The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-05-09
UNDER THE KEEL.

I
lean merchantmen. The victim al
ways enlarged from the water half
drowned, aad often indeed, he never
recovered from the injury It was
found that person who had acci-
dentaly fallen into the water might
stay under twice the time of one that
waS keel-hauled, snd yet recover. In
fact, it commonly required eight
minutes or longer to drown person,
but man was seldom kept under the
bottom OF ship more than five min
utes. 1t would appear that the knowl-
edge that he was about to be i'm
mersed in water created such an ex-
citement and horror in the victim
that when the water entered his lungs
it found them in an unnatural con-
diticn, and congestion was undoubt-
edly quickly produced, which, If Sc
we're, proved tstsl of itself before the
man had time to die of suffocstion
or, if not so severe, still results in q
more permanent injury than that
ordinarily suffered by a person who
has been nearly drowned. Forum
ately, captains no longer conceive
themselves invested with that abso-
lutte authority which led them 70 vent
their personal animosity upon those
in their power. Our laws and q pub.
lie sentiment awakened by successive
horrible exposures have done much
to alleviate the rigors of the entire
system Of discipline on shipboard.
| About twenty five years ago, how
ever, the large coasting schooner
"Belle Of the Wave" was lying be-
calmed of Pensacola Bay, in the
Gulf. Her captain was of the old
fashioned kind of large-hearted, in
dolent, storytelling Southerners, but
with q swarthy complexion, shift
ing black eyes, and thin lips that in
dicated q relentless disposition il
enraged. At Charleston he had ship
ped as a common sailor an English
man The latter was of a pale
complexion, with very light hair and
small features. His countenance was
intellectual in its expression, but
showed, also, an indecision of charsc.
ter and a want Of that quality in the
msn that helps person to get on in
the world In every intellectual ac-
complishment he was infinitely the
captains superior, and with the strong
prejudices Of his type Of men, the
latter had conceived violent dislike
for him. He hsd proven to know
nothing of the duties of sailor, and
had signed his papers because he had
found himself in utterly destitute Cir
cumstances, and had been obliged to
do something to save himself from
starvation
While passing around Florida
Keys the new sailor, with an utter
ignorance Of his place on shipboard,
had gone to the after deck, where he
had been discovered by the captain
telling his little daughter some old
English fairy story. Had it been
any of the other hands, the captain
would probably have gruffiy ordered
him forward but as it was Seaton--
that was the young Englishman's
name-he was literally kicked of the
quarter deck. While the schooner
was lying becalmed, in the gray OF
tbs morning, Seaton had been dis
covered, nearly q quarter Of mile
away, rowing rapidly in the schoon-
ers boat toward the shore. Another
boat was lowered, and in half an hour
he was brought back on board The
captain was in a perfect frenzy OF
rage. AS is usual when q mans
anger proceeds from deep-seated per-
senal antipathy, he seemed to for
get the main point of the sailors
wrong-doing-his desertion from the
ship-and fell to berating him as a
thief for attempting to steal the boat.
He shook his fist in his face and said
he ought to kill him on the spot.
Suddenly he started back and called
to one Of the men:
"Foley, get out coil of yawl rope
I'll keel-haul the English thief -
Young Seaton had submitted to
his recapture with a helpless and
woe begone expression, and had SEEM
ed to give himselfup in despair; but
when he heard the captains order, an
expression Of abject terror came over
his face. He knew too well what it
meant. While the rope was being pre-
pared he begged the captain, in the
most piteous terms, to have him
whipped or kept in irons without
food-snything rather than to be tied
and held under the water. He even
knelt and grasped the captains legs,
but was sent rolling over on his back
by brutal kick. After that he said
nothing, but lay upon the deck trem-
bling ike q Leaf. 1t was doubtful
whether he was fully conscious when
he went over the side. He was pass
ed slowly under the schooner's Keel
Second after second was licked on the
mates watch. AS the men who were
handling the rope attempted to make
haste, they were angrily ordered to
haul more slowly. Three minutes
had elapsed, when the mate suggested
that a longer time in the water might
kill q man that was as delicate as the
Englishman appeared to be- With a
growl, the captain gave orders to pull
up. The poor man was brought on
board limp and senseless, but life was
evidently not extinct, and the cap
tain left the deck and went into his
cabin. The sympathizlng sailors gath.
cred about their companion, and did
everything possible to hasten his re
storation to consciousness. He was
rolled over q barrel, his arms and legs
rubbed, and afterwards he was wrap
ned in warm blankets. It was hours,
however, before ne could speak,
and not till thres days had elapsed
could ne return to duty. lie
had evidently suffered great pain, even
after the terrible agony OF return
ing life had passed from him. lie
became gloomy and tsciturn, and
said that he did not think be could
live long, and might not live 20 con-
pIete the trip. He even wrote sever
al letters, and gave them unsealed to
one of his companions. They were
addressed to his relatives, and were |
written in cheerful style, giving
glowing, imaginative account OF his
success in America. He told them
he was in fair way to make money,
and from the first found frienis, but
,bst he vas abeut to embark IA a per-
ilous enterprise in which he should
either win great success or meet with
irrepzrabIs disaster and almost GER
tain death. These letters were sent
TO his friend, explaining that II he
should die on the passage, 1t was bis
desire thst they should be mailed at
the next port the schooner should
touch al. He did not want any aes punt
Of the ns-ner ofhis death sent, as he
did not desire to distress his relatives,
but to leave them to infer, after the
lapse Of long time, that he had per-
ished ia the full flush Of hope and
adventure.
4. - L. III 1l.-.1I a. a. .