The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-05-03
TWO WEEKS IN
AN OPEN BOAT
On 750-Mile Pull to Fijis
When Picked Up by a
British Warship
GOATS ONLY COMPANY
Crew Marooned II Days on
Lonely Island Before the
Rescuers Arrived
pv HARRY L. ROGERS.

-
WASHINGTON.-A tale of ship
,reek and adventure in the South
Seas such as stevenson loved to tell
Ia contained in a report just received
hera from the American consul at
wellington, New Zealand, on the
American schooner Columbia River.
which went ashore on Sunday Island
recently,
Aground on a barren, uninhabited
island, the crew drew lots, and six
Sailors and the captain took an open
boat and set out for the nearest
mort, Suva, in the Fills, $50 miles
inc schooner was bound from
Auckland for Portland" the official
report says. All went well, survivors
say, till just before dawn on the
third dav out, when the watch sud
denly reported, Island close to on
mort BEAM
THE startled captain leaped from
his berth and ran to the wheol-but
too late to save the ship. In fact, so
near was the beach that even before
the anchor could be let go the
schooner piled up, her bowsprit hard
and fast on the beach of Sunday Is
land.
''To Wander for Days"
shaken but safe, the officers and
crew dropped owe the bows and
down on the beach-to wander for
DAYS over the barren rock. Empty of
all lie, IL was except for a few sad,
e~nervated goats, too blue for thei
own unhappy lot even to bleat q
laucous welcome TO the shipwrecked
Americans.
a.. T-f.n1 tIn. aaYfntn Innuys hr1f hp
did not know the time Of the year.
Suva, in the Fits, $50 miles away,
was the nearest civilization. on the
wreck of the schooner there was
food for a month-what to do!
Like nearly all American crowds
In times Of stress, they talked 1t
over-everybody from the captain to
the cook. And six sailors were Sc
lected TO take an open liteguat and
strike across the storm seas for
suva-75O miles away
Equipped with food, kerosene,
distress signals, sea anchors, an oil
stove and an extra mast and sail, the
little 20-foot craft set boldly out
with its crew of six and the captain,
leaving six men to wait on the bar
ren island and pray for redemption.
Two sails were set. and the little
company, dividing into two watches,
worked at the oar when the wind
failed. Each watch comprised three
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
rowed 25 miles in the teeth of n
gale they were driven back 10
miles. Rain added to their discom-
fort. When the sun shone the heat
was pitiless; 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 Drcary Days.
DAY after day they struggled on
toward Suva, sighting no sail in that
broad eXpanse of water. Fol IA
dreary days the p%erilous trip lasted.
|, and at last the ad~venturers arrived
at their haven. The British warship
Chatham, the first vessel encoun-
tered, responded to their hail. Few
words were required in explanation
10 bring forth a hearty welcome.
Weary and sore, they got aboard the
warship only To fall to the rech OK
hausted when they reached safety.
The crew were made comfortable,
every hospitality being shown by the
Britishers, who promised to sail next
- ~ ohilhbS Asldllu " Nilt ltGNhN
of the mariners still marooned there
while h seven men proceeded to
Auckland on the u. S. S. Niagara, to
report the disaster to the ships own
ers through Consul General WILDER.
In a puritanical sense, the island
was well named-as regards life foI
the siv men left beriud. There was
little for them to do but live IN
board the vessel till a southwest gale
capsized the wreck and made it nee
essary for them to take off the re-
naming stores and water before the
craft was entirely demolished. The
dinghy was rugged up with q sail
ana mast, to be used in two months
ume should nothing be heard from
the flrst party. But on the seven
teehth day came an end to ennui
and the sad society of bleating goats.
Inc Chatham, smoking up on the
horizon, took the exllcs off the rock
ana away TO join their shipmates in
Auckland"