The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-24


on the I'D nit with 225 passengers, bound to New
York and New Orleans, via Havana. The passen-
gers appeared to be healthy on cmbarking, except
road, and three that had crossed the Isthmus. All
Of them had the Isthmus fever.
On the morning of the Goth, when in sight of
Cape Antonio, the land breeze came of, bringing
with it most offensive smell. The atmosphere, at
the same time, in such state that every one
on board was more or less oppressed with it, and IL
was with difficulty that steam could be kept up as
the coal would not burn there being not the least
drsught, and the engine room, for the time, being
SO unsuferably hot that the engineers and fremen
were almost exhausted About teno o'clock the cho-
cra broke out on the quarter deck and in the
Of one hour, ten persons were taken down with 1T,
and by II o'clock at night, twelve were dead, and
sixteen new cases Notwithstanding every exerton
was used by the doctor of the ship, assisted by DR..
Pierce passenger, and the whole crew, by rubbing
with camphor and brandy, mustard poultices, and
all other used in cholera, the disease still
increased and by eight o'clock on the morning of
the 9th, the deaths had increased to twenty
At eleven o'clock, A. we entered the port Of
Havana, and anchored some distance from the coal
wharf. When the Health Officer came alongside,
old him correctly condition. and that wanted
one hundred tons of coal, and two thousand gallons
of water, to enable me to roach New Orleans He
ordered to the Quarantine ground, at the upper
part Of the harbor, where we Immediately went and
anchored, the guard ship, according to orders
After anohoripg and blowing off steam, the captain
of the mort came near us in his barge and ordered
us to leave the anchorage immediately and 60 out
tide of the harbor. | replied that came there ac
cording to orders, and had blown off all the steam
and that the fires were out; consequently 1t would
AXE some time before would be able to move. He
hen said, that if we did not 60 at once, the
guard ship had her orders, (meanfng. presume,
to FIRE on us. After getting mp steam, we weighed
anchor, and proceeded outside Of the harbor, and
madc fast TO the outer buoy, which is completely
out at sea. At half past three o'clock, p. NJ,
steam ferry-boat towed down to us two lighters,
containing sixty tons of coal, some medicines, and
brandy. We Immediately hauled the lighters
alongside, and commenced coaling at twenty mi
nutes past six. The captain Of the port said he
would give but forty minutes more to take in
our coal, and that, at the end Of that time, we
must leave the buoy. told him that it was i'm
possible to take in the co Il in that times that had
taken in but about twenty tons, and that was in
want of water. The water boat, at the same time,
was within fifty yards of the ship, and was driven
off by his orders At seven o'clock, precisely, he
ordered to cast off, which we did, and headed for
Key West The deaths, the same night, had in
creased to twenty six; among them, Mr. Birdsall,
the mail agent.
We arrived at Key West on the morning of the
18th, with the yellow flag flying, showing that we
00Q sickness on DOaru. we were VlSJeU Dy the
port physician, DR.. O'Hara, and ordered to anchor
at the quarantine ground below the hospital, which
order was imme diately obeyed After ascertaining
our condition the doctor left us for the shore. He
returned in about an hour, with an order written
upon asman piece ofpaper without signature, for
to leave port at once, andanchorn the northwest
Passage; stating that water, provisions &C., would
be furnished us at that place in ghter-otherwise
we must Immediately go to sea. As the order was
without signature, took no notice OF it, but wrote
to the Mayor of Key West, detailing our condition
and wants. ! also wrote to the Collector Of the
Customs begging permission to put the sick into the
government hospital, which is a most beautiful,
airy and comfortable building the outskirts of the
town, and but patient in it. The collector re-
piled the hospital was for 'sck and destitute sea-
men," and that he had no authority to admit pas
sengers. and even would not take any Of my
crew, as he said the Mayor had Informed him
that the vessel was in quarantne-consequently we
would not be allowed to land. The Mayor replied
hat we would be furnished with whatever we want
ed but reiterated the first order-that under no
dit0ps would be allowed to land within five miles
Key West Gust the extent of the island then
wrote the Mayor, begging to be allowed to land the
well passengers. on the now fort now bnild-
ng, on q reef clear of the Island, and connected
by a long wharf, and to put the sick into
some out houses, belonging to the government and
attached to the fort In reply be stated that he had
authority the government property, but that
we would not be allowed to land, and that we must
cave the harbor at ?. NJ Finding that could
do no better, made arrangements to purchase an
old hulk for a hospital, 1000 feet OF lumber to
build a shed over her, and started for Sand Key,
distant nine miles, and situated on the outer edge
deaths numbered thirty. At early daylight, on the
morning of the 18th we commenced landing the well
passengers, and by eight o'clock all Q65) were on
shore. The Empire City came over from Havana,
and anchored near us. about 80 A. Nj. She took
on board some mail bags, Mr.. Story, and Dr. Gal
ier, and left about eight o'clock for New York AS
soon as the hulk towed down to us, we went to
work with the engineer department and sailors, and
huiIt n ehnd her A IL finished.
we removed the sick board sixteen in number, IN
charge of DIR. Tennison and three sailors, and an
ohored her about two hundred yards astern. AT the
end Of this day the deaths numbered thlrty-six.
Sand Key is about two in extent, aud has but
one house and shanty on IL, used by the workmen
erecting the lighthouse now building on the
Key. The house would hold about twenty-five
persona and ten might be slowed away in the shanty
] sent on shore sails and awnings to make tents to
keep the passengers from the broiling hot sun and
hot sand, which the Key is covered with; but all
could do for the passengers their situation was any
thing but comfortable besides, there was no fresh
water on the Key, which had to be brought from
Key West On the same evening, twenty OF the
passengers started from Sand hey Tor mobile, IN the
pilot boat Euphemia.
We remained at Sand Key until the seventh OF
July, the cholera in the meantime having entney
disappeared: but in consequence OF the severe e4-
posure on the Key. without comforts or necessaries
for the sick, the lshmus fever took hold OF great
many and the deaths up to the seventh numbered
forty eight The same morning we took on board
all the well ana conVaescent, anu iuh1eu euc siSA
from the hulk on the Key, by permission of the
Mayor, and left them in charge Of the doctor and
his assistants At two, p. NJ, hove up the anchor
and proceeded to Key West, TO take in coal, which
had arrived for us in the bark Margaret, from Ha-
vana At Key West, chartered the sloop Mary
II. Williams Captain Smith, for 81 200, to take |
forty New Orleans passengers and the mails, and |
deliver them at New Orleans The mails sent In |
charge Of Mr. Peck, the store-kceper.
At Key West many Of the well and con-
yss,,escent passengers g6s into boarding houses
which, am satisfied, saved many lives as nearly al
of them were more less affected with lever from
exnos,re on Sand Key. The Falcon arrived the
morning OF the lIth TO take the passengers to New
Oreans. As they had nearly ali left in the sloop,
sent the treasure board Of her. and some ten OF
twelve passengers, and she sailed the sane w gay,
We took in 200 tons Of coal, and left Key west az
ApM.. the 18th inst. All the engineers, except |
the chief Mr. Spencer had been sick with fever,