The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-05-30

IN taNOr OF tnat which Is Sneered at by old
practitioners, may startle you but 'seeing is
believing" and when | recount the attack
made on my old hulk, how near l came to
lowering my colors, and the final volley
which, through the agency above mentioned,
gave me victory, you will at least credit me
with Just cause for sincerity in my thankful
ness and belief. / will also spin my yarn
anent my China cruise, and altogether ex-
pect to entertain as well as be entertained
by you. With best wishes,
Sincerely yours,
Rear Admiral q. s. Navy.
Hon. GEoReE WENDELL,
Sinclair Place, Boston.
An autumnal afternoon in the year 1sS-
found the taut flagship Nomad rounding
the treacherous and dangerous extremity of
South America. And this day certainly in
tended to place itself on record with those Of
its predecessors marked stormy, its nRst-
ness in wind and weather giving all hands
on board the flagship their All in hard work
and discomforts. The record of the Nomdd
on this cruise, which she was now complet-
ing on her homeward bound passage to Bos-
ton, had been most disagreeable, when con-
sidered in the light of heavy weather work.
From Suez to Alden, then on to Bombay,
Point de Gale, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Shanghai, NagasaH and Yokohama, the
balance sheet stood largely in favor of old
Neptune's rough characteristics, 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. Throughout the diverse and
varied exposures incidental to cruising over
the Asiatic station, where cholera, fevers,
liver complaints, malaria, and colds of all
degrees reign in full force, none of the crew
had suffered more than temporary incon-
venience, and thus it seemed very hard that
now, in the closing days of the cruise, there
stood nine chances for, to one against, vic
tory being at last scored for the destroying
angel Death. When the Nomdd reached
Shanghai in the early portion of her cruise
ner admiral was the healthiest man aboard.
A grand specimen of manhood was he. Over
six feet in height, weighing two hundred
pounds, broad in chest and strong in limb,
be rightly claimed for himself a full share of
Natures blessings. While returning late one
night from a diplomatic reception at the
Consulate at Shanghai, through overhead
ing and insufficient protection from the dan
gerous effects of the peculiar damp and
searching night air, he caught cold. "Only
a cold" remarked the admiral to the doctors
of his ship, "and easy to cure" So thought
the medical officers, but with quiet though
insidious progression, this cold clung to the
admiral i'll spite of their best effortsto Grad
icate il, and when the time came for leaving
Yokohama, homeward bound, the admiral re-
alizld that his lungs and throat were decid-
turning home by mail steamer to San Fran
cisco so that greater means for curing this
pershtent cough might be found in the
Navai Hospital there; but the admiral pre-
ferred to stick to his ship still imagining
that his trouble would eventually be over
come by the doctors treatment.
No one who looked at the admiral even in
those days imagined that he would fall
victim to lung trouble. But it was the old
story again typihed in this case. Only
cold at first; and in spite of orthodox treat
ment the peculiar climatic effects of China
nursed it, and fastened the sure result of
such deep-seated trouble. Time passed after
leaving Yokohama for Boston, bringing
varying symptoms in the admiral's case and
the doctors imagined that they held the dis
ease IN check at least. But with the forma-
ton of tubercles, night-sweats and the now
rapid consumption of lung tissues, which
had set in with alarming symptoms. the pa
tient realized that his cold had laid the seeds
of that fell agent of Death, cOnSunDtioa
The hacking cough of the admiral had in
itself been sufficient food for serious consid-
Grafton, and now, as in the warm autumn
days the flagship calamity rode over the
blue waters of the Pacific, bound for Cape
Horn, the doctors hoped much for success
But this boisterous afternoon found the good
ship struggling with gigantic seas set off
from the Cape by a fierce noTtherly wind.
Leaden were the heavens and sad the
usual bulletin of the medical officers had set
forth this intelligence: "Ihe admiral is in
same condition as reported last night
burning fever has been slightly reduced,
while other symptoms are as heretofore an
nounced." All understood these words
without questioning. The beloved admiral
mad during the past two weeks sunk very low.
Inc symptoms of blood-poisoning, torpid
nVer, intense pains throughout the body,
eyeslght and mental faculties affected, appe-
ute gone, through inaction of that great reg
ulator-the liver. These were the means
which had reduced the admiral from the
plnacle of health to the valley and shadow of
death. Consumption held full sway now,
and the well-lnown skill of naval doctors
was IN this instance at least completely
foiled.
The admiral had issued orders for the flag
snip 10 touch at MOntevideo for coal, and it
was the intention of the doctors to land the
admiral there for treatment But one man
IN the ship was wrapped in the gloom of de-
spar, as standing by the weather rigging on
the poop deck he gaZed absently over the
seethlng waste of waters. This was the ad-
miraPs son, a lieutenant, and attache to
his fathers staff He feared that the wear
and tear of ship life would sap his fathers
strength beyond endurance, and before the
ship could reach Montevideo. Among a
group of sailors gathered around one of the
great guns on the spar deck stood the captain
or the toretop, Brown, a slight but healthy
looking man. Ills companions were listen
ing to recital of his sufferings from con
sumption, which had developed while he was
attached to the sloop-of-war Ranger, lying
IN the harbor of Yokohama year ago, this
yarn" having been started by a discussion
about the admrals condition. The men had
Just returned from some work around the
deck, an order for which had interrupted
Browns story few moments previously.
year ago this day / was hove to in the
pill mans sick bay in the Ranger, then off
Yokohama, an l tell you, pards, twas no
use pipin' my number, cause 1 was nigh on
pqssin' in my enlistment papers for a long
q. u4-e aloft," continued Brown Con
sumption had me fiat aback and the doctor
says it was no use to stow away his lush in
my hold seein' that my bellows was con
demned by a higher power than he could
wrastle with"