Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-05-09
TRAGEDIES of the Trenton,
the Oneida, the Huron
and the Saginaw.

courts of inquiry always are ordered
The cruiser Charleston ran on rock
Of which no one knew the existence
off the Philippine coast in the year
1900. The case is not without many
parallels. Admiral Sicard. who died
soon after the Spanish war, once lost
the ship of which he was in command
in the south Pacific. The admiral at
that time was a lieutenant commander
in charge of the steam sloop Saginaw
He had been ordered to the far south
to look up the possibilities of Ocean is
land as an anchorage and as place OF
replenishing water supplies.
Wrecked on an Uncharted Reef.
1t was one of those errands on which
government sends its naval vessels
when 1t hasn't much for its officers to
do The Saginaw neared the latitude
and the longitude of the island sought
at an early hour Of the morning. All
night long the comma nding officer had
been on deck. The sea on which he
was sailing was practically uneXplored
four knots. then to less than three.
and there were constant soundings
| with the lead. There was Il light wind
dead aStern. Suddenly the cry "Break
ers ahead.' came from the bow and
the command was given to back the
engines. The Saginaw's topsails had
been set for some time. and with the
breeze where it 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
minute or two. and the water pouring
into the great hole in her bow soon
compelled the crew to take to the
and there they landed. subsequently
removing to the shore large quantities
of the stores from the vessel.
! Ocean island was uninhn bited. 1t
was far out of the line of ocean traffic
and l,l0O 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 au open boat. 1t was Il weak
hope, but every man in the SaginaW'S
outfit volunteered for the attempt.
/ Commander Siclrd selected Lieutenant
Talbot. CoXswain William IIelford and
Seamen Peter Francis, James Muir and
John Andrews for the expedition. One
of the SaginaW's small boats was part
| ly decked over. IL 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. Some
times the wind helped little, but
more frequently it was dead ahead. and
they could only creep along through Ia
boring hard at the oars.
Then gale came down upon them
and threatened them with humiliation.
For forty-eigllt hours no man slept.
Two of the crew worked to keep the
little boats head up to the wind,
while the others baled. Finally the
storm fell, and for twenty-four hours
the craft lay to to give exhausted ma
ture chance to recover. The provi-
sions 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-
carsn OF tkC rh"r'~ Of the water
supply. Lieutenant Talbot was SEEM
ingly at the point Of death, yet he man
aged to keep up a cheerful face and to
inspire his subordinates by force Of a