The San Francisco call., 1908-12-16
LOST IN SOUTHSEAS,
L'SHAIR WH|TfNS
Pretty Nurse Tells Story of Life
of Castaways on Remote
Desert Island

When Miss Sadie Campbell. trained
nurse. left here last July a passenger
on the British tramp steamer Aeon
time had carved no lines in her pretty
face and her brown hair showed no
trace of gray. Twelve days after
leaving port the Aeon was wrecked on
desert island, where the passenger
spent 20 anxious days. Miss Campbell
arrived home yesterday on the liner
Alameda. Instead of the neat tailor
made suit in which she went away she
wore a nondescript creation in pink,
the best she could get in the south
seas. Her drawn face bore the chisel
marks Of the anxious care that had
changed her brown hair to snow
white. Quietly and with the eloquence
Of simplicity she told the story of her
last case; how at her patients side
she had faced death in mid Pacific; had
reached an island barren of vegetation
and Inhabited only by land crabs; how
a little daughter had been born to her
patient on that desolate island and
how, two days later, they were all res
cued.
PASSENGERS SMUGGLED
The Aeon left here July 6 for sgd
ney by way of Samoa. The vessel was
iAON l4NCilSEu AZ carry passengers. DuL
by an evasion of the law passage was
sold to more than a dozen people. The
passengers included Chaplain B. r.
Patrick of the navy and Mrs. Patrick
their two boys. aged 3 years and IS
months. Miss Campbell. who had been
engaged to accompany Mrs. Patrick to
Samoa and there await the happening
of an interesting event. a maid and
Mrs. Riddle, the wife of Lieutenant
Riddle. [. $ n Chaplain Patrick and
Lieutenant Riddle had been ordered to
the navy station a Pago Pago and It
was on account of the lack of trans
portation facilities that passage was
taken on the Aeon.
Following two days of gale the Aeon
dashed on a reef
We were in bed" said Miss Camp
bell, when the ship struck the reef
1t grounded very gently, but it scared
US just the same, and in a few minutes
we were all on the bridge where we
spent the night. A heavy mist had
shut out the sight Of the breakers un-
til too late.
During the night the Aeon turned
/ broadside to the beach and was
never still for an instant 1t was not
until daylight that Captain Downie
discovered that We were on Christmas
island, 35 miles out of our course. The
highest part of Christmas island is
only 10 feet above the water and there
is not vestige of verdure on it. The
sea had got into the fresh water on the
Aeon and until Chief Engineer Merritt
improvised a distilling plant from the
Aeon's engine room we feared we
would perish of thirst
They helped US ashore, where we sat
IN the broiling sun, while the men
dragged lumber through the surf and
with the boards and tarpaulin from the
ship built us a hut. But for my
anxiety about Mrs Patrick I might
have enjoyed the Robinson Crusoe part
of it. AS it was, however, ] had no
on her and fear lest in an emergency
I could do nothing
PARTY SETTLES DOWN
Huts were built and storerooms Pro-
visions were brought ashore from the
waterlogged and badly mangled ship.
and life ashore was organized into
something like system. A f1agpole was
set UP from which all day there fiut-
tered at half mast O. reversed British
flag. At night q great bonfire was
lighted in hope OF attracting the atten-
tion of some passing ship. On the
dates when Captain Downie figured
that the Aeon's sister ships might be
in the vicinity 90 or 80 bonflres were
lighted. But they blazed in vain.
Meanwhile an aged carpenter, Han
sen by name, found water by digging
a well. in which the fresh water rose
and fell with the tide On August II
the captain, chief engineer, second
officer and third engineer started for
Tanning island in one of the. Aeon's
ifeboats. The next day the boat
drifted back with sails gone and the
improvised engine broken down.
Meanwhile the event which had taken
Miss Campbell to the south seas was
drawing near. Captain Downie aban-
doned further attempt to reach Fan
ming island and devoted himself to
building a z by Il cottage for Mrs
Patrick Captain Downie left again
September Is and sighted Tanning ISL
and three days later There he dis
patched the cablegrams that told the
world of the Aeon's plight and the
safety of the passengers.
GIRL BABY BORN
Jane Patrick was born September %
in that u by II cottage, and two days
later the British liner Manuka put in
an appearance. The next day Mrs.
Patrick was taken aboard the liner
To reach the boat in which the transfer
was made the mother had to be carried
through water shoulder deep on the
stretcher bearers. The beach was in
tested Dy SIdIlAS. hIOd6iiF tiiiS same
water Miss Campbell carried the baby,
trust she refused to surrender to any
one.
The Manuka carried the shipwrecked
party TO Suva, where the navy trans
port Solace was waiting for those
bound for Pago Pago- Everybody
came through the ordeal alive and
finally reached his or her destination.
Miss Campbell collapsed after reaching
and Jane Patrick is the prettiest girl
=. Il.