The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-05-22
WRECK OF THE SAGINAW.

WRECK OF The SAGINAW.
In an out of the way corner of one
of the huge buildings at the Naval
academy hangs boat which few vis-
itors have ever noticed. She is an
ordinary ships gig, twenty-six feet
long and decked with painted canvas,
on which lies dusty placard bearing
the names of her crew and telling IN
the fewest possible words the story
of her gallant voyage. Even at the
time the incident attracted little at
tention, for the papers were crowded
with the battles of the Franco-Prus-
sian wsr, and now it is only mem
ory among the older officers of the
navy; but it is too fine a story 20 be
forgotten.
By the 10th of October, 1870, the
U. S. S. Saginaw had finished dredg-
ing a channel for Pacific mail steam
ers at Midway, and, following his in
structions, her commander, Capt.
Sicard, sailed that afternoon 70 take
a look at Ocean Island, about sixty
miles distant. During the night the
rent, and about o'clock the follow
ing morning crashed upon coral
reef. AS officers and men rushed on
deck, many were hurled back by the
torrents of water that poured down
the hatchways, and on gaining the
deck they found great seas breaking
over the ship, which drove every one
to a place of safety in the rigging.
In a few minutes the vessel was
forced so high on the rocks that the
seas were less dangerous and it was
possible to do something for the safe
ty of the crew.
1t was a time to try the coolest
nerves. No one knew where they
were, for the darkness made it i'm
possible to see beyond the side of the
ship, which was rapidly pounding to
pieces. All the boats on one side
were smashed; then the smokestack
toppled over the side, followed by
away. About daybreak, or G o'clock,
the forward half of the ship broke
away and swung in further upon the
reef, but the dawn revealed within
The reef small island-Ocean ISL
and itself. At the sight of land the
men cheered and worked with a will
to get the undamaged boats afioat
over the breakers to the shore. All
that day was spent in saving as much
of the provisions as possible, amount
ing to a couple of barrels of pork and
a small quantity of canned vegetables
and coffee Fortunately the carpen-
ter's chest also was saved, along with
the hammocks of the men, which
were used as tents.
On looking about, Ocean Island
proved to be a low sand pit. no.
where more than fourteen feet above
the level ofethe sea, and covered with
bushes. AS there was no spring to
be found, a dozen wells were dug.
but in every case the water proved
too brackish, and it looked as if the
seventy officers and men had escaped
drowning only to die miserably of
thirst Then, at the suggestion of
some ingenious fellow, condenser
was rugged, by means of the ship s
boiler and a rubber hose, which sup
piled forty or fifty gallons day.
Luckily, fuel was provided by the
wreck of an old whaler imbedded in
the sand Naturally this could not
supply fuel indefinitely, and the
amount of food saved from the ship
was barely enough to supply officers
and men for a month at one-quarter
rations-that is, one-quarter of their
regular daily allowance. This was
helped out by seal meat and fish, but
both proved unwh olesome.
Since Ocean Island was so far out