Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-05-13
CATTLE AT SEA.
Jerking them Overheard In Bad
Weather.
THE ROARING OF CATTLE


THE ROARING OF CATTLE
was really terrifying at times. 1t made
that storm as hard again. for Us to meet
Halt the poor brutes were sprawling in
their pens, and the others were strug-
Cling and slipping and breaking their
legs over them. The head butcher,
coming from forward, told us that three
bullocks were dead in one pen; how
they had been killed | don't know, but
We afterwards found out that they were
dead, though we gave the news no at
tention at that moment, the ships
danger being uppermost in every mans
mind. The gale was at its worst at
O'Clock in the morning. The sea was
frightful, and moment after moment the
widest sounds that one could imagine
were coming out OF the dense darkness
aleng the decks-the means OF dying
beasts, the roaring of brutes mad with
pain and cold and terror. Some OF these
noises were like the cries OF men in
their death-agonies. So. at least they
seemed to me and others. We all OF us,
however, took notice OF one thiDg-that
never did men show themselves greater
ours in a time OF danger than the low,
savage fellows who looked after the
cattle. There was no swearing among
them now-no brutal, insolent swaeger.
ing; some OF them were almost lifeless
with fear, and those who could speak
only used their voices to ask the crew If
there was no chance OF their lives being
spared.
TOSSING THEN OVERHEARD.
"On sudden the order was given TO
stand by, to put the ship before the
wind. The helm was put over, and the
vessel, rolling frightfully, fell Oh, and in
a few minutes We were before the gale,
with the water sometimes as high as
cliffs on either side OF us and sometimes
the hollow of a sea, like a precipice,
under the bows, and all hands holding
their breath for giddy and fearful fall.
Two OF our boats had been carried away
in the night, but, strange to say, no one
had heard them 60, and the loss wasn't
known until We looked and saw they
were gone. We were half wreck; the
appearance Of the ship scared the men,
and the new and sharp idea OF danger
made US spring about as active as cats
when the order was given to brace up
the foreyards and get up a tackle at the
yardarm. This waa done, | say. smart
ly, and the end OF the tackle taken TO
the steam-winch, and presently all was
ready for hosting out the cattle. There
was no call for the crew to assist, the
dreadful work was done by the boss
butcher and his men. Every beast car
ried gtout MANILA LANYARD around its
horns, and the tackle being overhauled
from the yardarm, the block
was hooked to this lanyard.
and the winch set in motion. In an in.
slant the animal was run dangling in
the air, and then lowered until its head
was within arms reach OF the man sta.
toned with sharp knife to cut the
lanyard the man leaned forward, the
knife cleaned, and the animal fell.
A BLOOD. CURDLISG SIGHT.
81 tell you my blood curdles now
when / recall the sight of those great
animals run up into the air, and left
dangling for a momeut or two, and then
dropped like stones into the boiling
water; and | remember the line
OF horned heads swimming rouud and
ronnd in our wake, and The way in
which the sea chucked some OF the poor
brutes out OF water, and .then buried
them, and then washed over them again.
1t is quite true, sir, that the whole OF
our deck-load-twG hundred head OF
cattle-was thrown into the sea that
morning, but several of these were al
ready dead and good many in a dying
condition. Our being before the wind
made the sight less dreadful than We
should have found it had We been
hove TO, for We swept away from the
poor struggling brutes as fast as they
were launched, although not so fast but
that by looking over the stern, as have
said, you could see long line oil heads
and the horns as black "a ink against
the foam. And now, sir, il you ask Inc
what | think might be done TO lessen
the chances OF cruelty which cannot
but hope is always unavoidable, as it
certainly was in our case, l answer that
the transport of cattle across the Allan.
tic ought to stop between October and
April, unless ship. builders can invent a
superior class OF ship TO the majority OF
those who are now used all the year
round in this trade. fyou will but in
inquire, you will find great many ship
owners OF this opinion. Ii is the At.
lantic winter gales which force masters
OF ships into the socalled cruelties you
ready about, and no man will question
that there is positive inhumanity in
starting ship, with her decks crowded
with animals, across the sea in the bit
ter, fierce weather which prevails dur.
ing the winter months IN the North At
lantic."