New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-14
SKIPPER DIED ON WRECK
Wouldn't Go Ashore with Crew
When Ship Hit Java Ledge.
BOY CARRIED LINE TO LAND
Then Castaways Waited for Aid
That Came When Message IN
Bottle Was Found.

Five survivors of the lost Standard Oil
ship King George arrived here yesterday
on the bark Lyndhurst, from Calcutta
with a grewsome tale of the wrecking
of the big vessel and the death of Cap
tain John Jeffrey and Passer, his Ka-
naka servant.
A brief cable message received here
last December announced the loss of the
King George, but it remained for the
survivors to bring to port the details Of
how she piled up on ledge off Java and
went to pieces while the captain lay i'll
in his bunk.
The King George, which was a vessel
of some two thousand tons, left Hong
Kong in October. She had delivered
case oil for the Anglo-American OH
Company of London, and laden with tea,
mating and other products of the ORR
ent sailed for London and New York.
According to Alfred Owens, an appren-
tice who came in yesterday on the Lynd-
hurst, Captain Jeffrey became i'll when
two weeks out from port and updertpok
to cure himself with whiskey. He kept
to himself and was attended only by
Passer. the Kanaka servant who was
with him on the oil ship Atlas when he
was chief officer The King George
passed AMER. Java, on November -
under full sail.
All went we'll until midnight on the
9th, when she ran into terrific weather
She got through it fairly we'll until the
morning of November 25, when the men
on watch saw breakers ahead. They
sent for the captain, but he was not well
enough to take command. Peter Shand,
the first mate, did what he could to
keep the big vessel off shore, but failed
She piled up hard and fast on the rocks
and pounded holes in her hull. Wlthln
ten hours she was full of holes, anu
twenty feet of water rose in her hold
When the damage was complete the seas
moderated and young Owens. the ap-
prentice. swan ashore. Five Others OF
the crew followed him, and they rugged
no a. sort of breeches buoy to take their
clothes to the land
When the King George hit the ledge
one of the sailors dropped overheard d
sealed bottle containing a note telling OF
the vessels plight, and it drifted on To
the beach near the AMER Light Inc
lighthouse tender found it and sent word
to- Ratavia, and within few days the
revenue cutter Java came TO the ala OF
the shipwrecked men.
The boatswain, sailmaker and carpen-
ter refused to leave the ship when heip
ca me. The captain and the kanaka.
stricken In the whiskey treatment, also
remained aboard. The cutter. stood by
for a day in the hope of taxing the en-
fire crew to Batavia AS she was ABOUT
IN 1aa,,e the hulk signal came from
the King George announcing the cap
tsins death. His body and that of his
ttxanaka servant were sewn up in sail
cloth and weighted The men who had
remained on the ship took the podles
out 10 deep water in small boat ana
lowered them over the side.
Rut with insufficient weights in the
saiJcloth the bodies floated. and were
soon torn to shreds by a schooi Oh
sharks According to Owens, the APP
prentice. the Kanaka, rum crazed. TOOK
IN drinking bay rum, the empty bottles
os which were strewn about the SKIP
,er,s room. The King Georges crew Oh
tueptv-nine men was carried by sail
.,,r vessel TO Calcutta, where the men
el,i,,red on the Lyndhurst for New
York.