The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-10-11
Seven Men Close to Death in
Shark-lnfested Waters Near
Honolulu.
FIGHT WAVES FOR TWO HOURS
Wife Of Charles Royal, on Shore,
Sees Husbands Pllght, but
Is Helpless to Aid.
tFroni Mondav q Aarertiserl

IRON Monday 8 Advertiser.)
Battling for two hours with the thun-
derous surf Just inside the reef, about a
quarter of mile Eva of Quarantine
Island, while the wrecked and broken
rowboats to which they chung desper-
ately were buried every few minutes
beneath the huge waves that rushed
furiously in from the wide Pacific, seven
young men yesterday afternoon had
about as narrow an escape from death
as often falls to the lot of anybody.
And while they struggled for life in the
shark-infested waters, the wife and
baby of Charles Royal, the actor, who
was one of the party, stood on the shore
and watched in terror, helpless to do
anything to save them,
But after a terrible battle with the
waves, the seven men were finally res
cued and brought to shore, sadly bat
tered and bruised, but otherwise as good
as new. They lost their guns, rings
and money, and the sharks had feast
on what Mr.. Royal describes as Hthe
most beautiful lunch you ever saw. -
The loss of that lunch weighs heavily
on the spirits of the seven-but they
feel that they are mighty lucky to be
alive after their strenuous experience.
The party, consisting of Charles Royal
and his wife and baby, Manager Law
son of the Art Theater, Eddie Olds,
Tommie Lane, Roy Gilman, Jim Evans
1 and Along, started out with gums ana
two well-filled boxes of lunch for
picnic down the beach, They hired two
shore boats, but fortunately Mrs. Royal
decided to walk down the beach, taking
the child with her. Manager Lawson
also remained on shore to accompany
her. This circumstance probably saved
1 the lives of Mrs. Royal and the baby,
for it is extremely improbable that the
men could have saved them, for the
men had all they could do to save them
selves.
Evidently the party in the two boats
kept too close to the reef, where the
waves break hardest. When they were
half or a quarter of mile above Quar-
antine. Island, a fierce white squat
struck the boats. While the rowers
were struggling desperately to keep the
boats right side up, huge wave
crashed over them, eapsizing both craft,
So terrific was the force of the wave
that the entire bow of one of the boats
was torn out burst like a paper bag.
The seven young men found themselves
struggling in the water in place that
is notorious as shark ground. In fact,
before they capsized, the men, accord
ing to Charles Royal, had seen the black
fms of several of the scavengers of the
sta cutting the water all about them.
Odds Nearly Drowned.
Eddie Olds, who is a strong swimmer,
made no attempt to cling to the cap
ized boat, but struck out at once for
Inc distant shore. But when he was
About sixty yards from shore he was
seized with a cramp that doubled him
up and rendered him powerless to keep
himself afloat Had it not been that
young Hawaiian rushed into the water
and swan out and brought him ashore,
he would undoubtedly have drowned.
Saved by His Companions.
Roy Gilman can not swim at all, and
it took the combined efforts of his com
panions to keep him alive. Twenty
times he lost his hold on the boat and
sank, but always one Of the others went
after him and brought him to the sur
face. Once when he lost his hold, Royal,
who was hung over the boat, reached
for him desperately, missed him, lost
his own hold and was thrown by the
next wave completely under the over
turned boat. Fortunately he retained /
his presence of mind, dived and came
up safely.
The waves rolled in with sucA force
that frequently they dashed the men
up against the boats, knocking the
breath out of them and badly cutting
and bruising them. All Of them are
stiff and lame as a result. Royal, when |
seen last night, was walking with a
stiff knee, the result of being cut by
the splintered boat "'We had mighty |
hard time of it for two hours" he said. |
IN thankful that my wife and baby
were ashore, for j do not think that |
we could have saved them in that sea-
There is a stiff current setting away |
from shore along where the boats were
capsized, and during all the time the
men were in the water they were drift |
ing farther out II seemed to them as
IL nobody would ever come to their aid, |
though those on shore were doing all
they could to get help. A little sailing |
boat tried TO run out to them, but was
unable to make il In the faceTof the |
stiff wind that was blowing. Finally, |
when the crews Of the two wrecked |
boats were almost exhausted, two men
put out In canoe and succeeded in
bringing them safely TO shore. Some
OF them we're in such bad shape that
they had TO be taken home and put 10
bed. But no m results that are more
than temporary win be experienced by |
any OF them, Olde, who was seized
with the cramp, was 10 the worst shape
Of al.
TIMELY ADVICE