Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-09-08


FnAScisco-THE STORY op THE AWFUL
PASSAGE.
A brief note in last evenings Bulietd
, stated the fact that The English shiI
, Bremen was at anchor on the bar Will
, her crew disabled, and that tug hac
been sent to her assistance. Since thai
time the ship has been towed into th,
harbor, and the full details of the ter
riblc story are laid before the public
The memoranda furnished by the off.
GERS simply states that the ship sailed
from Liverpool February G, 100 days
since, and there is no mention of her
having touched at any port on the
way. The memoranda records the
death Of twelve mon, all colored ex-
cept one, and names 'affection OF the
Throat as the cnusTuf the mortality.
A reporter, who boarded the ship gives
the following particulars regarding the
voyage, derived from the officers -
The owners Of the ship are among
those assailed by Mr.. Plimsoll as un-
scrupulous money-makers, who neither
care whether their ships swim or sink,
provided they are able to grab the in
surance. AT the time the Bremen
sailed crews were difficult to obtain,
and colored men were shipped-fifty
Of them. The whites on board com
prised the captain, three officers, the
carpenter steward, and sailmaker, and
two stowaways.
A few days after leaving Liverpool
one Of the men died of pulmonary con
sumption. Before reaching the Horn
scurvy developed itself in unmistal1a-
bic symptoms among n number of the
crew, and off the Horn the disease had
reduced the crew so much that tom.
porary shelter was rugged on deck and
five or six men were employed in ac-
tive duty with the others resting be-
low, and some of them detailed for re-
lief on call. When the ship rot into
warm latitudes the reaction from the
cold weather off the Horn was violent.
and, as the captain expressed it, "the
colored men dropped off like sunhow-
ers.' The last OF the twelve who
died was dropped overheard in sight
of port. Another fortnight at sea and
the mortality might have been doubled,
as only two Of the colored men were
able to keep their legs on deck. The
vessel was well provisioned there was
not only the ordinary amount of beef
and pork salted, but plentiful supply
OF canned vegetables and Australian
mutton and anti-scorbutics. The NUT
ton up to the time of reaching the
Horn was served twice a month, and in
rounding the Horn twice week, there
after three or four times week.
Lime juice was given in triple doses,
and it lasted well throughout the voy-
age. Captain Leslie says that he is
skilled in ship medicine, and is utterly
ut loss to account for the prevalence
Of scurvy, unless it be that the crew
before being shipped had come Off
ong voyage and were thus peculiarly
to attack. His log shows
hat a number of them refused TO take
inc juice, and gursistyd In the refusal
II inc penalty OF death. Duspite une
ength of the voyage, the provisions
asted in suiliciency for all with the ex-
'eption of the flour, and rs a conse-
luence OF this the supply of bread was
'educed by one-iourth. The men who
we're sick had proper change in their
'ations-rice, sago, preserved potatoes, /
oatmeal, and other vegetable diet be-
ng served to them regularly, together ,
With medicines, of which latterly the {
upply ran short As death after death !
occurred the crew were greatly scared, {
md seemed TO have u premonition that i
ew of them would outlivc the voyage. I
The funeral services were read by the G
aptain with appropriate solemnity in ,
very instance, all the crew being mus q
cred aft, and at the conclusion the
ody was dropped overheard, shrouded i
n blankets and bedding. During the
after part of the voyage it became
iflicult in the extreme to navigate the S
essel and TO take advantage of the
1inds. The white men aboard were J
j the crew the captain could rely upon il
nd these were all enieebled by extra p
FORK and want of sleep, Had the cap Il
hin put into Valparaiso and selected a G
'esh crew, he would probably have i
lved the lives of number of his men n
nd brought his vessel quicker to port. '
he British consul visited the ship as n
BON us her terrible condition was g
nown, and measures were Immediately G.
lken for the removal of the sick men cI
} the United States Marine Hospital Ia
hich was done to day. Captain Les. Il
Q has demanded an investigation of CT
ie circumstances of the voyage, and Sc
&c quantity and quality OF provisions Il
nd medicines on board, which will be CO
cid as soon as circumstances will per-
it-San Francisco Bulletin, Augusf IS. HI