The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-06-16
AMAZING YARN OF
A DEEP SEA SHIP
After Stranding on a Chinese Is
land During a Three Years
Voyage, Reaches Port
CREWS WENT TO HUNT FOR HELP
The Mate and Four Sailors, After
Hazardous Journey Through Jungle,
Reached a Settlement and Dis
patched Tug to the Rescue.

Brooklyn, \. Y.-Closing a three
years voyage, which threatened to
end with leaving the ship Comets
bones to bleach on the rocks of Banka
Island, Capt. Davis berthed his ves-
sci in South Brooklyn late Wednesday
and discharged the miscellaneous car.
go of Chinese goods slowed beneath
her matches. The Comet left Philadel.
phia in July, 1905, for Kobe, Japan,
with a cargo of case oil. After several
trips back and forth between Kobe
and San Francisco, the ship loaded at
Singapore for New York and sailed
just before Christmas.
Everything went we'll until Decem.
Der 26, when squally weather was en-.
countered. For two days the ship
pounded along through a lumpy sea.
December 27 fell black as soon as the
sun went down. The Comet struggled
along under shortened sail, plunging
and rolling in the cross seas. Shortly
before ten o'clock the boom of break
ers was heard dead ahead, and duly
reported. The ship was eased off, but
the sound of breakers came from
every hand, and, suddenly, with a
grinding crash, the vessel brought up
standing. The breakers lifted her.
forced her forward her full length.
and again she struck hard and fast
Soon after the squally weather abat.
ed, the sea, never very high, fell away
to long rolling swell, which left the
ship high and dry save for her rudder.
which was buffeted by the waves.
After an examination of the vessel
and ascertaining the ships situation
Capt. Davis decided to send a life
boat for help. First Mate Charles Hay
ward and four men volunteered for
the venture. Provided with food, CON-
passes, spare sails. and the ships
chart, on which were marked all the
data of the voyage, the life boat was
lowered away and the crew laid a
course for Java.
Later events shu led that, caught
in strong currents, the ship had drift.
ed from her course and had been
drawn into a narrow channel between
three islands where the swift current
had dashed her on the rocks. The
life boat made good weather of it, and
| just before daybreak the sound o.
| hnDuU cllrf hntnlypnnI nl
to land. Hayward spread the ships
chart out on the stern thwart, and by
the light of a ships lantern tried tc
make out his position. Just then {
swift current caught the boat, swing
ing it in shore and headon to the
heavy rolling surf. The boat, tossed
about like a chip, was sWamped.
The mate and one man who wa.
astern were washed overheard. The
two men forward leaped out, and al
four managed to fight their way t
the beach. The lifeboat, battered an(
beach, and the men managed to sav,
some spare sails, the ships compass
and the oars. With the airs and can
vas they struck up a shelter tent, I'm
der which they huddled until daylight
Chilled and bruised with their figh
in the surf, the men were in despai
when the daylight showed them
rocky shore with seemingly impene
trable swampy jungle stretching il
land in every direction. The mat
and one of the crew, a Dutchmar
started out to explore, and after fore
found a native shack inhabited by
Chinaman who could talk a littl
Dutch. Under his guidance the fou
men made their way ten miles throug
the jungle to small settlement at
Chinese tin mine, from which ma
row-gauge railway took them to Bill
10. Here they were able to telegrap
to Java and thence to Singapore fc
help.
Meanwhile those on the strande
ship were in suspense. Although
no immediate danger, there was tn
possibility any day of storm comm
up, in which case the ship would ce
tainly break up. For five days Cap
Davis and his crew on the imprisone
: ship strained their eyes looking fl
help to come out of the sea. FIR
: quently the smoke of passing steaI
+ ships was seen, and efforts made
attract attention Of those on boar
but no attention was paid to the 81
nails. Rockets sent up at night M
no response.
Finally, on the sixth day tug fro
q Singapore came to their aid. Aft,
y several hours pulling and hauling h,
. captain declared he could not drs
= the ship off. The tug was sent
!, Blin1o to take Off the mate and h
> crew, with instructions to telegray
. to Singapore for more help.
q Hayward. the mate, insisted on Il
}, tug going back to the ship and ma
q ing another try to pull her off. Th
a was done, and after twenty-four houl
o. hard pulling the big vessel was fini
6 ly fioated. She proceeded to Sina
q pore for repairs. finally sailing fro
there a second time January :"