Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-07-18

whole time. a few moments before lt
death, the minister was summoned, and il
was baptized "Amelia johnson" Very soou
after breath had left the little body, it was
prepared for burial, and that saddest of al
funerals, funeral at sea, was arranged for
A plank seven feet long by two wide was laid
across the end of barrel, one end projecting
over the lee (port) gangway rail. A folded
American flag was knotted around this plank
and that much of the simple preparation was
complete. One by one and in knots, the emf
grants gathered about this suggestive object,
until all we're crowded around it, observing
profound silence, and watching with Gu
rious eyes for the completion of the, to them
novel ceremony. The ca bin passengers gath.
cred on the poop overlooking the scene, and
the neighboring shrouds and rigging were
filled with other spectators. In few min
utes two sailors came up from the steerage,
replacing their needles in their cases with a
business.like air, and then two or three men
stumbled up the ladder bearing the shapelesa
canvas bundle containing the corpse and the
large stone wrapped with it at its feet. The
body, in this sea coffin, was laid upon the
plank and the flag spread over it, sailor
standing at each side. One by one the men
who stood about took off their hats, and the
crowd clustered closer as the minister came
forward and proceeded to read the Metho'
dist burial services. At the words, eve COM
nit this body to the deep" the flag was lifted,
the inside ends of the plank tilted up by the
sailor, and the body slid off into the water,
which boiled and surged against the vessels
side, sinking Immediately to its resting place
"till the sea gives up her dead" Then the
crowd slowly dispersed.
THE SAME SCENE
was repeated later in the same day, Shellevy
Adams, an infant son Of William Adams,
dying that evening. He also was christened
a few minutes before his death, which was at
tributed to dysentery. Apropos Of these
deaths, must speak of a matter that strikes
me as being an outrage. In giving the par
ticulars of the arrangement for the first voy-
age of the Azor, the managers of the Exodus
distinctly stated that physician from Wash
ington would accompany her, and that state
ment was published in the News and Courier.
NO PHYSICIAN
from Washington or anywhere else could be
found among her passengers. The law re-
ouires the presence of one aboard emlgrant
ships, and George Curtis was used to clear
with. I am informed that the Rev. b. F.
Porter assured the Customhouse authorities
that Curtis understood the practice of medi'
cine, having studied it in his youth. He
knows about as much of medicine as street
car mule. During the whole voyage he was
prowling around tween decks with small
book called "the mariners medical guide" in
one hand, and all sorts of compounds extract
ed from the medicine chest in the other.
Even the book was given him by the captain.
feel very confident that he was unacquainted
with the symptoms of the simplest diseases,
and my idea is that he went almost entirely
by guess-work. When he had formed some
opinion as to what the disorder was, he would
refer to the book and treat it thereby. lie
used continually to be consulting the captain
as to what he should do. was called in to
one or two of the consultations, but my medi:
cal knowledge being acquired principally
from fence somewhere, and consisting of q
vague idea that TUFTS liver pills we're good
for something or another, was subsequently,
and wisely, ignored. This thing seems to me
to have been either deliberate crime, and
very grave one, or equally criminal careless
ness on the part of the managers of this exo-
dus. 1t is horrible to think of ai
A LAUNDERING 1GNoRAMus ~
like this man having charge of the health of
some three hundred people, a large majority
of whom we're women and children. 1t is
only Heavens mercy that there are not even
more deaths to record. Capt. Holmes, while
possessing considerably more knowledge OF
the simpler diseases than Curtis, of course
could not be expected to be able to cope with
anything of complicated nature. So there
we all were, entirely at the mercy Of any pes.
thence that might arise am certain that
the more intelligent of the passengers agreed
with me in my estimate Of the doctors" skill.
I don't think he was ever allowed to expert.
ment on any one in the cabin, and l know
that his practice (and it literally was prac.
tice) was a laughing stock on the quarter
deck, where he was generally known as zeal.
omel and jalap," that being his favorite pre-
scription. He administered it to Johnson's
child, which died in convulsions. Its death
was attributed to worms, although he was in
doubt as to whether it was that or cerebro
spinal meningitis. Of DR.. Curtis, too, l
shall have more to say hereafter.
The log showed on Sunday at noon that
we had made 144 miles that day, making q
total of 1866, and leaving us still ahead of
the necessary average. In addition to the
funeral services already mentioned, regular
services were held twice on Sunday, being
largely attended. On Monday, 28th, the
log scored 125 miles, total Of 1,18O. Still
slightly ahead of the average. On this day
THE FIRST BIRTH
took place, being that of a boy, (reported to
be fine one,) to the wife of Ned Clark, a
steerage passenger. Mother and child both
fourished from the first. We bad by this
time been driven into about 80 north latitude,
being about the latitude OF Cape May, and
two degrees further north ghan the captain
had intended going, he having proposed to
run only as far up as Baltimore, latitude 81.
As soon as the head wind sbated the vessels
course was changed, and she went into her
long southeast stretch.
On Tuesday, 29th, we made two hundred
and fourteen miles, gaining a trife south, the
wind having shifted somewhat, and making
total for the nine days of one thousand three
hundred and ninety-four miles We were
still ahead of the required average. but lost
considerably by being becalmed during
Tuesday night, only making seventy-two miles
to Wednesday at IL o'clock. The sea dur
ing nearly all of Wednesday lay like sheet
of flexible glass, only disturbed by heavy
but quiet swell, which rolled abeam, producing,
as heavy suells generally do, most unpleas-
ant effect, keeping the vessel rocking violent
ly. During the evening, however, brisk
breeze came up, Just forward of the quarter,