Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-01-09
M!lAe Mlahtfatsr.
FRIDAY MORNING. JAN. 8, 1880.
Local
A Voyage With Augusta Cattle to Londol


A Voyage With Augusta Cattle to London.
INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF ONE OF
THE voYAGERs-A STORMY PASSAGE.
SCENE WITH THE FRIGHTENED CATTLE
THROWING THEM OVER TO RIGHT
THE SHIP,
&C., &C., &C.
1t is probable, in view of the new cattle
trade that has sprung up with England, a
good many of our young men Of the. Val
ley will, before many months have passed,
have visited Europe. The cattle are
shipped in steamers, and the young men
who go with them are paid according to
their.knowledge of the work they have to
do. some going for no pay+xcept their
board and the pleasure of the trip. If the
voyage is made on time, the men have some
ten days that they can spend iii England or
France. As this sort of trip is likely to be
the vogue, est .ecially next spring and sum-
mer, our reporter hunted up Mr.. D. w.
Speck, of Arbor Hill. in this county, who
has just returned from trip across the
stormy ocean, with a lot of cattle, great
part of which were from Augusta. MI.
Speck is young man of muscular build
and great determination good specimen
of Valley man, and of the sort of stuff
required to stand the hardships which, as
it turned out. his party had to undergo.
On the 18th of November one hundred
and forty-nine cattle, owned by Mr..
Doll Of D,,ln ,pl,
grazed at the Bell farm in Au usta. were
! being loaded ON the cars at Swnope's De j..
pot for Baltimore, under the supervision
| of Mr.. Robt. McPheeters. 1t was part OF
cargo to 60 to London, and :. telegram
was received from Mr.. Bell by Mr.. Nc
Pheeters, calling for two men TO go with
the cattle to London. Messrs. D. w.
Speck and Jacob Zimmerman. both of
Arbor Hill, volunteered, we've accepted,
and left for Baltimore with ii e animals.
The cattle were taken to the CalvertOn
feed yard and thence by rail to Locust
Point, where they were shipped on the
iron steamer J. G.. Stevenson, Capt. Camp
bell. The whole number of cattle on
board owned by Mr.. Bell was 1873, of
which about IT'S were in Stalls or deck.
The party in charge Oh t cattle were Mr.
James Bell, of Pulaski, son OF the owner
MIR. Cloyd Otey, of Montgomery. nephew
of the owner; Messrs. Sleck al d thinner.
man, of Augusta; seven young men from
Pulaski, and . colored man from Ohio
On the ship were also thirteen bioodeG
horses, being sent home by an English
gentleman from Maryland. The cattle
men slept under tie d, OK. u. d the fart
consisted of soup, beef, potatoes and hare
tack. When the ship got outside of the
capes into the open sea tn boys got q
severe attack of sea sickness, which how
ever, did not last them more than twt
or three days.
On Tuesday nj Int about O'Clock, fOul
days after sailing from Baltimore, whit
lying in their berths they heard the officers
of the ship calling for them to come up OF
deck as they were going to shut the hatch
es down. They went hastily Oh deck and
thence to the upper deck where they re-
manned exposed to the weather unit
Thursday. The scene among the cattl,
when they reached the deck was fearful
A tremendous storm was raging, the tenn
porary wooden stalls On Geek were
breaking away and the cattle in deadl,
terror were scream ng with a sound almos
like human beings. AS the, vessel rolled
the animals were thrown on their heads
breaking their horns Off and as they go
loose they were running abou, the decks
dragging broken limbs after til, N. Above
the fiercest of the storm their les could
be heard. In tue meantime, the sea was
washing over the vessel and int, the upper
cabin way in which the men mad taken
refuge and then they had to 60 to bailins
out that part. On Wednesday the midst
OF the storm the engines stopped working,
leaving the ship helpless in the sea. Some
of the passengers were greatly affected BY
the peril and one young fellow who had
not long been married spent good deal
of time in prayer. He knelt at the door
Of the galley (kitcnen) out Of which the
hot soup occasionally was pitc I'd by the
tossing of the ship and presently the cook
coming out stumbled over Lin Ind hearth
~ cursed him for being in the way, The
suppliant after begging the C OK to ''re-
member where you are. - resumed his de-
votions. The colored man was loud in his
lamentations that he should s'neyer see the
states again" and one passenger went to
bed cover ed up head and ears and remained
in that position until the storm was over.
On Thursday about day break IA lurch OF
the vessel threw all the deck cattle to one
side which caused the ship to career so
badly that all hands went to WORK aud threw
them overheard. They attempted to fol-
low the vessel after getting over and the
officers of the ship, who had glasses, said
they could be seen for two miles, still i
swimming. After the storm subsidized the
engines worked we'll, and OIL d Friday.
about O'Clock, nineteen days after losing
sight OF Virginia land, they caIue in sight
of the coast OF France and the chalk cliffs
Of England.
In signalling for pilot at the mouth OF
the English Channel, they learned by sig
nails Of the storm which had truck the
steamer Baltimore, another steamer of the
same line which had left Bal more and
whose Captain had been killed. A pilot
came 10 The ship on Saturday aid Oh Sun
day evening they reached the mouth OF
the Thames, Where they took ''mud"
| (river) pilot and steamed III the river,
reaching Deptford, opposite Lo ~, Mon.
day night, at s O'Clock. On the .wn 'rf they
saw Mr.. Samuel Bell, also a s...i of Mr..
Francis Bell, waiting for them. He had