The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-02-16
Another Ocean Horror.

rs An INFAMOUS CAPTAIN AND MATES.
The little paragraph which we printed TIE
other day concerning the sufferings OF the
crew of the ship Neptune, from Liverpool 10
New York, did not convey to the MIND one
half the horror and suffering OF that mid
winter passage brought about by the atrocity
of Cant. Peabody and his officers. The hard
est suffelings began to be experienced on the
29th of January, when it hegan to snow and
freeze at about six or seven o'clock, thick par
ticles of frozen snow falling fast over the Ship
throughout the night. In the morning the
yards, FOOT ropes and rigging were covered
with rough, hard ice, and about eight OF nine
O'Clock the captain ordered them alolt. This
tne men say was entirely unnecessary, as the
snip was in good sailing order at the time
and II he had only waited until the afternoon
the sun at midday would have melted all the
Ice which had gathered, and they could have
gone aloft aud done their duty without entail
ing upon themselves .all the misery they have
suffered since; besides they were only order
ed into the rigging to put the vessel into ship
shape, which could very well have waited.
One man (Johnson) was sent out GU the Jlo-
boom, and though he complained his footing
was insecure ard he could take no hold Wlth
his hauds, which were bitten by the frost,
they kept him there until his work was done.
The men aft complained to the captain that
they were frostbitten, but he took no notice
and kept them steadily at work. johnson
speaking for himself and the others in the
hospital stated that when he went att to
show the captain his hands he put some kind
of salve on them that made the raw flesh
burn and stink to such an extent that when
he went below the stencil was unbearable
and he was obliged to leave the forecast,e and
come on deck again, and holding his hands
extended from him, resting ON whatever hap.
pened to be near, try and snatch little sleep
standing, leaning against the wipdlass or the
bulwarks. On going below the heat madden
ed them, because of the quick transition from
the extreme cold TO the heavy, confined at
mosphere OF their beIths. and they were I'M
able to sleep moment. Still the captain
made them take their regular watch and turn
at the wheel, although with every twist of it
they left portion of the skin and raw flesh
upon the handles as they passed away from
them.
One poor wretch, more unfortunate than
the rest, called Frantis Alloy, and native Of
Bermuda. whose feet were horribly mutilated
was obliged 10 get up on deck at m dnight in
bad weather, pierclnely cold, ard hobble his
way along the deck, ankle deep in salt water
without shoes, forced to grasp the stanchions
and rigging to support himself from the agony
of his feet.
Another man, named Williams, who was
suffering so severely with his arms that he
could not leave his berth, the captain came
and pulled out of bed, forcing him to stand
on the poop for four hours as he was entirely
incapacitated.
Gilbert Maoles states that fortnight before
the ship entered port they were on the main
yardarm one night slowing the mainsail, and
because be could not grasp the canvas quick
enough the second mate kicked him. This
officer is described by the eight men now in
hospital as being only second TO the captain
in his brutal treatment of them. He has
kicked and knocked down several OF them
during the voyage. As anoi her instance OF
inhumanity they were subjected to, William
Oliver says last Thursday night the ship was
just putting about aud as they could not get
in the slack of the braces fast enough the
yards swung back, when the second mate igot
in towering passion, and, he being the near
est, got knocked down.
Another man complained that the captain
beat him severely for using some scraped po-
tatoes as a pouitice to his wounds when the
captain had ordered lnseed meal for him.
All the men insist that there was no neces-
sity Tor forcing them to work in their condi-
ton, as the ship worked the passage out with
eighteen men and had twenty-five hands COM
ing home.
William Brown and another seamen have
entered civil suits to recover damages tor
craelties inflicted on them by Captain Pea
body and his mates, ON board the Neptune.
Brown has also made affidavit that the mate
beat him, and the captain several times
threatened to throw him overheard.
STATEMENTS OF THE CAPTAIN.
Captain Peabody, master of the Neptune,
denies all the statements made by the men,
and declares he didn't abuse them in any way
whatever. The men, he says got frost bitten
while standing about the ship. He had no
difficulty with any of them except one who
tried to get excused from duty because he
HAD BOIL GIN HIS ARM
This man he compelled by f,rce to go en-
the lookout. The greater number of the
men got injured through their own fault and
by endeavoring to shirk their work. There
were but seven passengers on board,
and the law did not compel him to have
doctor with that number. There was al
ways sufficient supply of medicines. Those
men who were injured had their wounds poul
ticed and dressed, and the very best care was
taken OF them.
The captain further states that had he sup
posed any OF the men were ill on board the
Neptune when he went ashore on Saturday
he would have taken care of them.
G Don nr,., Ia