Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-25

our port bow with a signal flying. We
headed for it. and soon made it out as a
| lifeboat with mast standing and coat
floating from the truck. Four men could
! be seen. one steering and the others pull
ing at the oars The weather was clear
and fine, with a slight southerly breeze.
We stopped close to the boat and she
came alongside We swung in our surf
beat and landed it on deck: then swung
ont the davits and some of our men slid
down into the lifeboat. unstepped her
mast and hooked her on. hosting her up
to the rail. The four men We're then
helped on board. after which we hoisted
the lifeboat chock up and secured her.
""The rescued men were all well-nigh ex-
hausted. having been at sea in an open
boat for fourteen days. I had them taken
to the sick uay. where Surgeon Slaughter
took charge of them. They We're stripped.
given stimulants, rubbed down and put
to bed. A hypodermic injection of
strychnine was administered to one man
who was very weak-so weak that he
had to be carried below. They all rallied
and We're soon given some hot soup. and
as soon as their condition warranted it
the surgeon gave them more food in
small quantities at frequent intervals.
Left in Great Hurry.
Mr.. Teire stated that they abandoned
the ship in a great hurry after a violent
explosion, and that the boat compass was
not put in the boat, it having been taken
out to be cleaned. They cast off at
about 2 am. Monday morning. May 4.
They kept the ship in sight until day
break when they lost sight of her in
thick weather. They then drifted
about in the fresh northerly wind
with sea anchor out. shipping considerable
quantities of water. but keeping the boat
| well bailed out. They had a cask OF
fresh water and the provision tank was
about three-quarters full of ships bread
The mate put them on a ration of one
bareback and a half cup of water three
| times day
The night of Monday, May 4. four
stack steamer passed within a mile
| and a half from the boat, but they were
! unable to signal her. their matches
having been soaked by spray. and hav-
| ing no signaling apparatus aboard
! The next morning, May 5, steamer
| band on it passed about four miles
away They were unable to attract
her attention.
The afternoon of the 5th. a Cunarder
that looked like the Franconia came
within about two miles of the boat and
thing. She then went away. No other
| boat was seen until the Seneca hove in
sight. The weather in the meantime
was mostly thick and rainy, but nc
high winds.
Caught Rain Water.
THE men caught rain water to re-
plenish their supply, but their provi-
sions were rapidly becoming scant and
the quantity of bareback was accord
ingly reduced from the already scanty
| allowance.
All went we'll for the first week
1 n = hn1
| complained that he could not stand
the short allowance of water and, de-
| spite vigorous protests of others, ne
began drinking sea water. he Wenl
! into delirium that night and died
the next morning. From that time I'M
! til the morning they were picked uE
| one or two men died each day from
hunger or exposure One of them
| Fireman Fritz Jakob, went insane and
was somewhat violent. The others put
him under a canvas in the bow of the
| boat, where he was found dead the
! next morning. There was no special
| feature about the death of any of the
rest, the mate said, except that young
before they left Antwerp he had a
dream in which the ship went down
and he was in boat fourteen days be-
| fore being picked up. After they aban-
doned ship. he kept repeating that ne
could not hold out fourteen days, and
| that he knew he would never see Ant
werp again. He died and was buried
| at sea only a few hours before we
! picked up the boat.
| 'Dr. Slaughter informs me that onl-
Icer Teire has developed gangrene in
| both feet He wore heavy sea boots,
| and as his feet swelled the circula ton
was stopped, and gangrene set IN Inc
doctor thinks it can be arrested Win,
out amputation. The other men Will
probably recover rapidly.
Chewing on Leather.
when brought aboard the men had
only a few crumbs Of bareback left.
For the last few days they had been
mixing with these crumbs bits OF
leather cut from sea boots. One man
was chewing on strip Of leather when
he came over the side. They say that
every one was cheerful throughout
their trying experience. Their haggaro
and emaciated faces and sunken eyes.
as they came alongside. make it hard
to comprehend how they could be
cheerful.
night signal seems to point out that
something should be provided that
water will not spoil. I suggest that for
safety at sea each boat be supplied
with a hand electric torch and three OF.
four spare batteries for it. By means OF
! this torch they could not only make a
bright light. but could send Morse code
signals.
The condition of the men when res
cued was such that we had to cut their
Undertaking off their bodies. 1 had
each furnished with a suit of under
clothes and pair of socks from the
clothing locker.
ing of May IS, I transferred the res
cued men to the quarantine steamer,
the medical officer in charge volun-
| teering to have them sent to the local
marine hospital. 1 turned the lifeboat
over to the local agent for the Ley
land line, to which the Columbian be-
Ionged.'