New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-03
IN OPEN BOAT THIRTY DAYS'
Spaniard Saved in the Caribbean
Had Only Five Days Food.
SPRlTSAIL CARRIED AWAY
Used Clothing as Signal Until
British Freighter Came Along
and Picked Him Up.

"Why. If 1t happened to you or me. man.
neither Of us would be alive to tell OF 1t.
Thirty days in an open boat with only
FIVE DAYS food That's some experience
This was the remark of J. T. Meethan
chief officer OF the British freighter Ikaria
in yesterday from Buenos Ayres, as he sat
in the ohartroom waiting for the appear
ance Of Juan Rodriguez, Spaniard, whose
life he had saved IN the Caribbean on the
morning Of October &c. The Ikaria picked
him up $50 miles of the coast of Mar
Unique.
Rodriguez came in later. He is
swarthy fellow. thirty-fve years old. His
body from toes to waist Is covered witt
painful boils, but he stood erect, and in
fine, clear Spanish told the story OF his
hardshlps of thirty days. He was weak
too, but he preferred TO stand during the
recital Not once during the brief inquisi-
ton did the young mans face betray a
smile.
The Spaniard had been a laborer on the
Panama Canal until a year ago, when ne
went to Caracas. Venezuela. lie has wife
and two sons there. \ few months ago nc
bought a crude boat some twelve feet long
which he described as a barqueta. 1t was
made of six pine planks. and cost MN
about So With II he planned to fish for a
living. and with a little spritsail to take
him to the fishing banks he sailed out OF
the harbor Of La Guayra. Rodriguez took
along two pounds of butter. three pounds
Of cheese, four loaves of bread, some spiced
Gve
Of fresh water.
The gale hit him the first night out OF
port and carried away the sail. The six
pine boards that kept him on the surface OF
the sea split and spread. and the Spanard
believed his hour had come. The hot sun OF
the tropics beat down upon his naked body
for A red shirt and the white duck trousers
that he had discarded and hung as a sig
nal upon a reserve spritsail were his only
clothing.
Rodriguez knew he must drift a long
time. and even on the third day he cut
down his eating lie planned TO make the
five days rations last fifty if necessary
and each day as dawn broke in the east
he cut a notch in the gunl to record the
progress Of time
On the tenth day the drifting fisher
man said hunger almost got the better
of him. but he oyercame the craving. The
salt water in which he was immersed con
tinually from the waist down brought or
the dreaded boils. His muscles ached, his
stomach gnawed and his head was ready
to burst. Fever came and with IL delirium
Storms were a-plenty and perhaps saved
h. Il, in
was able TO replenish his fresh water bot
tie. He fshed when his bread gave on
and lived for several days on raw catfish
and cheese. The worst ordeal OF the thir
ty-day drift, however came on October 90
when the lone fisherman found himself
drifting with a school of sharks. The
monsters struck at his craft and almost
sank It,
Help, however. was coming 10 the
sturdy man from Spain, for the Ikaria had
started from Rio de Janeiro on the six
teenth day Of his long drift She stopped
at Trinidad on October 25. and on the
following morning at Z o'clock the CHIEF
officer saw Rodriguez The Spanard also
saw the freighter and with almost super
human effort signalled to her with his
spare pole and his shirt and trousers.
Meanwhile Captain Robertson had been
called, and he ordered lifeboat lowered
Scarcely had it hit the water when Rod
riguez collapsed in the bottom OF hi;
cockleshell lie asked feebly that the six
pine boards. his only means Of livelihood
be taken aboard the freighter with him.
THE boat was 50 darned frail," said the
chief officer yesterday, that we could not
haul it up on. the davits and had to cut
Ii adrift"