The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-02-27
FLORIDA COAST
FIRES BLAMED
BY Capt. Clare for His Ex-
perience at Sea in a
Small Launch.

Capt. j. l.. Clare, former master OIL
the steamer Bylands, who left Jack
sonvilIe last Sunday week, with A. E.
Baker, to make a sea voyage to Sa-
vanuah in an open launch, reached
Savannah after a terrible experience,
part of which has been told by Mr..
Baker, who accompanied him.
Capt. Clare, however, lays his
trouble to the Florida coast fires. His
story to a representative of the Sa-
Vannah Morning News is as follows.
After spending nine days in coming
from Jacksonville to Savannah by sea,
Capt. J. L. Clare, formerly in COM
mand of the steamship BylandS,
reached here yesterday morning. and
tells story of wrecks, hunger, delir-
lum and hardship that equals many of
the strangest stories of the sea.
Capt. Clare is slightly built, slight
~ crippled and only 20 years of age.
He ascribes his hard luck in the little
motor boat Jax to fires built along the
Florida coast just north of Jackson
Vile
with true nautical twang in his
tones, mixed with the unmistakable
English accent, the young captain told
his story to a representative Of the
Morning News. The narration in
icludes the thirty-six hours during
which wild with delirium, Capt Clare
drove his motor boat through the sea
without knowing in which direction
he was going, and the days he spent
without food or fresh water.
DeIirious and Alone.
capt. Clare began his narrative
with the serious statement that the
Tres along the coast should be
stopped. asserting that had he been
sn command of the Bylands instead OF
aboard the motor boat the big iron
steamer would probably now be
Rorthless hulk on the rocks along the
rroast where he very nearly wrecked
ais small vessel.
Il lay my whole trouble to the
coast fires, said the captain Il left
Jacksonville with A. z. Baker, a
friend, at o'clock Sunday morning,
a week ago. During the day every
thing went well. Fine weather and
q sea like glass. When night fell |
couldn't see any lights along the
shore and thought / was too far out.
So steered in closer to shore.
"All at once l saw that / was,
among the breakers and in danger of
being wrecked. It required all my
skill to save myself. The motor boat
behaved finely. though, and / went
put to sea again The smoke from the
fires had obscured the lighthouses and
made my mistake because l could
see no lights. That was the begin
hing of all my hard luck"
In Disabled Launch.
Next morning at daybreak, after
steering ont to sea, was thirty miles
south of Tybee and many, many miles
to the eastward. | started to shape
course for Tybee light, when sud.
denly the electricity in my motoa
died away and couldn't make IT. turn
the screw. 1t came on to blow a
bit from the southwest l sailed to
the northward. Then the wind came
from the northwest and put my sea
anchor out. / remained like that in
a gale of wind.
by rowing and sailing next morning
we reached the Sapelo lighthouse.
There was no telegraph station there
and so We decided to go to Darien.
We reached Darien Friday morning
and as there was no train at once and
wanted to catch the Bylands here
before she sailed, | decided to try nv
friend to sea again. My motor was
fixed all right and started out alone
expected to find the Bylands in time
20 sail on her to New Orleans
BIames Coast Fires.
But all my plans went suddenly
awry. At noon on Friday l became
delirious in the launch | knew moth
ing until I awoke Saturday night
.driving the launch wildly. | found
that l was driving the boat directly
into creek on Ossabaw Island.
Weak as could be l crawled from
the boat and found an uninhabited
house. There were cattle about but
! didn't see any human beings. i
went out to sea again
Il didn't have any idea where | was
and ran into several creeks before I
.rould get away from the island
When l was eight miles out, however,
the gasoline gave out in my engine
md ! had TO row that long distance
back to the island. l spent the night
Shere. | found the same uninhabited
house.
Killed and Roasted Pig.
The next day 1 was so hungry that
J killed pig on the island and