Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-01-24
SHOCKING LOSS OF HORSES On
THE KINGFIsHER,

The Boston Journal has long letter from
a correspondent at Ship Island, Miss. IN
der Date of December 10. His account Of
the destruction Of horses on the transport
Kingfsher, Capt. Tay. which sailed from
Nantasket roads, Dec. LIST, with Captain
Howc's company of artisans, tOsethe- with
horses and supplies for the expedition, Is
painfully interesting. 1t shows. teo. what
great damage can accrue from lack of good
Judgment and fidelity 10 the arrangements
FOX such a transportation. The Kingfsher
arrived at Ship Island on the lith of Deem
Der.
The officers Of the several regiments were e1-
pecting their horses, and were not only sorrowful
but indignant when informed that Of the one
hundred and thirty fne animals which were
shipped at Boston, siyfy eight Of them had been
lost during the voyage. The particulars Of this
catastrophe as detailed by eyewitnesses, and the
appearance Of the surviving animals, have
awakened the deepest feelings of pity for the
poor beasts, and indi gnatiOn at the management
on the part of those whose duty it was t. insure
them a safe transportation.
Immediately upon learning of the disaster
Cen. Phelps ordered Board Of Survey TO sex
anime into and report upon the circumstances at
tending the loss Of, and injury to, the horses."-
The board was composed Of Capt. VIM. Wright Of
tho 9TH Connecticut regiment; Capt L. 5. Clark
Of the Goth Mass. regiment; and Lieut.. T. II.
W. Fontane OF the U. 5. Marines. The board
were engaged three days in the examination OF
witnesses and in inspecting the horses landed
from the ship. From the records Of the survey
and other equally relia lie sources, have derived
the following facts respecting the disaster:
The horses were packed between decks in three
rows. Those on the sides Of the ship were place
in bays constructed Of light scantling, where the
| were secured by breast planks running fore an
| aft. There no protection to the rear Of th
horses to prevent chafng against the ships side
neither were the bays padded il any way. Eacl
OF these bays contained ten horses separated iron
each other only by swinging planks suspende'
edgewise between them. The horses place,
amidships occupied single stalls with no bette
| protection against accident. There were no cleat
secured to the decks 10 prevent the horses iron
| slipping, neither were means employed, such n
! slings ami braces, 10 keep them from falling IN
lying down. While the ship wa az anchor a
| Nantasket Roads, some Of the horses laid down
and being unable To raise themselves, the groom
were compelled to cut away the breast plank
sc. them out.
After sailing from Boston, the ship was favore
with moderate weather until Tuesday, the 81 ms
The day commenced with fresh gales from N.
E., accom- panied with rain and rough sea, Il
ship being in the Gulf Stream at the time 7,
wards night the wind veered round to y. n. W
causing a rough cross sea, in which the ship roll
: ed heavily, creating much confusion among h
horses. Capt. Tay shortened sail and laid-to ii
morning. The gale continued all night durir
f! which a tragedy was enacted between decks WhiC
beggars description. The ship labored heavil
throwing the horses against the breast-plste Q
/ e.. this ~
lection and throwing the horses to leeWard amor
the animals on that side. The men who were
charge Of the horses forced to leave the hol
: | and the poor creatures were abandoned TO the
L fate Inc horses were haltered, and such Of the
d a. did not break loose when the ship lurche
were stranged, their uecks dslocated in the
efforts 70 regain a footing, or trampled 20 deaf
r by their companions. Others were cast bodily IL
), to heaps where they kicked and plunged in the
death struggles.
At daylight the next morning the gale abat,
and the men went below, where II revolving spc
tacle presented itself. The deck was strevn vii
~ dead and dying horses, many Of them shocking
p mangled by bang kicked ard tTampled upon
u Some hal their lore legs AMI others their h:r
, ! legs broken; some had broken backs and rib
and from the suffering survivors escaped the mo
70 heaIt-reudins means Il became an act Of mere
, 90 kill them IN order to end their misery, and
IL not feasible to feed the living until the del
"a ] were 4Gl4UftAf AAe NNAh VI oNeruual
was commenced. That day dfty-eight dead hor.
' went over the side and the remainder were relieF
p, ! as far az possible. The badly wounded continue
% die, until the whole number lost reached siIt
eight. The surviving horses were landed on Su
L day. Scarce one Of them escaped with who
skin, their hips, sides and heads being CALLED
the bone Several have died since they we
landed, and NJ more than one half Of the T
a mainder were reported by the Board as service
"A BILE. The Board, after summing up the sgiden
. presented, close their report by saying that {
u horses, in their opinion, were not put on boa
the ship g." kingnsher' IN accordance with {
suggestions Of Col. Richard Delaheld's Report
=, the Thirty-sixth Congress upon the art Of "
in Europe and that the deaths occasiOnei a
> the injuries received by the horses might hs
been, 10 a great extent If net entirely, avoided,
the horses had been properly shipped as describ
4 In IL report
The horses Of the officers. nearly every one
y which were lost, were all valuable animals, ma
d Of them being presents from their towusmen a
relatives, and some were invaluable from hsyi
been through the three mont1s' campaign. I
loss 10 the government by this disaster Is at lei
$4,000, and should the remainder o. the five hu
dred ho ses destined for Ship Island meet wi
similar treatment, it will require twice that uu
n Der TO supply the wants OF the expedition.
- The history Of the CTimcan war, when tho
a. sanls Of horses were transported, presents {
5 record Of no such 10 this. The transport
ton Of cavalry ami artillery and cavalry hor,
- on long sea voyages wa then brought TO a
: markable degree Of perfection in both the FIen
and English services The ship " Himalaya"
70 5000 tons burden, with $50 horse power engin
transported from the Let Of June 90 the middle
October, ls5i, 5000 horses, out Of which on
c tares were lost. Ia fitting Up this vessel, t
p platforms OF the stalls were raised two inches
she deck, 10 admit OF cleaning, draining a
washing. Each horse had q separate sail, t
. sides and ends Of which were Of plank. and pa
ded with coEhide felt, stuffed with straw. +
horses wore canvas headstalls, and sling eye-bj
were fastened to the deck, over the centre Of ca
stall, by which the horse supported trifh
band Of oanUas HEi0 iis belly, whenever his ait
alton required 1t.