OCR Text |
Show -v SSftTooo miles . ' IN OPEN LIFEBOAT Japanese Captain and Part of Crew of Wrecked Ship Have Terrible Experience. VANCOUVER, H. C, Sept. 13. Aftor a perilous voyage of IjOD'J miles in an open lifeboat, Captain ilaruhiko fchioga, master of the Japanese steamship Kot-chira Kot-chira Maru, lost July 27 ou a reef off Amehitka island of the western Aleutians, Aleu-tians, ami .sixteen members of bis crow arrived in Jkeda bay, Queen Churlotte islands. Hi itisli Columbia, yesterday. lo r forty days the men wore in 'the open ocean sailing and rowing eastward, east-ward, and were in a terrible state when I they reached Ikeda bay. They were " practically without food for a" week. No word had been received from tbeni sinec they left Amehitka island. The officers and crew put off from the wrecked Kotchira in three lifeboats, life-boats, well provisioned, and landed on Amehitka island. After two days spent dividing their stores, the three little . jt craft set out on a 600-niile coyage to Unalaska. J - Two of the lifeboats were forced to "ht back by a heavy storm, but Captain kJ-pC'Sbioga 's boat was unable to return to shelter. The two other boats, containing Chief Officer K. Matsudo and thirty-one sur-j sur-j vivors, subsequently started for Una-' Una-' laska, and after fourteen days' rowing and sailing one of the boats in which were Chief Officer Matsudo and twenty twen-ty men safely reached its goal. The other boat was picked up five days later by the steamship Santa Ana. Tn describing the trip of the small boat today, Captain Shioga said: - - 1 1 encountered terrific winds and ' big water, it seemed inevitable that our boat would be swamped, but she weathered the gale. Our party suffered from cold and exposure and developed sore feet. "It was several days before we were able to take a bearing, but with the v advent of sunshine, on .September 1 we 'Hr-- made an observation and discovered i we were 660 miles from the Straits of San Juan de Fufa. "By this time our provisions were exhausted and we were feeling the pangs of hunger. Our replenished stock of water was also used up by this time, but my men made no complaint. f "With stout hearts we continued the " voyage, and on September 8 were overjoyed over-joyed to see land ahead of us. This was Cape James, where we got something some-thing to eat, and after resting pushed on to Jkeda bay." i |