Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-19
AEON LOST, ALL SAFE
Crew and Passengers in
Camp on Christmas Island.
SHIP WRECKED ON REEF
Mail Bags Rescued, But Ship Will Be
Total Loss.
RICE GONE, CHINESE sHIRK
Captain and Engineers Make Trip of
14O Miles to Port of Call to
Get Help for Party.
Special Cablegram to The Star.

Special Cablegram to The Star
SYDNEY, n s. w, September 10
Five of the crew of the British steam
ship Aeon, which sailed from San Fran
cisco for Sydney July and has been
overdue. have arrived at Tanning Island
They report that the Aeon went ashore
on Christmas Island July 10 and was a
total wreck. All the crew and passengers,
among them the wives of several naval
officers, are alive and well.
They are camped on Christmas Island
and have ample food and water. A house
has been built for the ladies'
All the ships boats excepting two were
smashed to pieces on the reef. 1t took
month TO remove the cargo and pre-
pare a boat for the voyage to Tanning
Island.
The Chinese members of the crew re-
fused to work because of short rations
Of rice.
Steamer Going to Marooned Party.
SYDNEY, n. S. w. September 10
Further news has reached here of the
passengers of the British steamship
Aeon who are cast away on Christmas
Island, an atol in the Pacific ocean, ly-
ing near the equator
They will be picked up by the steam
ship Manupka. from Vancouver to sgd
ney, which is due at Tanning Island next
Tuesday The Aeon left San Francisco
July for Apa, Samoa, and was long
overdue
The first news of the presence of her
passengers and crew on Christmas Is
land reached here yesterday. The 800
mail bags on board the steamer have
been saved.
Christmas Island is uninhabited but
cocoanuts grow there in profusion; fish
can be caught and water can be had by
digging.
The safety of the passengers will be
communicated to Rear Admiral Sperry
when the American battleship feet passes
Fremantle tomorrow.
Among the passengers are Mrs Patrick.
wife of Chaplain Patrick of the navy, a
child and nurse, and Capt. Ruddell, his
wife and three children. They are bound
for Pago Pago, Samoa.
Ship a Total Loss.
VICTORIA, B. c., September 19.-Cable
advices from Tanning Island state
that the steamer Aeon which left
San Francisco July 6 for Auckland via
Apia. and was long overdue, was carried
on Christmas Island by strong currents
setting inshore' and became a total
wreck
The ships company. fifty in all. took
to the boats and landed at a small settle
ment facing the lagoon. All are safe.
There are four women and two children,
mostly wives of officers of the United
States battleShip squadron. who took pas
sage to join their husbands in Australia.
All are camping on Christmas Island
awaiting rescue.
The Aeon is fast on the coral island
partly full of water and wrecked beyond
hope of salvage. Five hundred bags of
mail aboard are likely to be recovered.
The cargo included salmon. 2.0OO,OO0
feet of redwood and some gasoline en-
gines. One of them was fitted in ships
boat TO take Capt. Downie, the second Of
ficer and two engineers to Tanning Is
land lying 40 miles northwest, to cable
news of the disaster.
Some OF the salmon and general mer-
chandise was recovered and taken ashore
with the ships boats. A stock of water
was procured the supply on Christmas
Island being poor.
Capt Downie had difficult time reach
ing Tanning Island. The engine fitted in
the ships boat refused to work. and the
boat was rowed to Christmas Island.
where it was refitted. After long trip
the captain reached Tanning Island yes
terday morning.
The crew was treated kindly by the
staff of the Tanning Island cable station
The steamer Manuka of the Canadian
Australian line. fortunately, is making
a call al Tanning Island TO land supplies
on her present voyage. and is due to sail
Tuesday next. It is expected she will