The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-10-10
| STRUGGLE FOR
LIFE IN SEA
Seven Men Close to Death in
Shark-Infested Waters Near
Honolulu.
/ FIGHT WAVES FOR TWO HOURS
Wife of Charles Royal, on Shore,
Sees Husbands Plight, but
Is Helpless to Aid.
FIGHT WAVES FOR TWO HOURS

Battling for two hours with the thun-
dsrous surf just inside the reef, about
onarter of a 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 terrible battle with the
waves, the seven men were finally res
eued 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 a feast
on what Mr.. Royal describes as ''the
most beautiful lunch you ever saw
The loss Of that lunch weighs heavilT
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
SOC Of the Art Theater, Eddie Olds,
Tommie Lane, Roy Gilman, Jim Evans
and Along, started out with guns ana
two wellflled boxes of lunch for a
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
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-
antlne Island, a fierce white squall
struck the boats. While the rowers
were struggling desperately to keep the
boats right side up, a huge wave
crashed over them. capsizing both craft.
50 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 a place that
IS notorious as a shark ground. In fact, |
before they eapsized. the men, accord
ing to Charles Royal, had seen the black /!
ms Of several of the scavengers of the |
sea cutting the water all about them.
Odds Nearly Drowned.
Eddie ODDS, who is a strong swimmer,
made no attempt to cling to the cap /
SIZED boat, but struck out at once for /
the distant shore But when he was
ABOUT sixty yards from shore he was +
seized with a cramp that doubled him |
up and rendered him p0werless to keep
himself afoat, Had ii not been that a /
young Hawaiian rushed into the water I
ana swan out and brought him ashore,
ae would undoubtedly have drowned.
Saved by His Companions.
hoy Gilman can not swim at all, and +.
y took the combined efforts of his com
panions to keep him alive. Twenty
unes he lost his hold on the boat and
sank' but always one Of the others went
after him and brought him to the sur
iaee. Once when he lost his hold, ROYAL,
VINO was hung over the boat, reached
!, ~ MN desperately, missed him, lost
us own hold and was thrown by the
asA' wave completely under the over
,ufhed boat. Fortunately he retained
Als presence of mind. dived and came
up safely.
!. Inc waves rolled in with sucn force
~ .na' frequently they dashed the men
y against the boats, knocking the
aeath out of them and badly cutting
~ ~ pfnlslng them. All of them are
ss.h and lame as q result Royal. when
s.en last night, was walking with a
a .slh Knee, the result of being cut by
s ae spinfered boat. We had mighty
aI CRU TIME OF 1t for two hours.' he said.
u thankful that my wife and baby
1efe ashore, for / do not think that
's r could have saved them in that sea-"
f,a mere IS stiff current setting away
s.oh shore along where the boats were
,d ps'zed' and during all the time the
~ Nm were IN the water they were drift
is lafIher out. It seemed to them as
ny l'Dody would ever come 10 their aid,
H. So taose on shore were doing all