as it was hin
drance in swimming, but had kept
his trousers on, SO that the white skin
of his legs would not attract the
sharks which infest these waters. He
was terribly tormented while in the
water by small crabs which fastened
themselves to the skin of his chest
and clawed and bit him almost to
He was in the water nearly
II hours, and swan a distance of be-
tween 25 and 30 miles.
Duvauchelle is of French and Ha-
waiian parentage 3S years old, tall and
built. In many respects
experience is without
a parallel, although there have been
several somewhat similar occurrences
in these waters, the comparatively
narrow channel between the islands
of Molokai, Lanai and Maui tempting
many to cross in whaleboats and other
small craft.