OCR Text |
Show ABANDONED ON RONCADOR. fhe night of Two Wreckers About thd Donea of Vhe Old Kearsarge. A isfcory of the manner in which th 8alk of the historic old Kearsarge, now whitening on Roncador reef, ia baing Jespoiled by Caribbean sea wreckers, rnd of the awkard predicament of two f them who were at work upon her, U told by Mate Schwolow of tbe schooner Frank M. Noyes, which arrived from Ban Andreas with cocoannts. On Oct. 28, he says, while outward wund from Baltimore, the Noyes stoo4 jlose into the Kearsarge's wreck. To tb.9 rarpriso of all on board a white nag was leen fluttering from the bones of tho gallant old corvet, and soon after a imall boat was seen pulling off from her. Captain Asquini ordered the Noyes hove to, and in a few minutes she was boarded by two bearded wreckers who laid they belonged to one of the Carmen Troup of islands. They told Captain As-jaini As-jaini they had been landed on the reef9 ibont the Kearsarge on Aug. 1 by a onall schooner, which was to call for ihem in a couple of weeks. As soon aa they had settled themselves they began work on the Kearsarge. In a short: while they had secured COO pounds of jopper and about 200 pounds of copper bolts. This was all of value they could lecure, so they settled down to wat for Hie schooner that was to tako them and Uieir plunder away. When they were landed on the reef, Ihey had a fairly good supply of provi- lions, August passed, and with its going their food and matches went. September Septem-ber came and ??ent, and October had almost al-most gone when tha Noyes was sighted nd in a measure ended their distress. For nearly two months the two men had lived on raw fish. They had no matchei with which to kindle a fire, although the Kearsarge offered them her dry timers tim-ers for the blazo. Neither had they salt pith which to flavor their raw fish. Ona if them had a piece of sail cloth in his nouth which, he said, he had been shewing 18 days in place of tobacco. Captain Asquini supplied the men with all that was necessary to sustain them for some time to coma They would not leave he reef, for they did not want to abandon thoir copper treasure. treas-ure. They appreciated Captain Asquini's kindness, and to show it they wished to return to tho wreck and take back to him some mementos of the famous eraft. A favoring wind made Captain Asquini decline their offer, and soon the Noyes filled her sails and sped off tor ward San Andreas. Baltimore Sua. |