The New York herald., 1874-09-13
EXCURSION OF BELLEVUE PATIENTS.
merry Time on the Steamboat Belle
vue-The influence OF Music ON M q I'm ed
Feet.

Merry Time on the Steamboat Belle
vue-The influence OF Music ON MI lined
Feet.
The cOnvalescing patients OF Bellevue Hospital,
and all the others whose infrmties did not pre-
vent them from walking to the dock, even though
they went 'melancholy and Slow" were taken on
an excursion by Warden Brennan yesterday. They
were about $50 In number, and they comprised the
lame, the halt, the MANNED in face figure and
fortune. AS they gathered on the steamboat
Bellevue they formed groups. each OF which
would have inspired morbid minded Dutch
painter to produce picture fit for the
Brussels gallery. Every provision had been made
by Warden Brennan to please them, yet it looked
early In the morning as If music would not sOothe
the patients on their voyage. An excursion band,
through their leader, had volunteered to accom-
pany the excursonists but a short time before
the steamer was TO start that gentleman arrived
alone at the hospital He bore the news that the
Teutona twlddlers OF catgut and blowers OF
shreking and grunting horns had decided not to
annoy the sick unless they were paid. That
Emusic hath charms to so0the," somebody has
written originally and many people have said 1t
second hand; therefore, in the emergency
the Warden thought he would procure some
OF the wild, untutOred kind. Being polite man, he
had accepted the first offer OF the Teutons but not
without misgiving as TO the erect their strains
would have upon his patients. He was glad, there
fore when he heard that they would not go, and
he sent the most mercural OF his emissaries to run
through the Eighth ward to gather the nimblest
fingered black banjOists, the most agile tambO-
rinlst and the blackest bone-payer, with the
most expansive mouth that could be found
therein. When these arrived at the hospital they
were cheered enthusiastically, patted playfuly
with crutches and canes, and finally escorted IN
triumph to the steamer.
They began to play Immediately, and under
danced on the dock, bobbed rhy chmcally up and
down in the water and were only quieted the
deck as the steamer started, by having some
OF the deck hands sit down upon them At the
crutches thumped upon the decks and canes
danced merrily away from their electrified OWL
ers. II the guards OF the steamboat were not
hgn somebody would have TREMENDOUSLY fitted
and the nervous patients bOboed tuneiully on their
seats. In lact there never was such b0bberv as
those blacks began. On the docks OF the Work
house BiackwelPs Island their music started
people on the steamboat had him in sight kept ex-
ercslng a mythical musket to the time OF the
"Mulligan Guards and varying the exercise with
q skiliul double shuttle. The steamer went up the
Sound to Glen cove, but did not toucn at the dock;
On the way 1t stopped. at Harris Island
and at the Schoolship Mercury. The bows
OF the Mercury received the party with much
cheering, and While The Bellevue lay aOngslde
their vessel the hospital band from the black
brigade went on board. There they caused an
other 'kck-up," and developed pedal abilities
among the boys that would make negro minstrel
dancer envious. When the Bellevue left he Mer
curry the young sailors manned the rigging and
gave three as hearty cheers as ever sounded over
the Sound. The excursion party arrived at the
hospital dock at about SIX O'Clock, happier than
manned people ever were BEFORE