The New York herald., 1863-11-11

NEW YORk
OF the boats the thai In the panic snss
would have been created among the load oil p@eeSo"
OF accident, those who did IND themselves
boat the wide would have oeen wissous ofoS
OF water mouthfui 10 eat SO muon Tor 'ne ooess'
After passiug Cape Hsttsrss and until We reached tho
Island OF Maysguana. whore met our CONVOY. and
from the Island OF Nevassa where the man ofwa left
us until We reached Aspinwa Gs ship rsa al w0
,thoxt any light .hatser. This for tho purpose Of
avoiding any rebel privateers that might be near who
would bs to discover the steamer her iighss
we're barning. Hence We have case In which the SAFE
y Of thousand passengers s jsopardizsd because the
owner Of the North Star does NOT insure his
weasel. and does not like giving Q bond for the
value to save her from destruction. The law
In regard to steamer lights oompe them TO bs carried
believe, and does not exemps any from liability
where II is not done. Passengers on this route arc
allowed ty pounds OF baggage each ree all above that
Is charged ten cents per pound Under these circum.
stances they entitled 10 have properly cared eor,
and placed In position free from accident or damage
will show the condition OF the ship this respect.
On each side OF the main deck between the upper state
rooms and the rail, b gangway, or passage, leading
from forward aft The space abreast the paddleboxes
entire length Of the ship This should bs ksps
clear under ell circumstance but especially where
there Il Al crowd Of passengers On board the North
Star devoted TO the seowage Of passsngers'
baggage that should have been below, private bag.
gage room, under lock Apd key hs ssrboard passage
was blocked up entIsx ee u Rest si4s spsc. about
Wide enough 10 ALLOW - lefsop xas,(aane,
open to permit connie - D4ueN&1d tl.~ M
safe say that NOT than three hundred trunks wore
thus exposed to the dangers OF the and any
who chose to commit robbery Had there gale Of
wind they would have gone overheard. As was many
OF the lower ter from the accumulation
amidships when washing decks, and few broken
open by Of tho Interesting Characters among the
passengers. stated that largo number OF passengers
without berths-many OF them women. These poor
creatures would when night came, hnd mattress, and
placing II on deck endeavor 10 procure little rest They
would hardly be settled before gang Of walters would
make their appearance. wheul the mattresses ruth
essy dragged from under hem without being asked
"by your eave and thcy left to pass the night
the softes. plank they could hnd bscaM< regulation
of the ship that nsaresses and poos b. taken
deck under any circumstances. There we're four water
closets for the OF about three hundred people Of tho
nrst and second cabins If were known how much the
bedding and bed muslin needed airng here would not
possibly have been much objection Its being occa
sionay taken deck. The allowance Of towels was
three 10 three persons every two days half towel per
day TO each passenger To say that the steamer was
dlthy is needless. She could not be otherwise. As
soon tho weather became warm the most
disagreeable smells came from every part OF the
ship and when reached the hot weather che stencil
many occasions frghtful That some terrible dts
ease did not break out only owing 70 the passage being
short Ton days such the last four would have
generated smallpox yellow fever and the result In
that case the reader may imagine. have often heard
tho condition OF California steamers but believed
It until had seen for myself have never In very
long seagong experience witnessed such condition OF
adAirs board the North Star and hope never
TO again. Il must be known that the six mon who CON-
posed tho ships company worked a day. and were
below an night The quartsrmastsrs stood two hours
the Wheel and two on lookout; that all Of the ships
company on deck q night 70 acl In emergency the
ocer Of the watch, the man steering. and ths lookout
on tho fofecaste.
sIour on BOARD.
Reader, you must como with tour Of inspection
OF the steamer North Star AFTER night has Get In and
everything 10 comparatively quiet. will select warm
night for II and ono IN which lights allowed about
decks You will have 70 keep your syss wide open IN.
less you wish TO step stumble tho many seep
ing forms you viii discover about decks and ID.
wise you little clothing possible for some Of
tho localities VIII take you into you may out Of
with life about your person than you bargansd for
We will commence a the hurricane deck. take ths
others one BY one. We will suppose ourselves standing
an BY the steps that lead 10 the main deck and facing
forward Although 10 very dark, you will observe that
tho benches around the ships rail flied with
human bsings Some stretched full length others bali
reclining You viii you inspect these benches
females n tho close embrace OF the sserner sex, their
heads reclining in the most loving the shoul
ders OF their male protectors You will naturally enough
suppose them 10 b husband aud wife sister and bro
ther They are In some cases, but feQueatly
not but only couple whose acquaintance dates back TO
the ships sailing, or probably shorter time We win
now move forward on the starboard SIDE Amidships,
and alongside OF boat that should bs there We dis
number Of human beings stretched at full length
on deck with their feet towards the rail, leaving but
narrow space 10 walk Around the mainmass Is . dark
mass composed Of forty fty porsons OF all ages and
both sexes, hespsd together ae, and oil apparently
are sound asleep. Moving nnd the picture be-
tween the paddeboxes and forward 10 where the hurr
cane deck breaks Cd. Here thsre u . small place
clear which allotted TO the ocer Of the deck We will
cross and 60 at on the port side, whore tho same
scene awaits Reaching tho point this deck from
where We started will descend 10 the main deck.
Here you must be very careful. for ID dark pitch
Al ar al ~ you can get suspended 10 two carlins,
oommodious grass hammock. in which sleeps 'Good
Samaritan" During the day be places 81 the disposal
Of any tired persou whose couch the night before
hard board We will movs forward oo the starboard
side sbovs and from that deck and the beaches.
Almost every inch Of space 10 occupied By slceping
form. The mixed up ndscriminatey. Reach
ing the barricsde Of trunks before spoken Of, We
cross 10 the opposite side, and move forward (
through tho narrow passage Soon we come 70 the |
part Of the ship allowed 70 stssrass passengers.
bad, viii acknowledge In the aer part Of the ship,
but much worse hero for evsrywhess TO forward
~ far - the ssn ths deck lsd with sleeping human.
iy In some cases two deep Here ~ the stsseage
hatch smsl not Of inviting nature ARISES from u.
We yin descend, however. inasmuch expected |
70 encounter whsu sailed much that be disgust
ing. We reach the stssrags deck "whsw, what beat
and ssuch [" b the drst remark We take hasty view,
and rstrsat Before and either side Of three
rows OF shelves, ssch 0 which two peescas-some
drssssd others NOT %. You wonder how human being
oxiss 10 such atmosphere, and say "Come ssss
b o6" We afs and proceed 70 examine The nrst