The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-03
IN II s W.EAT.

-
But all overbangs the 81 angled bluei
IN II SWEAT.
Three Minutes I'm a aSweat-BoK-Thc Mod
ern Form or Punish ment In the Navy.
Many years ago it was my good fortune to
Join happy party Of ladies and gentlemen on
q visit to the United States receiving ship
North Carolina, then. as now, anchored off
Brooklyn Navy Yard. The ship was in boauti-
ful order, the weather was fine, the patty was
all life and gayety, and the Commodore the
soul of politeness. We were roaming through
one Of the decks under the water-linc-the
orlop deck, believe. when he said, IF you
will walk this way, I will show you some apart
ments which are only occupied occa casionally."
He took us toward the bow Of the vessel,
through that gloomy deck where lamps are
burning at midday, aud then he showed US the
'apartments"-a half dozen more or less-ot
narrow. dark, wooden, upright cells. each
large enough only to contain one living being,
and closed by q thick door, through which five
or SIX auger holes. at the hei ,ht Of mans
moah afforded ,h the only supply Of air.
! sswhen one Of our men deserves punishment
now, since fogglng has been abolished in the
navy, we lock him in one of these boxes for
IL
fellow, we sometimes give him forty eight,
without food or water"
So simple and humane punishment, in
place OF the barbarous, cruel, and degrading
euloglums OF the party, and we were just about
passing o lr unqualified approval and admira-
ton OF so mild and benign penalty, when
the Commodore said with q smile:
Its pretty severe, though. Would any one
like TO try 1t FOR a minute or two.?"
Yes, you may give me i've" said; and
amidst chorus OF the joyous CRIES OF the par
ty, Give hum five ! give him five Comm ),
dore," stepped into the box, and the door
was locked upon me.
found myself immured within four sid % of
wooden box, 80 scanty in room that it
touched my body on every side. I am but OF
medium stOutness; but what would be done
with prisoner rev inches stOuter thanI?
As it was there was MT room enough on any
side tween my body and the box for mo to
raise my hand 20 my. head; and when the door
closed upon me had to stand up so stl ai3ht
that the back OF my head touched the b, OK OF
the cell. while in front there was barely an
inch of room between the inside of the door
and my face. .. As the box was wider than it
was d. p, could not even turn in it.
The Dl, athine holes were some distance be-
low the level of the eye; in fact, they we're on q
level with my mouth, 80 That even the MISE
rab.e consolation Of peepiDg through them up
on dimiy-hghted deck was impossible. For
the same r, ason that the arms could not be
bent, bending the knees was alike impractlca-
BILE. The boz was utterly dark, an The first
sensation that began to experience was a
sickenDg. horrible feeling of ant Of air. TO
be placed alive in coffin, and to have the lid
closely screwed down over your face, would
have been no worse than this. was, IN fact,
inhumed alive.
> My chest began to heave with great violence
as gasped tor fresh air; the blood rushed TO
my head and seemed to threaten apOplexy,
and could not reach my hand to my throb-
bing temples.
Meantime all renamed still as the grave on
ny1tV Vfta hV tho o.,Io 40
orders Then / thought Of men, living men.
Imprisoned in this marrow house, aud I rgot-
ten IN the tumult OF great storms at sea, or
perishlng by SOW famine IN this sarcophagus.
long after the crew had deserted the wrecked
ship Think OF q man lying helpless upon his
face IN such a wooden case, perhaps standing
on his head. tfor such might be his position J
on q wrecked vessel. But these fearful
thoughts az to what might happen to others
soon gave way to the real horrors Of nv own
situation.
The suffocation occasioned by the closeness
OF the air IN the box produced In me o sudden
desire for water. My lips grew hard and dry,
and my tongue was like o CHIP. with q sudden
fever OF unquencbabe thirst. Although had
determ,ned to remain as quiet % possible, the
time being 80 short. set reason itself began to
play fantastic tricks. Perhaps they had de-
serted me thonght; perhaps the Commodore,
was practical joker. ond, instead Of q tew
so. What was to prevent him? All was still
as death outside. Gould they have gone to the
upper deck and left me? a rfe
knew iat these were idle snrmise. but
they would come. and como. and WITH in creas-
ed power, too. My necK-clo became too
tight tor my throa,; I was almost st1 spgied
with it, aud yet could not rsacn my hand to
unite IT. Should CRY out? The torture and
splr&tlOn began to stream from every pore
The box became intolerably close. / tancied
it tull Of humid vapor. The Ave minutes must
have elapsed ioug ago; the day itself must
have rcceded. How long had the sun gone
down 4? Was it q d rk night on deck above2
OF course. caInot +. Cali all the SCI salons
thai thus took possession Of soul and body in
that brief trial OF a swea,-b x. 1t was IN VAIN
to GAL reason o your aid. You could no more
dismlss your though hts at will when in such
place than >Cu cou imagine the etid vapor
Of the b * to DO the fresh the bre zy air OF
morning. 1t Is this ry condition Of mind,
TO which the v ctim Of this living death is
hroueh that forms the primo pal torture OF
the pu, j 'hment.
bear this ag NY for twenty -four hours or even
lol ger wltnout wafer, with ut foud and with.
out !est. NV q svs. en- which p aces IN the
hands ot anv nsans though he be more humane
or out OF II. such an instrument OF cruelty
is as RI yo't ting 10 think OF us the same pt wer
wheh placed in the hands OF the irresponsible
keep Ot the ,risOns
IOrtures should never form @ part OF prlson
ship. or other penal discipline. But IL 1t must
be SO, then IN G,d's, anne give us the rack.
the bloody sc0urge. the thumb-screw, or any
other physical torture in the open arr IN pre.
ference TO these refinements OF crnolty 10
which dea. h itself is but a happy release. Be-
sides, the soldier or sailor Is not o criminal.
He is Lot ON. sh picard for any Gff.nce; he is
the brave defender OF h g country's flag, or of
her holcr and glory, III the hours OF her DIRK
es' and eldiest peril. and some lenity should
DO shown Ii m. II he is incorr1aibly bad. con-
a. him IT 1t must be 80. put on the ron wrist
Iets and the Iey lock-; but in the name OF all
that is m rciiul e ye him a:r 10 arsaSiis. and
y cup Of cold water wnen o needs it. For so
we were told to do by HIM who suffered on
Calvary.
Iur. ai-place Saw by the tsces Of my friends
what change The brlef OK ,lrlence Of q few
minutes had made III me. IL fact. / felt it, for