The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-04-13
Wrecked Tanks
 Drift Two Weeks In Open Boat

! Washington, D. C.,Apri1 13-A tale f shipwreck and adventure in the putin Seas such as Stevenson loved to II is contained in report just re-
 Ived here from the American Consul
 Wellington, New Zealand, on the
 1erican schooner Columbia River,
 Nch went ashore on Sunday Island
 fNntly-
 ground on a barren. uninhabited
 lsld, the crew drew lots, and six
 sdtS and the captain took an open
 S2t and set out for the nearest
 DOT SuVa. in the Fijis, 750 miles
 schooner was bound from
 AUcAnd for Portland" the official
 FepoAsays- All went well, survivors
 third just before before .6a dawn Sp on the
 @snIy eported, Island close to on
 port b m!'
 Thetartled captain leaped from
 ms per and ran to the wheel-but
 too ialeo save the ship. In fact, so
 near wa the beach that even before
 the amor could be let go the
 schoonerpiled up, her bowsprit hard
 and and fas on the beach of Sunday
 'TWander for Days"
 Shake1 but safe, the officers and crew droAed over the bows and gown on he beach-to wander for nays over ie barren rock. Empty of all life 1t tas except for a few sad. 3nerVated bats, too blue from their own unhapy lot even to bleat a Lhaueous Wetome to the shipwrecked
 A ship clls once a year at Sum cay Island. 9e captain knew; but he 61d not knot the time of the year. a Susa, In the Ffjis. 75o miles away. was the nearis ist civilizationl On the wreck of the schooner there was food TOT month what to dol
 Like nearly all American crowds III times Of stress. they talked it over thA ofn %n hn COOK. And six sailors were selected 10 take an open lifeboat and strike acToss sI1 the stormy seas for Suva-750 miles away.
 Equipped with food, kerosene, dis treSs signals, Sea anchors, an oil-stove ana an extra mast and sail, the little Wenty-two-foot craft set boldly out with It's crew of six and the captain, iedVlnS SIX men to wait On the barren sIand and pray for redemption.
 Two sails were set. and the little .S2LIHpany, 2 dividing into two watches, Worked at the oars when the wind men, one man relieving at the oars every half hour. The wind was not always kind: once for two long days they lay becalmed. Again, having of gale. they were driven back ten miles. Rain added to their discom- fort. When the sun shone the heat was pftiless; and they were glad to convert the sails. when not in use, into covers to protect them from the sun. At night the cold was intense
 Fourteen Dreary Days"
 Day after day they struggled on to- ward Suva, sighting no sail in that broad expanse of water. For four teen dreaTy days the perilouS trip lasted, and at last the adventurers arrived at their haven. The British Chatham, the first vessel en- responded to their hail. Few words were required in explanation Weary and sore. they got aboard the only to fall to the deck ex- hauSted when they reached safety.
 'TThe crew were made comfortable, every hospitality being shown by the Britishers, who promised to sail next day for Sunday Island to the rescue of the mariners still marooned there, while the seven men proceeded to Auckland on the U. S. & Niagara. to report the disaster to the ships own CTS through Consul General Wilber.
 "In a purftanical sense, the island was well narned-as regards life for the six men left behind. There was little for them to do but live on board the vessel till southwest gale cap sized the wreck and make it neces- sary for them to take off the remain ing stores and water before the craft was entirely demolished. The dinghy was rigged up with a sail and mast to be used in two months time should n nothing be heard from the first party But on the 17th day came an end to goats The Chatham, smoking up on the horizon. took the exiles off the rock and away to join their shipmates in Aucl<1andS