National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-09-01
MISCELLANEOUS.


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The story Of the unfortunate ship Templar,
Of her sailing from New York 325 days ago, Of
the tempestuous voyage to Rio de Janeiro, Of
the yellow fever that there destroyed her
crow, and when she had again sailed thence
for San Francisco destroyed oue-half of her
newly-shipped hands, of the sufferings of the
remainder Of her officers and her men till her
arrival at San Francisco, have already b cen
told in the brief words of the ill-starrcd ships
log.book. When tho Templar sailed Captain
Armstrong was accompanied by his wife aud
daughter the latter n beautiful and accom-
plished young lady, well known in New York.
Captain Armstrong is known to "deep.soa" sail
ors us one of the most skillful masters that ever
skipped q ship" out of New York harbor.
The attachment between father and daughter
was, in this instance all tho stronger because
ofthe inrequency of tho meeting between the
bronzed sea-dOg aud his beautiful child. Per-
haps 1t was the result of this affection that
Miss Armstrong, who was admired in society
for her bearing and accomplishments, was a
skilled mathematician aud theologcally as
good a navigator as her father away on tho
high seas. After the sailing of the already
sorey-stricken Templar from Rio 10 San Fran
CT SEQ, the yellow foyer attacked one.half the
crew, together with Captain Armstrong, his
crew attacked and the captains wife, died,
and were hastily slipped by tho frightened ro-
maindcr of the ships complement into tho
sad and awful grave of the sea. Captain ARM
strong after the crisis of the fever had passed
and lie remained alive, lay, during all tho
weary weeks of the funeral cruise, between
life and death, and utterly unable to grasp tho
terrible situation or command what should DO
done. The first mate has escaped the terrible
malady Ho was an experienced and bravo
officer, but his heart failed him at last, as, with
his captain helpless below, seaman and seaman
was loaded and plunged forever into tho drcary
waste of waters At last he gave orders that
the ship should be headed for the mouth of the
Rio de Ia Plata. Miss Armstrong had been
attacked by the dreaded disease, but she had
lived through 1t, and though still as weak and
helpless in body rs her father in the adjacent
BERTH her heart was stout, and she resolved
that the ship commanded by her father should
sail its cruise into the harbor of San Francisco.
Convalescent according to medical theory, but
still in fact holplessly weak in body, she gath
cred from the conversation of those who at
tended upon her the design Of the mate to reach
the nearest port. She obtained her fathers con.
sent to command the ship, and by her orders
the first mate was relieved of his command
and the second mate put in his place. The
second mate was also an experienced seaman,
with the whole sum Of ducation-that Of being
true in tho time of danger-but slightly at
fault in this, that after tho bearings were taken
he could not tell by the second and necessary
calculation whether he was of the coast of
Africa, South America, Australia, Paterson, N.
j., or the Farallones. But Miss Armstrong
could. She put the second mate in command,
| and, in pursuance of her orders, he again head
| ed the Iemplar on her California course, and
| Mt high noon he took the mechanical bearings
of the vessel and submitted them to the girl
| for her calculation and commands. 1t would
be an endless story how each day she figured
out where the hopeless hulk lay on the merci-
less waste or was driven into still more merci-
less Gains. Through the winter months.
through the spring months, through the full
ness of summer time, she steered the ship
Templar into the waters Of San Francisco Bay.
Miss Armstrong is now aboard the Templar,
anchored in quarantine waters off Fort Point
and will be kept there for some time, lest sho
shall faint the air of San Francisco with tho
feared scourge. The first mate, when relieved
from his command, was allowed the fullest
freedom OF the ship. But he was none the
less i'll at ease. One day, when the direful
desert of southern waters was disappearing in
the ships wake, he went into sleep in his
chair by the ships side on the quarter. deck.
1t did never disturb that lasting sleep that
there was presently u cry from the man on
watch, Man overboardw The boat was
swiftly lowered, the first mates body was re-
covered and given reverent sea burial in tho
waters from which it had just been captured.