Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-05-28
The Susquehanna's Last Cruise.

. Id'CIJ aITiESu ~ NeW JIM alIci au C'cul
ful cruise of some two years.
She went into commission, CaptJOshua
r. Sands, commanding, on 9th May, 1856
and on the 18th Of the same month stood
to sea for Havana A month was spent
in Central American ATTITUDES, between
the island of Cuba and the port Of Aspin
wall after which the Susquehanna was
ordered to the Mediterranean squadron
She made Fayal on 18th, and Gibral,el
on 23l July. The ensuing ten months
were spent pleasantly enough in the Med
iterrauean.
The Susquehanna visited most of the
Mediterranean ports. She lay some time
at Naples, and was also familiar at Gibral
ter, Port Mahon, Malaga, Toulon, Genoa,
Spezzia, Civita Nccchia, and Palermo.
The chief business Of the officers and men
was to keep themselves well provided with
provisions. y little practice at target
shooting, and rccfng topsails, prevented
the men from coming to the cOuclusi0n-
which otherwise would have been obvious
that they were on pleasure trip; but
the duties of the officers were not So arlu.
Gus but that they had ample time to Gu
joy the glorious climate of the Mediterra-
mean, and the many enjoyments which are
Offered to travellers on its shores. We
read constantly, in log which has been
submitted to us,of "the ship being again
enlivened BY sweet music, and the delight
ful singing of Italian damsels; those sea-
men, who gallantly invited some of the
opcra-siugers to ball, and discovered, to
their dismay, that the merceuary yocalists
expected to be paid for their attendance,
are entitled to our hearts sympathy. Al
together, however, we can not pretend to
much commiseratiou for people who spent
nearly a year in the Mediterranean, On
board q fine ship, with no reasonable wish
ungratifod, and nothing to do.
This time last year, the Sus1uehanna
was ordered to England, to assist the Ma
yuCa III iaying the Ic!egrapnic cable. She
arrived at the Isle of Wight, toward the
close of May, and her officers participated
in the ciyilities which the English lavish
cd on all who were concerned in the Tec-
graph enterprise. She took part in the
expedition, as is known, and her officers
were among the number Of those to whom
the failure Of the first attempt to lay the
cable was personal disappointment aud
severe trial.
On her return to England, the Susque-
hanna was again ordered to the Meditcrra-
mean. Capt. Sands had received informa-
ton that an American vessel had boen
seized by the Barbary pirates; he made
demonstration against the supposed ag-
gressors, but nothing seems to have come
of it. After brief visit to Algiers and
Genoa, he received orders to return to the
home station, and accordingly weighed
anchor and made sail westward in October
of last year.
His first destination in America was
Nicaragua, where his business was to assist
in intercepting Walker and the fillibusters
in Nicaragua. The heat and burden Of
this business devolvcd, ,as it happened, upon
Com. Paulding. The part reserved fer the
Susquehanna, was that of mere spectator.
The visit to Central America was, however,
destined to be memorable event in her
history.
The Susquchanna was lying in the bar
Dor of GreytOwn, which at that time was
singularly unhealthy. Apprehensions Of
the consequences had for some time been
entertained by the officers, but nothing
appeared to justify them till about the
middle Of March, when several of :he ships
company were seized with fits of vomiting.
On 23d March, a sailor died of disease
that was pronounced to be Chagres fever.
Other cases appearing, the ship was order
ed to sea. At first, the change of air ap-
peared to have been attended with excel |
lent results. The disease almost disap-
peared from the ship, and she came to an
chor afresh in the harbor Of Greytown,
with but slight traces Of sickness on board. |
But, Oh 3Oth March, the epidemic reap
pcared with increased virulence On the
night of the lst April, four officers and
some forty men were attacked, and the
peril became imminent. \ council Of off.
GERS was at once held BY Capt Sands, and
all present cOncurred in his opinion that
The ship should run to the nearest United
States port, which was Pensacola. Steam
was Immediately got up,and she was head
ID for that place. But, before fcrty-eisht
hours had elapsed, ,itwas discovered that the
,essal was short of both Goals aud medi.
zines. Of the former, she had not enough
% reach Pensacola under steam. 1t was,
therefore,, decided to abandon the idea of
eaching United States port, but to run
or the nearest place, which was Jamaica,