The Washington herald., 1911-02-05
FOOD AND CLOTHES
ON DESERT ISLES
FOR LOST SAILORS

IVN uVUl OdlUVNU
The march Of civilization and the de-
velopnaent of the great humanitarian
idea throughout the world have deprived
romance of one of its most fertile fields.
Treasure islands are all card indexed
now. and the self-respecting shipwrecked
mariner upon landing on the bleak and
deserted shores of some uninhabited is
land simply consults his Sailing Di-
rections," discovers the location Of a pro-
vision depot, beats 1t across to the north
east corner of the island, finds the place,
and in fifteen minutes after his ship
sank, or went on the reef, Is in possess
sion Of new wardrobe and eating corn
ed-horse sandwiches with all the utmost
unconcern, all of which have been sup
ate world at large.
Shipwreck made easy! That's about it
Why, a fellow in search Of adventure
could hardly find it anywhere nowadays.
Imagine ones emotions, after . thorough
course Of Clark Russell and Robert Louis
Stevencon, when, landing through the
breakers on the desert island Of ones
dreams. and congratulating ONES self
upon having at length actually become
a real castaway. one finds a twenty-foot
signboard nailed to a cocoanut tree
bearing the inscription:
Free lunch and a warm, new suit one
half mile from this place"
1t certainly would be calculated to
knock the romance out Of q chap. Still.
on the other hand. If you were q poor
sailor in real life, and your ship had
burned at sea. and you had escaped in a
small boat, the sole survivor, and finally.
after rightful hardships, weak. exhaust
ed. dying Of hunger and thirst and your
clothing in shreds, you had reached the
shores of little island, thousands of
miles from the course of trade, and, just
when you had despaired Of finding food
or water, you should see such a sign,
wouldn't you think 1t was a great idea,
and wouldn't you get down on your
knees and thank the fellow who put
those things there for you ten years be-
fore you would ever need them?
4, OF course you would. The men who 80
down to the sea in ships are offering up
such prayers, many, many times, even
now, In this age Of steam Dreadnoughts.
for the forethought Of some of the great
maritime nations in placing upon the
bleak shores of uninhabited and sterile
islands in the far distant oceans stores
of food and clothing for possible ship
wrecked mariners.
Stores Last Long Time.
Such provision depots are awaiting
now, on inhospitable shores, in all parts
of the world, the coming Of the naked
and famished sailor. who, his ship and
gone. would perish but for the
fact that his needs had been anticipated,
Some ofthose stores have been awaiting
the m3finer in distress for many years.
In some instances food placed in roSk
cairns for shipwrecked men has been
found ten years later, in perfectly good
condition. In such instances the sup
plies had never accomplished the object
for which they had been cached. But,
the duty Of establishing and replenishinS
such depots of stores. in revisiting the
spot where the depots had been estab-
lished, have found the food and clothing
gone, mute evidence that they had full
filled their mission Of mercy.
Perhaps every nation in the world pro-
vides these harbors of refuge and pro-
vision depots in the remote parts Of the
world, for the benefit of the possible cast
away. except the government of the
United States. Uncle Sam is not senti-
and for another. Uncle Sam no longer
has to look out for his merchant sailors.
for he has no more of them. The Stars
and Stripes have disappeared from the 4
seas of commerce, and if an American
Is shipwrecked some place, far OF under
the Southern Cross, In the South Sea
unless he be a man-o'-wars-man.
chances are he Is serving under q for
etgn flag. And the other government
looks out for him.
No more significant sidelight could be
thrown upon the pathetic manner in
which the United States merchant marine
has dwindled away to nothing than by
he statement that officials of the gov
srnment in Washington know nothing
about the caStaway depots maintained by
,ther governments throughout the world.
The heads Of the Revenue Cutter Service.
he Navy, and the Bureau of Navigation
rave no information as to these stations
" hope and mercy and life scattered
rom one end of the seven seas to the
,ther. Only In the Hydrographic Once
n Washington was there any record OF
'uch stations to be found. and the off,
.ials there were obliged to go to British
md French reports to discover it
The United States Revenue Cutter Serv-
ce did maintain one Of these stations for
mariners at one time. but
is abandoned now. This was at Point
Barrow, Alaska, the most northerly point
IT the American continent. 1t consisted
If a great, rough shack Of building.
made Of heavy timbers, and which. dur
ng the time Of blizzards would become
completely covered with drifts Of snow.
Within were maintained. at cost OF
5000 a year, stores of food and warm
for the benefit of American or
'ther sailors engaged in the whaling in
lustry in Bering Sea.
Company, and the substitution Of steel
or whalebone In women's clothing, killed
he whaling business. The New Bedford
vhalers stopped going into the storm
wept northern seas. shipwrecked mar
ners no longer needed asylum at Point
Barrow. and six years ego the depot was
Ibandoned.
United states Refuge Stations.
The United States Life-saving Service.
nder Capt. Kimball. maiptains on the
agged coast Of Florida about eight sim
ar refuge stations. They are simply
ough shacks. in which are kept stores OF