Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-05-28
MODERN ROBINSON
'CRUSOE YARN

from the New York World, deals with
the thrilling experience Of q Dover,
n. H, sea captain. who is cousin of
Mrs. S. II. Reed of Thomaston, Me.
Robinson Crusoe did not have
much on Capt. George Fleming of
Dover. n. H.. and the ships company
OF the schooner Bessie Whiting. who
arrived here from Cuba. They were
marooned 10 days on the desolate
south shore Of the Isle of Pines after
the Whiting, Port jefferson. L. l..
product of 1882. hit the beach of that
island. IS miles south of Cuba.
The schooner, a three master Of $50
tons. had taken cargo of coal from
Newport News to Porto Rico, and
Capt. Fleming took along his wife
and their 5 year old son, Bradley.
figuring the sea experiences would do
the boy good. Dover, n. H., as he
explained. is not seaport. Then
there were the mate and six Portu-
guese from the Cape Verde Island.
The load of black diamonds was left
at Humacoa. p. r.. and the Whiting
set out again for Pensacola for a load
OF lumber, cargoless, flying light" as
the seaman calls il.
! All went well in the Caribbean ex-
| cept the chronomcter, which was out
OF whack, and on the morning of
Jan. IL, Capt. Fleming found himself
on the lee shore of the Isle of Pines.
ttetween the wind and the beach. The
lead showed only four fathoms and
! the sails were aback Slowly but
surely the Whiting neared a reef and
soon She mt ii so hard that her
! 1uttock shrouds almost snapped and
+ hef cardboard strakes suueaked and
crunched. All on beard were burIod
off their feet.
"A storm was brewing and CAPTAIN
tlemlng figured he would not give
Two cents for a mortgage on tn.
Sthoonef. He ordered the yawl
ranging over the stern lowered and
all hands into it,
| They committed themselves to "a
small boat. to Gods mercy and the
sea as Robinson Crusoe did. A sea
also caught the tiny craft and tossed
II up on the beach but instead of the
sea swallowing all of its occurants
/ put one. as was the case of Crusoe
All OF 'hose from the Whiting were
cast on the beach. where thcy Of
Tered thanks for their Geliverance
hut what land! Capt. Fleming
SAID the mangrovcs had n hard time
existing on it. Crusoe found a snrire
on ms beach. but there was none on
mat part of the Isle of Pines On
the other hand, Crusoe had to swim,
out to his ship for provisions. his
Jog ana Two cats, and Capt. Fleming
had thoughtfully stocked his boat
with provisions from the schooner's
stores ana two breakers of water. He
nad no four-legged pets, which dis
appointed the reporters who heard his
story. He also took to shore two
| spare sails, and these were used i,
making tents.
capt. Fleming said his six Portu-
guese worked like good men FRIDAYS
at pitching camps. Mrs. Fleminr
who took a hand Mt cook;nr s,,,es
the DAY by remembering to carry
ashore quantity Of matches. Drift :
wood was used to kindle a fire and
peds were made Of mangrove ends
Bradley Fleming took ashore the
schooners American flag. and tbi.
was raised upside down as a distress
nag on pole made by Iasbinp tbe
small boat oars together. But there
wasn't much chance Of another
schooner getting into the same
Scrape, they all figured.
1t was this small chance tha,
prompted the mate to take a long one
! ana set out for the town Of Sante Ee
winch the chart showed 70 he ffty
mics away. He figured that bv the
way the beach trended he could make
IL IN ABOUT fourteen hours-if his
shoes held out. There he could send
cablegram to the Writings owners
smith Terry. of this CITY.
! Inc small party had been on +bs
neach two days and the Whiting had
oroken her back on the reef. Only her
stem was left above water, pivoted in
the sand and swaying with the ocean
me day after the mate started over
the not sands two of the Portuouesa
Nentured inland and discovered a
Spanish family isolated on moor
preteXt for farm. The Spaniards
were mysterious about themselves.
but gave up four chickens. with
winch the Portuguese raced back TO
the beach again.
PROVISIONS were getting lower and
mad been exhausted tho morning of
the tenth day when Captain Elem
ing S weather eye caught sight of :,
SAIL
All hands to the boat" he ordered
and the yawl was soon heading for
that part of the horizon where il v,s
figured tho sailing craft would be,d
with the wind. Capt F'leming's pues.
! was wise one. and the sail, that of
, n small Cuban coaster, soon luffed nm
ana the Writings company vos
taken aboard. They were landed 90
Jueare and there found the n,,o
VINO mad sent his cable for helm and
was recovering from his walk All
obtained passage to Cuba
Capt. Fleming said that Dovor or
'He sea, VIII look awfully coed tn him
Tor while. but he supposed no Womb
( take TO the deep soon again dosni,a
throhometers that prove false yavI-
ing shlps. reefs and the Isle of Pines
capt Fleming of the Bessie Whit
ing, is Port CLYDE ShoIburna
county \. s, boy, and son of tie late
'anes Fleming. one Of the survivors
/ OF the s. $. Monticello. His wife
VINO was with him also formerly re-