The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-02-03
Marooned Sixteen Days.
Shipwrecked Grew Struggles on Natividad
Island Against Thirst and Rodents.


For sixteen days, from December 22d
to January 7th, Captain Henry Koch and
thirteen men of his crew, marooned on
the barren and desolate island of Nativi-
dad, off the coast of Lower California,
fought for existence against thirst and a
horde of giant rats, which literally swarm
ed over them every night and threatened
to devour them or drive the men into the
sea.
Captain Koch and his men lost their
vessel, the old brigantine Blakeley, in a
southeast gale which sprang up on De-
cember 21st while the vessel was at an
Choir at Natividad, where part cargo of
guano had been taken aboard. The
weather is usually calm in those rainless
regions. On this occasion the gale arose
with startling suddenness, when all hands
were ashore, and although they endeav-
ored to save the ship by weighing anchor
and getting out into deeper water, their
efforts were in vain, and it was with diff
ficulty that they saved themselves in the
raging surf
A few boxes Of provisions were thrown
overheard and dragged ashore, and a
saved, but everything else on board was
was battered to pieces by the waves.
GREAT GUANo DEPOSITS.
Natividad island is little more than a
great guano deposit, and is situated 80
miles south of San Diego, and almost the
same distance north of Magdalena bay,
on a stretch Of the rocky coast seldom
visited. The island may be reached afoot
at low tide across a narrow stretch of
sand from the mainland, but this offered
little succor to the marooned sailors.
The only hope lay in attracting the at
tention of passing steamers.
Day after day-the long stretch includ-
ed both Christmas and New Year's-im-
provised flags were flown from the high
est points of the island, and the Stars
and Stripes, which had flown at the trait
rail of the brigantine, was hoisted upside
down, in the hope of attracting attention
from seaward. Away off shore several
steamers passed, showing no signs Of
having sighted the shipwrecked men.
In the meantime, Captain Koch and his
unlucky thirteen men put in the time
killing the immense rats which swarmed
over everything, making night hideous
with their strange squealing and I'M
canny presence, as they boldly prowled
about and scampered over the PROSTATE
forms of the men. During the day it
was easy to keep the rodents at dis
lance.
BUSY KILLING RATS.
Then the sailors spent the long hours
in killing the rats with rifle and with
brickbats taken from the wreckage of
the brigantine. Hanson, the cook, killed
sixty rats one morning. Hours were
spent in unsuccessful search for fresh
water on the mainland, but only small
quantity of brackish water was found.
On the morning of January 7th, when
the smoke of steamer was seen far to
the southwark, Captain Koch and four
men rowed out in one Of the small boats
swept ashore from the Blakeley, and
fortunately intercepted the steamer Co.
lumbar, bound from Salina Cruz to this
city. Captain Colcord, after hearing
their story, agreed to bring all hands to
San Francisco, and the Columbian wait
ed off shore while the boat returned fl r
the nine men remaining on the island.
The crew arrived here in good condition,
having been given comfortable quarters
on the Columbian.
The Blakeley was one of the oldest
sailing vessels on the coast, having been
Dulit IN 1917 at Port Blakeley, WASH,
and was owned in San Diego. San Fran
cisco Examiner.
Capt. Theodore P. Colcord commander
Of the steamer Columbian is one of
Searsport's well-known deep-water ship
masters. In 1889 while in command Of
the ship A. ]. Fuller on the passage from
Liverpool to New York in latitude Al. rs
N. long. 81 w., $50 miles off Sable Island
November Goth he rescued the entire
crew and passengers of the burning
steamer Santiago from New York for
Hull, England, fifty-nine in all, and
landed them at New York and received
many presents from the people on board
the steamer.