The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-05-24

During the month of August,
1906, Captain Hans Messer, OF the
galliot Anna Rebecca, was loading a
cargo Of deals at Memel for Olden-
burg. On Monday, the 27th, the
cargo being completed. the vessel
moved slowly out Of port for her des-
tination.
A strong northwest wind was blow
ing, and when the Anna Rebecca was
some forty miles off the coast, with
out the slightest warning she sud-
denly turned turtle" The masts
were broken clean off as they struck
the water, and the startled crew were
flung into the sea. By good luck
however, all were thrown clear Of the
wreck, and they were enabled to save
themselves-temporarily, at least
by swimming to the capsized galliot
and finding safety on its keel.
The crew of the little vessel were
three in number-Captain Hans Mes
ser, aged thirty-five; Rudolph Wisch-
emann, sixteen, sailor; and Fritz
Meyer, fifteen, cabin boy. The trio
Immediately sought TO make their
position as secure as possible, which
proved to be very difficult. A heavy
sea was running, and they possessed
only small quantity of rope and
string with which to lash themselves.
Presently the two lads were both
washed into the sea again, but the
nfa in YA1p
them once more, though it was only
with great difficulty that he was able
to drag them back on to the slippery
keel.
The position in which the three
found themselves was wellnigh hope
less. The wreck lay so deep in the
water that nearly every wave washed
clean over it, not only threatening to
sweep the castaways off, but making
the hulk practically invisible to any
watcher on the shore. Great was
their joy, however, when, some time
later, they saw steamer apparently
bearing down on them. But their
JOY turned to deepest dependency
when they slowly became convinced
that she had not seen them. They
yelled and waved their arms wildly,
but all in vain; the steamer held on
her course and finally disappeared.
Then ensued time of terrible suf-
fering. The three men were, of
course, entirely without food and
water, and as day succeeded day and
no vessel was sighted the acute men
tai anguish of hope deferred was
added to the ever-increasing tortures
of hunger and thirst. Five days
dragged themselves slowly by in this
fashion, while the poor wretches
clung to the wave-washed wreck,
straining their aching, salt-crusted
eyes for signs of rescue. But none
came, and their minds began to wan
der owing to the terrible strain and
their growing physical weakness.
Fritz Meyer, the youngest OF the
sad trio on the Anna Rebecca's keel,
had swallowed a considerable guam
tity of sea water during his INNER
sion, and by Saturday-the sixth day
of their awful ordeal-he showed un-
mistakable signs of exhaustion. The
time dragged slowly by, and hour by
hour the poor lad grew worse, till on
Sunday IL became evident to his anx-
ious companions that his mind had
given way. He raved terribly all
day against his i'll luck. but the cap
tain's encouraging words at length
seemed 10 soothe him, and he dropped
asleep, though he still muttered de-
liriously at intervals.
Sill the wreck drifted on, and
never a sight OF sail came to glad
den the straining eyes OF the casta-
ways.
On Sunday the wreck had drifted
so close TO the coast near Schwarzort
that. as subsequently transpired, sew
eral people saw what appeared 20 be
a large dark object some miles OFF
AS. however, IT seemed TO bear no
signs Of life or any signal OF distress,
the watchers on shore did not deem
it Necessary to call out the lifeboat
On the Monday also many eager eyes
gazed at the wreck from various
points OF vantage as II drifted slowly
down the coast, though they did not
dream that hapless castaways clung
despairingly TO its keel
Meanwhile. what Of the three sea-
men? Rendered desperate by their
sUferings, and seeing the coast sp-
parently so near, Meyer and Wiscn-
emann decided 20 throw themselves
into the sea and risk everything in
one supreme effort 20 reach the shore.
Imagine how maddening II must have
been 10 these poor fellOws-who had
already faced the horrors Of starva-