Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-03-31


mentioned, gave me victory, you will
at least credit me with just cause for
sincerity in my thankfulnesS and teN
lief | will also spin my yarn aIent
my China cruise. and altogether, ex-
pect to entertain as we'll as be enter
tanned by you. With best wishes,
Sincerely yours.
Rear Admiral U. S. Navy.
HON. GEORGE WENDELL,
Sinclair Place, Boston.
An autumnsl afternoon in the year
188- found the taunt flagship Nomad
rounding the treacherous and dagger
GUS extremity of South America.
And this day certainly intended to
place itself on record with those Of its
predecessors marked stormy, its nasti-
ness in wind and weather giving all
hands on board the flagship their
fill in hard work and discomfort
The record of the Nomsd
on this cruise, which she was now
completing on her homeward bound
passage to Boston, had been most dis
agreeable, when considered in the
light Of heavy weather work. From
Suez to Alden. then on to Bombay,
Point de Gallie, Singapore, Hong
Kong, Shanghai, Nagssaki, and Yo-
kohama, the balance sheet stood large
ly in favor Of old Neptune's rough
characteristics, but with remarkable
evenness the health and original ros-
ter of the ships company stood this
day as it did nearly three years ago
with one exception. Throughout the
diverse aud varied exposures inciden.
tai to cruising over the Asiatic sta
ton, where cholera, fevers, liver COM
plants, malaria and colds of all de-
grees reign in full force, none OF the
crew had suffered more than tempo>
rary inconvenience and thus it 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 the destroying
angel Death. When the Nomad
reached Shanghai in the early portion
of her cruise, her Admiral was the
healthiest man aboard. A grand spec
linen OF manhood was he. Over six
feet 10 hight. weighing two hundred
pounds, broad in chest and strong 10
limb, he rightly claimed for himself
full share of Natures blessings.
While returning late one night from a
diplomatic reception at the Consulate
at Shanghai, through oyerheating and
insufficient protection from the dan
gerous effects of the peculiarly damp
and searching night air, he caught
cold. Only a cold. remarked the
Admiral to the doctors of his snip,
land easy to cure" So thought the
medical officers, but with a quiet
though insidious progression, this
cold clung to the Admiral in spite Of
their best efforts to eradicate it, and
when the time came for leaving Yo-
kohama, homeward bound, the Ad>
mirsl real lied that his lungs and
throat were decidedly out of order
The doctors advised returning home
by mail steamer to San Francisco, SO
that greater means for curing this
persistent cough might be found in
the Naval Hospital there; but the Ad-
miral preferred to stick to his ship,
still imagining that his trouble would
eventually be overcome 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 typi6ed
in this case. Only cold at first; and
in spite Of orthodox treatment the
peculiar climatic effects Of China
nursed it, and fastened the sure
result of 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 disease in
check at least. But with the lorna.
tlon OF tubercles, night sweats, anG
the now rapid consumption Of lung
tissues, which had set in with alarm,
ing symptoms, the patient realized
that his cold had laid the seeds Of
that fell agent of Death, con
sumption. The hacking cough of th,
Admiral had in itself been suficien
food for serious consideration, and now
as in the warm autumn days the flag
ship CALAMITY rode over the blue wa,
ters OF the Pacific, bound for Cane
Horn, the doctors hoped much fol
success, But this boisterous after
noon found the good ship struggling
with gigantic seas set of from tn
Cape by fierce northerly wind
Leaden were the heavens and sad tn
hearts of all aboard, for that morning
the usual bulletin Of the medica
officers had set forth this intelligence
"The Admiral is in same condition a
reported last night. A burning feve
has been slightly reduced, Will
other symptoms are as heretofore an
nounced." All understood thes
words without questioning. The be
loved Admiral had during the pas
two weeks sunk very low. The symp
toms of blood poisoning, q tOrpi'
liver, intense pains throughout tn
body, eyesisht and mental facultie
Affected, appetite gone, through mac
ton OF that great regulator-th,
liver. These we're the means which
had reduced the Admiral from tho
pinnacle OF health to the valley and
shadow Of death. Consumption Lid