New-York tribune., 1911-01-21
CASTAWAYS' SUFFER|NGS
Three OF the Parisiana's Crew
Die from Their HardshipS.
THIRTf-FlVE MEN SAVED
Twenty three Days Spent on st
Paul Island-Provisions
Found.

Albany, West Australia. Jan. n-Three
Of the crew Of the British freight steamer
Parisiana We're lost when the vessel vas
burned at sea The survivors arrived here
yesterday on the British Transport. which
picked them up on St Paul Island, 10
which they had escaped in their own boats.
The Parisiana. 4 vessel os 3,0s4 tons, sailed
from New York on October % for Mel
bourne She carried a cargo or merchan-
disc. but No passengers. Fire broke out IN
the hold on December Is. For four days
the crew fought the flames, but the )oo
was too much for them. and on December
H. when the vessel had approached ~.
Paul Island. the men took 70 their small
boats. The ships papers we're lost.
From their island refuge the sailors at
tracted the attention OF the steamer BRUSH
Transport. bound from Buenos Ayres for
Australian ports, and were taken on board.
The burned craft belonged To Furness'
Witty & Co., OF Glasgow, and was three
weeks overdue a Melbourne.
The survivors unfolded a tale OF advent
ure to-day, after they had somewhat re-
covered from their sufferings. For two
DAYS they We're at sea in open boats. and
D 'Ll'il i''t'NTA lNNAl"s VII ~ AaS' Sii "a S-
ren and otherwise uninhabited island.
/ Captain Gordon and his thirty-four men
T got away from the burning vessel safely,
/ but in such haste, when they found that
the only alternative was certain death. that
| only the chronometers OF the ships equip
ment We're saved.
[ The deserted ship was forty miles from
/ the nearest land, ST. Paul Island. which Is
I'm latitude IS degrees 42 minutes and As
T seconds south. longitude - degrees "a min
utes and 45 seconds east
The sea was running high and the air
was bitterly cold when the little boats set
out. The men. protected only oy the
clothes which they wore when they went
over the side OF the ffeighter, suffered in
. tenselv. For hours the sailors battled des.
peratelv. one Of their number toppled
over dead from the cold. For time the
body was retained in che boat, but later
when there was 10 immediate prospect Of
reaching land IL was dropped overheard
few hours later a second member o
the crew succumbed, and a short time be
fore ths volcano that rises SEQ feet on ST
Paul Island was sighted a third sailor gav'
mp the fight. These TWO bodies wer'
brought ashore.
A landing was made, and soon aftervsrr
the men discovered rhe stone house on N,
! north size OF the crater. This house va
built in 1898 and was filed with provision
by the crew Of the French war vessel Eure
Here they found in cans and iron hoope'
barrels preserved meat. biscuits. wooller
underwear, blankets and matches. The'
used these supplies and kept themselvs
fairly warm for three weeks.
Day and night watch was kept for
Il passing vessel. and on January II the Brit
ish Transport came in view. The men az
tracted the attention of the lookout on tn
Transport. and the steamer hove 70 and
sending out small boa,, took Of the ship
wrecked ones
, 81. Paul Island, where tho casta Uay
. found a temporary refuge, is the "Myster
Gus Island described by Jules Verne in hi
: story Of nearly a half century ago.