The Washington herald., 1914-12-20
A LUNATIC CREW

O'Clock VIC got a light breeze, and had
not been waited along a knot when We
had the Spanish ship again under our
eyes All her topmosts were gone now,
while portion of her bulwarks were
smashed in and she looked a bad wreck.
The storm-sail was still in the rigging
and the wreckage alongside, and the
crew were dancing. fighting and singing.
We htaded for the wreck at once and
when We came within hailing distance
We asked if help was wanted The re-
ply was chorus Of shrieks and screams.
while many OF the men shook their fists
at US in defiance. 1t looked like a
case of mutiny. and our captain was
at loss to know what step to take.
Before he could make up his mind the
SpaniaNls had lowered a boat and pulled
Tor us Every one Of the crew piled into
the boat. and We saw them grab up
Delaying pins. capstan bars and what
ever else could be used as weapons. The
boat came dashing at Us with every man
yelling and whoOping, and they tried
boarding us at once. We had no better
weapons with which to beat them OF
and We were three less in number, but
when we looked into their fierce eyes
and saw murder there we struck 10
kill.
They fought like tigers and seemed
at last
Four Of their number went to the bot
tom of the sea with broken skulls and OF
those pulled away all were more or less
hurt. We knew now that they were
lunatiCs instead Of drunken men, and
we stood by till noon in the hope that
they would calm down. They appeared
to after awhile, but just as soon as We
lowered boat they woke up again and
ragged like wild beasts. We could un-
derstahd nothing of their shouts except
that they We're oaths, and I'm the face
Of their determined opposition we could
not board their craft. It was . o'clock
in the afternoon before We squared away
and LEFT them. and then a fierce fight
was going on. and at least one man had
been Sung overheard to drown.
You may we'll guess that We aboard
the BfistOl were astonished and mysti-
fed by the singular incident. but the ex-
planarOn when il came was very simple,
in a sense. The Spanish ship had a Fill
ptno for a cook. He had trouble with
both Officers and men and was deter
mined to have revenge. Before sailing
from l.uzon he had provided himself with
a quantity OF seed from the plant known
as aripc. II Is a wild kelp, and a de-
cOctiOn makes a madman OF the drinker
How he managed TO serve II out to the
whOla crew at once will never be known.
but that was what he did. and perhaps
drank q share himself. The ship was
manned by 'unatic crew when she
drove down on US before the gale and
they were lunatics when We left thern
fighting and drifting. Ten days later,
the ship which had become a wreck be-
low and aloft. was picked up by =
steamer and towed into port. Not q
man living or dead was found on board
They had fought each other to the last
and then the sole survivor had soughl
death beneath the waves. The cook hal(
probably mixed the poisonous decoctior
with their coffee or wine soon after the
storm had struck them. though not be-
fore she was In share to ride II out.
How long II was after we left them no
one Ecould say. but verv likely not moro
thar a day or 90 had passed when the
last Of the iuCstics gave up his life.
aadi tho shin went drifting and drifting
with the sun. drying NJ the hundred
bloodstains on her Uttered deck.