Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-24
WRECKED ON DESERT ISLE
BARK'S CREW FRoZE ON CLIFF
FENCED SANDBAR
Ate Seals and Limpets-One Man
Died Trying to Escape-Made
Boat From Wreckage.

NEW YORK, September 24.-Six MEM
bers of the crew of the American bark
Prussia, wrecked on Staten Island Ter
ra del Fuego, We're landed here yester-
day by the steamer Tennyson, which
brought them from Montevideo. Four
members of the crew persisted and three
still in the hospital at Punta Arenas.
one of the three is John C. Drake, son of
well-to-do Norfolk (Va) family. who
shipped before the mast at s. month for
the good of his health and for the expe-
rcnce. He has sent home request for
SiC0 to get back in comfort with Those
who got here on the Tennyson were John
Hunter, the mate, who has relatives in the
city; Carl Stark, the carpenter; Ernest E.
Rainey, a seaman and native of Port
land Me; Herman Ieyne, native of Lelp-
sic; George Richter, a a native of Leip-
sic; and Y. Takomaa, the japanese cabin
hoy. who is detained ut FL is Island. Capt.
Johnson died on Staten Island. and Sabata,
a Japanese cook, and Harry Hammond are
supposed to have uerished in the wreck.
Joseph Hosteth, a Norwegian, died in try
ing 10 get to the lighthouse on New Year Is
land for help. Stani5laus Porthn, a sailor,
and Holman Harke are at Punta Arenas.
The Prussia's Cargo.
Tie Prussia was owned at San Francisco
ard sailed from Norfolk March Il with a
cargo of coal said 20 lie for the government
and destined for San Francisco-early days
for the battleship program.
On June 10 she was off Staten Island.
1t was titter'y cold. Capt. Johnson was
trying TO make New Year Island light y
storm came up in the night and the bark
was ashore wreck before the danger was
realized. She broke up at once. Every man
jumped overheard and eleven of the thir-
teen reached a strip of sand which was
somewhere sheltered by overhangng rocks.
They kept warm as best they could
throughout the night. At dawn Sabata
the cook, and Hammond. sailor, were
missing. The Prussia was gone. The
strip of sand was not more than 200 feet
long and impossible cliffs kept the men
from escaping across the island. The cap
tain was so exhausted that he died early
in the morning and was buried on the
beach. The men collected what wreckage
they could, made a fire, constructed what
shelter they were able. secured some cans
of provisions. a few biscuits and barrel oe
pork and talked over means of escape.
Carpenter Carl Stark was set TO work
at once to build a small boat He had no
tools and had to make them from iron in
the wreckage. All hands helped, but 1t
was a slow, tedious job and they feared
that their provisions would not last. 1t
was decided that two of their number
should try to work over the mountains,
and the lot fell to Porthin and Hosteth.
These two scaled the high rocks and
started across. After a few days Porthin
returned, crawling on MS HdHuS anu
knees. His feet were badly frozen, and
Hosteth, he reported, had frozen to death.
Ate Sea Food.
The food had given out. The rocks were
covered with lmpets. which the sailors co..
lected and they Killed some seals that en-
tered the cove. The seals, Rainey says,
seemed to acquire wisdom, and after a few
had been killed avoided the place. The boat
was finished after thirty days of hard
work and Mate Hunter, Stark and Heine
started off to find New Years Island and
send a rescue party to their mates. 1t
only thirty miles to the island, but the
frail shell in which they risked their lives
had to be favored and they avoided the
open and worked in and out of the
bays and inlets. 1t took them six days to
reach the lighthouse. and they think they
went 100 miles.
light. called for volunteers, and with SIX
men in a whaleboat, with Hunter acting
as pilot. he started to rescue the men still
on Staten Island The weather grew
bad that they, too, spent six days at 1t,
and consumed more than half of the provi-
sons they had taken aboard. The bad
weather lasted and they had to wait six
days longer before venturing on the voyage
back, with little left to eat Luckily the
voyage to the light was a quick one, taking
only one day. The sailors were carefully
nursed at the light and sent by the
tender Orestes to Punta Arenas. Porthin
in the worst shape, and it was feared
that he would lose both feet.
From Punta Arenas the six men who ar
rived here yesterday were sent by steam
Oh, tlNyi a