Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-18
A REMARKABLE STORY.

REMARKABLE STORY.
The following narrative is self-explana tory.
The letter which precedes it is true copy Of
the original, and was sent to us, together
with the details, by an officer now in the
United States Navy
United States Flagship Nomad,
Navy Yard, Boston. Mass,
January 10. 1885,.
NV Dear Friend: Your kind favor con-
tanning congratulations on my restoration to
health ia before me. When we parted thirty
months ago lite did we imsgine that either
would be brought near deaths door by dis
ease which selects for its victims those who
present an internal field Of constitutional
weakness for its first attack, because you and
I were in those days the personi6cation OF
bealth-and can claim this to-day, thank
God Why can do go will be told to.ror-
row, when we meet st your dinner. as you
only know that have passed through ter
ribis illness my delivery from death being
due to the wonderful discovery in medical
science, made by man who to-day stands in
the front rank Of his fellow-workers-un-
eoualed by any in my own opinion. That /,
yho heretofore have ever been the most
orthodox believer in the old school Of medi-
cine. its applications and results, should thus
recant in favor Of that which is sneered at by
old practitioners, may startle you, but see-
ing is believing" and when l recount the at
tack made on my old hulk. how near [ came
to lowering my colors, and the final volley
which, through the agency above mentioned,
gave me victery. you will at least credit nee
with Just cause for sincerity In my thankful
IL. r Ill w
anent my China cruise, and altogether, expect
to entertain rs well as be entertained By you.
With best wishes, Sincerely yours.
Rear Admiral U. s. Navy.
Hon. GEORGE WENDELL,
Sinclair Place, Boston.
An autumnal afternoon in the year 1888
found the taus flagship Nonad rounding the
treacherous and dangerous extremity of South
America. And this day certainly intended
| to plaza itself on record with those OF lts
predecessors marked stormy, its nastiness in
wind and weather giving all hands on board
the flagship their fill in hard work and dis
comforts. The record of the Nomad on this
cruise, which abe was now completing on
her homewsrd bound passage to Boston, had
been most dissgreesbie. when considered in
the light of heavy weather work. From Suez
TO Alden. then on TO Bombay, Point de Gale,
Singapore, Hongkong, Shanghai, Nagasaki.
and Yokohama, the balance sheet stood
largely in favor Of old Neptune's rough char
acteristics, but, with remarkable evenness
| the health and original roster OF the ships
company stood this day as it did nearly three
years ago--with one exception. Through
out the diverse and varied exposures Incl.
dental to cruising. over the Asiatic station
| where cholera, fevers, liver complaints,
malaria, and colds OF all degree reign In full
| force. none of the crew had suffered more than
| Temporary inc >nvenience, and thus 1t seemed
very hard that now, in the closing days OF the
cruise, there stood nine chances for, to one
against victory being at last scored for tbs
destroying angel Death. When the Nomad
reached Shanghai in the early portion OF hei
cruise her Admiral was the healshiest mar
aboard. A grand specimen OF manhood wa
he. Over six feet in hight, weighing 20C
pounds, broad in chest and strong il limb, ht
rightly claimed for himself full share Of
Natures blessings. While returning late ont
night from diplomatic reception at the Con
sulate at Shanghai through overheeting ane
insufficient protection from the dangerous eff
fecss of the peculiarly damp and searchinl
night air, he caught cold. "Oniy cold,
remarked the Admiral to the doctors of hi
ship, land easy TO cure" So thought th'
medical officers, but with quiet though ia
sidious progression this cold chung to thu
Admiral 10 spite of their best efforts to eradi
cate it, and when the time came Tor leayin;
Yokohama, homewsrd bound, the Adnira
realized that his lungs and throat were deei
dedly out of order. The doctors advised re
turning home by mail steamer to San Fran
cisco, SO that greater means for curing this
persistent cough might be found in the Nsva
Hospital there; but the Admiral preferred t.
stick to his ship, still imagining that his trou
BILE would eventually be overcome by the coo
tors treatment.
No enc who looked at the admiral evel
ia those days imagined that he would tai
a victim to lung trouble. But it was tn
old story again typifed in this case. Oni.
cold at first; and in spite Of orthodo,
treatment the peculiar climatic effects o
China nursed it. and fastened the sure re
suit of such a deep.seated trouble. Tim
passed after leaving Yokohama for Boston
bringing varying symptoms in the admiral
case, aad the doctors imagined that the
held the disease 10 check at least. But witt
tie formation of tubercles, night-sweats
and the now rapid consumption of lung It's
sues, which had set IN with alarming eymp
toms. the patient realize that his cold bat
laid the seeds of that fell agent of Death
consumption The hacking cough of the Ad
m;ral had in itaelf been sufficient food 70
serious consideration, and now, as in tn
warm autumn days the flagship gallant.
rode over the blue waters of the Pa
cifc, bound for Cape Horn, the doc
tors hoped much for success. But thi
boisterous afternoon found the good shi
struggling with gigantic seas set off from tn
Cape by a fierce northerly wind. Lsade,
were the heavens and sad the hearts of al
aboard, for that morning the usual bulletin C
the medical cficers had set forth this intelli
genoa: "The Admiral is in same conditill
az reported last night. A burning fever ha
been slightly reduced, while other symptoms
are as heretofore announced" All under
stood these words without questioning. Th
beloved Admiral had during the past tw'
weeks sunk very low. The symptoms o
blood-poisoning, torpid liver, intense pain
throughout the body, eyesight and menta
faculties affected, appetite gone, through in
action of that great regulator-the liver
These were the means which had reduced tht
Admiral from the pinnacle of health to tbt
valley and shadow of death. Consumption
held full sway now, and the well-known skill
! of naval doctors was in this instance at leas
completely foiled.
The Admiral had issued orders for tbs flag
ship TO touch at Montevideo for coal, and i
was the intention of the doctors TO laud tn,
Admiral there for treatment. But one mar
in the ship was wrapped ia the gloom of dis
pair, es standing by the weather rigging OF
the poop deck be gazsd absently over TIL
seetbing waate OF waters. This was the AID
Inirafs son, Lieutenant, sind attached TO BIZ
fathers ssaF. He feared that the wear anC
tear Of ship.life would sap his father
strength beyond endurance, aud before tht
ship-could reach Montevideo. Among group
Of sailors gathered around one of the gres
guns on the spar deck stood the captain O.
the fore-sop, Brown, slight but healthy
looking msn. His companions were listenin.
to recital of dis sufferipgs from consump
ton, which had developed while he wai
attached to the sioop-of-war Ranger, lying il
the harbor of Yokohsms year ago, thil
"yarn" having been started by discussicr
about the Admirars condition. The meu hac
just returned from some work around thu
deck, an order for which had interrupted
Browns story few moments previously.
"A year sgo this day was hove to in tht
pill mans sick bay in the Ranger, then Of
Yokohama. an tell you, pardf, twas no u.s
pipin' my number, cause l YVES nigh or
passin' in my enlistment papers for long
cruise sloft," continued Brown. "Consump
ton had me fat absck, and the doctor say
it YVES no use TO stow away his lush in my
hold, ssiu' that my bellows was condemned
by higher power than he could wrestle
with"
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