Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-10-10
STOWAWAYS HAVE.
A HARD VOYAGE.
Five Men Hide in Dark. Un-
ventilated Storeroom, Six
Feet Square

Reporting an unsuccessful attempt
iNfwhich several people Of this Coun-
try cpdeavored vainl to smuggle
themselves into America, the Canada
Maru OF the Osaka Shosen Kaisha has
reached Yokohama from Tacom. re-
ports the Japan Advertiser. Soon aft.
or she was tied up in the local CUE
toms quay. four men with extremely
haggard countenanCes, escorted by
two policemen, la-d2d and then pro
Ceeded directly 10 the local harbOr
police station. There they narrated
an extraordinarily difficult but fruitless
trip they had on the Pacific.
Being enthusiastic OF trying their
chance America "a country appearing
TO many people Of this country as the
land OF good fortunes and mere luck
five men comprising =. Uchida
aged %; Y. Matsumoto, aged 4G; K
Tabata. aged %: T. Sakura. aged %;
c. Kobayakawa, aged 46; sailed from
Yokohama aboard the Canada Maru
August S. bound for Tacoma. They
were aided by H. Kume. sailor c!
the ship, in their embarkation.
These men left Yok anna without
being detected in the usual rigid stow.
away quarantine which Is being con
Quoted on each of the Japanese out
going transpacific liners. These five
men were qulrtero in the ships
stoTe-room, about six feet square with
a low ceiling, hardly accommodating
J them. Their. thrilling experience DOW
began
No Ventilation
Built as a store-room. nothing was
provided in the way of ventilation or
light While staying in this narrow
room these five men we-7 strictly pro
hibited from exchanging words with
eachJ other, or making noise, how
ever, slight, lest these should arouse
attention on the part Of other sailors
who were being CHARTERED nearby.
BY sitting on the floor with their
crossed feet or standing with their
back against the wall Of the room,
these five men did their utmost to
kill time, living an animal-nke life
Air in their room became gradually
spoiled and its universal atmosphere
became wholly noxious; and on &C.
count OF which their breathing came
nore rapidly until they came to feel
pain in their lungs.
How they experienced difficulty in
This extremely small room In which
utter darkness prevailed, accompanied
by an entire absence Of ventilative
measures may be seen by the fact
that Uchida, one OF them, was suffo-
catedto death within thirty-six hours
after their departure from Yokohama,
August s.
Creep out, Seized
The hardships the rest of the men
had to encounter in barely maintain
ing their lives before they were res
cued defy description. Owing 20 the
death of one man, the other four men
who were already seriously I'll by this
time we're greatly discouraged and
they crept out of their room one night
In search Of rescue They we're
, seized by the sailors, but being in an
exhausted condition first medical aid
was at once given to them by the
ships surgeon. They are now conval-
escent.
After making a round trip to Ia.
coma on the same ship, these four
men we're brought to Yokohama early
last week to be handed over To tho
local police. They will be prosecuted
as soon as they are completely
healed. Uchida, who died, is na-
tive of the port, while the other four
men are from different remote dis
tricts of Japan. Uchida's relatives
10 in San Francisco. Their frequent
fe2ters telling of an easy time in
America had tempted Uchida to at
tempt a desperate but fatal effort
TO reach America. Kume, the sailor.
Hho aided the stowaways, was ar
rested on a charge OF violation of
the emigration law.