Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-12-12
WRECKED ON LAND OF FIRE.

WRECkED ON LAND OF FIRE.
Six members of the crew of the
American bark Prussia, wrecked or
Staten Island, Terra del Fuego, were
landed at New York recently by the
steamer Tennyson, which brought
Them from Montevideo. Four mem.
bers of the crew perished and three
are still in the hospital at Punta Ar
enas. One of the three is John c.
Drake, son of we'll to do Norfolk
Va, family, who shipped before the
mast at SIS month for the good OF
his health and for the experience.
He has sent home request for $400
to get back in comfort with. Those
who got in on the Tennyson were
John Hunter, the mate, who has rela.
tives in the city; Carl Stark, the car.
penter; Ernest e. Rainey, seaman
and a native of Portland, Me; Her.
man Heyne. native of Leipsig; Geo
Richter, also native of Leipsg, and
Y. Takoman, the Japanese cabin boy,
who is detained at Ellis Island Cap
tain Johnson died at Staten Island
Sabata, q Japanese cook, and Harry
Hammond are supposed to have per
ished in the wreck. Joseph Hosteth
a Norwegian, died in trying to get tC
the lighthouse on New Years Islano
for help. Stanislaus Porthin, a sail
or, and Helman Harke are at Punts
Arenas.
The Prussia was owned at Sar
Francisco and sailed from Norfolk
on March II with cargo of coal said
to be for the Government and des
tined for San Francisco.
On June 10 she was off Staten Isl.
and. 1t was bitterly cold CAPTAIN
Johnson was trying to make New
Years Island light. A storm came
up in the night and the bark was
ashore a wreck before the danger
was realized. She broke up at once
Every man jumped overheard and
eleven of the thirteen reached a striE
of sand which was somewhat shell.
tered by overhanging rocks. They
hNpI "ul III bpoi lll'S Ntulu llll
the night. At dawn Sabata, the cook
and Hammond, sailor, were missing
The Prussia was gone The strip of
sand was not more than 800 feet
long and impossible cliffs kept the
men from escaping across the island.
The captain was so exhausted that
he died early in the morning and was
buried on the beach The men col
lected what wreckaga they could,
made a fire, constructed what shelter
they were able, secured some cans OF
provisions, and talked over means of
escape.
Carpenter Carl Stark was set 20
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 it was a slow. tedi-
ous job, and they feared that their
provisions would not last. 1t WIS de-
cided that two of their numbe" should
try to work over the mountains, and
.he lot fell to POrlhin and Eosteth.
These two scaled the high rocks and
started across. After few days Por-
thin returned, crawling on his hands
and knees. His feet were badly froz-
en- and Hosteth, he reported had
frozen to death.
The food had Given out The rocks
were covered with limpets which the
sailors collected, and they killed some
seals that entered the cove. The
seals, Rainey says, seemed to acquire
wisdom, and after a few bad 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 rescue party to
their mates. 1t was 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 sea and worked in and out of
the bays and inlets. 1t took them
SIX days to reach the lighthouse and
they think they went 90 miles.
Lieutenant Delgado, who is sta
toned at the light called for volun-
teers, and with six men in a whale
boat, with Hunter acting as pilot, he
started to rescue the men still on
Staten Island. The weather grew so
bad that they, too, spent six days at
it, and consumed more than half of
the provisions they had taken aboard.
The bad weather lasted and they had
to wait six days longer before ven
turing on the return 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 on by the tender Orestes to Pun
ia Arenas. Po"thin was in the worst
shape, and it was feared that he
would lose both feet.
From Punta Arenas the six men
were sent by steamship to Monte
video.