Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-05-09

the lead. There was a light wind dead
astern. Suddenly the cry breakers
ahead" came from the bow. and the
gines.
The Saginaws topsaiis had been set
for some time. and with the breeze
whore II was there was not power
enough in the engine to drive the ship
back. 1t was an "uncharted" reef that
the Saginaw had struck in a minute
or two, and the water pouring Into the
great hole in her bow soon compelle
the crew to take to tho boats Day
light shovel Ocean island and there
they landed. subsequently removing
to the shore large quantities of thu
stores from the vessel.
Ocean island was uninhabited. 1t was
far out of the line Of ocean traffic and
1900 miles from the nearest port from
which aid might be summoned.
Commander Sicard asked for five men
to volunteer to attempt to reach Homo
lulu in an open boat. 1t was a weak
hope. but every man In the Saginaw's
outfit volunteered for the attempt. Com
mander Sicard selected Lieut.. Talbot.
Coxswain William Helford and Seamen
Feter Francis. James Muir and John An
drews for the expedition.
one of the Saginaw's small boats was
partly decked over. mast was put In
place, and provisions and a compass were
slowed on board For a week the little
boat kept on its way. officers and men
working by turns at the oars. Sometimes
the wind helped little, but more fire.
quently It was dead ahead. and they could
only creep along through laboring hard
at the oars.
Then gale came down upon them and
AZ hours no man slept. Two of the crew
worked to keep the little boats head up
to the wind, while the others paled. Fin
ally the storm fell. and for "a hours the
craft lay to to give exhausted nature a
chance to recover
The provisions had been almost ruined
by sea water, and almost all the fresh
water had been lost. The food nauseated
the men and created burning thirst,
which they dared not fully\ quench be-
cause of the shortness Of the water sup
ply. Lieut.. Talbot was seemingly at the
point of death; yet he managed to keep
up a cheerful face and to inspire his sub
ordinates by force of a plucky example
DOLED OUT WATER BY DROPS.
After days OF but little Roadway and
increasing exhaustion the officer in com
mand came to the conclusion that one Of
the marine instruments was at fault and
that they were out of their course. This
knowledge came to the men like a death
stroke. The boats head was changed,
bnu Nd hav
Three days passed by.
The water was doled out by drops
Two of the men were so far gone that
they lay almost unconscious at the bot.
tom of the boat. The tongues Of all were
so swollen that they could no longer
swallow food. At the close OF one Of
these dreadful days land was sighted.
Lieut.. Talbot and Coxswain Halford. with
n will born of spirit rather than OF
strength. managed to head the boat to-
ward the shore and to make some little
progress by rowing.
At dawn the next day they saw the
shore before them beyond a white wall
Of surf There were men on the beach
and the mariners knew they were seen.
At this supreme moment Of Joy the little
craft struck n reef and was overturned.
All OF that heroic crew were too weak to
struggle, and all save one went down to
death with the longed-for-and almost un-
der their feet. Halford alone was saved.
A great breaker bore him toward the
sandy shore and the men rushing into
the surf drew him to land. When they
had resuscitated him the cOxswain found
that he was on one Of the Hawaiian Is
lands. His story was soon told and within
day steamships were sent from Homo
lulu to the rescue OF Scard. The Sagi-
nav officers and crew were found all well.
Four men had laid down their lives to
make the rescue possible.