The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-03-19
Or
RELIEF VESSEL IS
WITHOUT RESULT
Signal Pole and Rusty Razor
Are Only Traces Found
OF Frederick Jaffs.

On Board the u. S. S. Yankton. Aca-
pGico, Mexico. March 17.-Marked by q
signal pole erected by a solitary
the point on the desolate Indefatigable
island at which Frederick Jeffs, an
American sailor, made his last unheed-
ed appeal for succor from death has
been found by Lieutenant w. II. Cher
erdi, commanding the Yankton. and his
volunteer rescue party, recruited from
the American battleship fleet in the
Pacific.
The signal pole was found by the res
u party alongside of q brackish
spring ten miles from the spot where
the captain OF the Norwegian vessel
Alexandria, which was wrecked on AL
bemarle island in May, 1907, contrived
! to exist with a part OF his shipwrecked
crew until relief arrived. Had Jeffs
remained with his shipwrecked mates
he would have been saved.
The failure OF the relief party under
Lieutenant Gherardi means that Jeffs
In all probability is dead. The rescuers
went to their work equipped with every
known means OF locating the missing
man. Guns were fired by day and rock
cts by night. Powerful searchlights
were fitted up and used to throw bolts
or light into unknown Businesses of the
island The crew under Lieutenant
Gherardi was cut up into small parties,
and each OF these, accompanied by O
native guide. went as far inland as pos
slble until prevented from proceeding
by the density Of the cacti and the vol
cantc formation of the surface.
Aided by Native Guides.
The Yankton's men canlped ashore so
that no time might be lost in going to
and from the ship each day. The ma
tive guides were men from Chatham
Island, another Of the dreary Galapagos
group. Every II Of the scant trails
and marks of habitatlon made by the
few men who ever lived on mdefatiga-
ole island was known to these men. one
Of whom served n term OF three years
Of exile on interchangeable island for
murder and explored It thoroughly.
None OF the efforts OF the Yankton's
men result. I'd in finding trace of Jeffs
or his body
One faint ray Of hope remains to the
family OF the lost sailor, that OF his
rescue by some passing vessel, but this
Is so dim that 1t is scarcely worth har-
boring. So far as is known, no vessel
has visited the island since last Octo-
Der. when the captain OF the Alexan-
drta and those of his crew who were
with him were taken off by q sloop sent
from Guayaquil, Ecuador.
When the Alexandria was wrecked,
On her way from New Castle, Australia,
to Panama, in November, 1906, the
Grew took to two boats, the irst mate
and a part OF the crew in one and the
captain and the rest OF the men In the
bther. The mates boat reached a set
Element on Chatham island and the men
were sent to Guayaquil OF q schooner.
On their arrival they caused to be or
ganized the expedition that found the
captain and his men. 1t Is believed that
40 boat since that time has touched at
the island and that therefore Jeffs a
no opportunity to escape prior to the
arrival % the Yankton.
Find a Deserfed Hann
Even the boat in which the captain
n his men made Tndefatigable island
was wrecked. There were no trees from
which another might be made. The
Shipwrecked mariners fell into great
h~ardships. Turtle and fish we're found
In abundance, but there was no fruit or
other form OF food. In the party was
q rifle and a shotgun, out there was no
cattle or game to shoot. One of the
party succumbed to the hardships in a
few days II was buried on the island.
Camp had been pitched first near the
same spring at which Jeffs' signal pole
was found, but on exploration 1t was
found that better water could be had .
10 miles away. and the camp was
moved. Jeffs refused to go with the
others, saying that there was as much
chance OF his being, found where he was
as at the other place. That was the
last seen OF him by any OF his fellows,
and the probabilities are that when
his mates moved their camp away from
him he looked for the last time on q
human being.
The rescue party from the Yankton
located without difficulty the abandoned
camp Of the Norwegian captains crew,
Following directions obtained from
Guayaquil the United States marines.
had no difficulty in finding the original
camp In which Jeffs was left. Here
also they ound q rusty razor, on the
handle OF which was carved the name
"Jeffs."
The Jetrs relief expedition was the
result OF information sent to the state
department at Washington by r. b.
Jones, American vice consul at Guaya-
gull, to the effect that an American
sailor was stranded on Indefatigable
island. The information was communi-
Gated at once to the navy department,
and a dispatch was sent to Rear Ad-
miral Evans asking him to try to find
Jeffs. The Galapagos group is almost
In direct line with the route OF the
American fleet from Callao to Magda-
keua bay. Admiral Evans Immediately
asked for volunteers. 1t was. known
that the expedition would be fraught
with danger.
Much Of the sea In and around the
Galapagos group is u~ncharted, and
what little Is known OF the channel In
dicates extreme danger to navigation.
In q distance of 1000 miles there is only
one lighthouse, at San Cristobal, and
this serves to illuminate only four
miles OF sea. In the navy department
the charts Of this region are dotted
with such notes rs current very
strong"
Despite the difficulties there were
many volunteers, among them Lieuten-
ant Gherardi. The Yankton was as
signed to the task and as many volun-
faara n a cOa1lH he uaad IN adyan N On
went on her. The departure from Cal
lao was the signal for a demonstration
in which the appreciation OF the
bravery OF the volunteers was mingled
with apprehension for the safety OF the
Yanktou and her men.
Frederick Jets vas working his way
home from Australia when he was ship
wrecked. He has n sister, Mrs. Henry
@. Claridge, living at South Norwak,
Conn. while his parents live in VIC
torIa, b. c.. He was 20 years old.