The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-04-14

itettI Auulltdl I. ;. Navy.
Hon. GEORGE WENDELL,
Sinclair Place, Boston

Rear Admiral U. S. Navy.
| Hon. GEORGE WENDELL,
Sinclair Place, Boston.
| An autumnal afternoon in the wear 1888
! found the taunt flagship Nomad roundinp the
! lfeacnefous ana dangerous extremity Of South
America. And this day certainly intended to
| place itself on record with those of its prede-
| cessors marked stormy, Its nastiness in wind
! and weather giving ell hands on board the Il %
! ship thtr til III hard work ~ d ,lIscolnforts
| The record OF the Nomad 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 Gale, Singapore
| Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nagasaki, and Yoke.
| hama, the balance sheet stood largely in favor
! of old Neptune's rough Characteristics, but
| with remarkable evenness and health aud origi-
mai roster OF the ships company stood tLis AZ
| as 1t did neatly three Yeas ago-wish one ex-
! ceptlUn. Throughout the diverse and varied
| exposures Incidental to cruising over the
! Aslauc station, where cholera, teyers liver
! complaints, malaria, and C Ids of all degrees
| reign III full force, none of the crew had suf-
| tered more than temporary inconvenience, and
| thus It seemed very hard that now, is the clos
ing days OF the cruise, there stood nine chances
| Tor, to one against, a victory being at last
| scored for the destroying angel Death. When
| the Nomad reached Shanghai in the carly
| healtmest 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, he rightly claimed for him
| self full share OF Natures blessings While
| returning late one night from a diplomatic re-
| ce2tion a the Consulate at Shanghai through
| oyer-heatlug and insufficient protection from
| the dangerous effects of the peculiarly damp
f, and searching night air, he caught cold
only cold, remarked the aGmirai to the
| doctors of his ship, ''and easy to cure" SO
| thought the medical officers but with Guiet
though lnsldous progression, this cold chung
to the admiral III spite of their best effolts to
| eradicate 1t, and when the time came for leay-
| ing Yokohama, hOmeward bound, the admiral
| realized that his lungs ana throat were de-
| cldedly ont of order. The doctors advised Ie-
| turning home by mail steamer TO san Fran
! CISCO so that greater means for curing this
| persistent cough might be found in the Naval
! Hospital there; but the admiral preferred to
! stick to hls 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 a vic
| TIM to lung uouble. But it was the old story
| again typIlied III this case. Only a cold at
! first; and Ill spite Of orthodox treatment the
| peculiar climatic effects of China Rursed it, and
| fastened the sule result of such deep-seatod
| trouble. Time passed after leaving Yokohama
/
| admuals case. and the COcLoi's imagined that
| they held the disease in check at least. But
| with the formation of tuberces, night-sweats,
and the now rapid consumption of lung tissues,
| which set Ia with alarming symptoms, the pa
! tent realized that his cold had laid the seeds
| OF that fell agent of Death, consumption. The
| hacking cough of the admiral had in itself been
/ sufficient food for serious consideration and
now, as III the VAIN autumn days the flagship
| calamity rode over the blue waters of the Pa
c1lc bound for Cape Horn, the doctors hoped
much for success. But This boisterous after
| noon found The good sblp struggling with
! gigantic seas set off from the cape by fierce
| northerly wind. Leaden were the heavens and
| sad the hearts of all aboard, for that morning
| the usual bulletin of the medical officers had
| set forth this Intelligence: 1.-The admiral is Ill
| same condition as reported last night. A burn
lug fever has been slightly reduced. while other
| symptoms heretofore announced" All
| understood these words without questioning.
| The beloved admiral had during the past two
| weeks sunk very low. The symptoms Of blood
| poisoning. a tordid hver intense pains through
| out the body, eyesight and mental faculties
Affected, appetite gone, through inaction of
| that great TegUlatOr-the liver. These were
| the means which had reduced the admiral from
| tie pinnacle OF health to the valley aud shadow
Of death. Consumption held full sway now,
and the well-known skill of naval doctors was
| Ill this instance at least completely foed.
| ship to touch at MontevideO for coal. and IT
| was the intention of the doctors 10 land the
| admiral there for treatment. But one man in
! the ship was wrapped IN the gloom of despair,
| as standing by the weather rigging Oh the
| poop deck lie gazcd absently over the seethlng
! waste of waters. This was the admral's son,
Lieutenant, and attached to his father s stat If.
lie feared that the wear and tear of ship-llfe
! would sap his fathers strength beyond endur-
ance, and before the ship could reach Monte
| Vldeo' Among the group of sailors gathered
around one OF the great guns on the spar deck
| stood the captain of the fOre-tOp. Brown. a
slight but healthy los king man. His compan-
| ions were listening to a recital of his sufferIngs
from consumption, which had developed while
| he vas attached to the sloOp-of-war Ranger,
| lying Ill the harb0r of Yokohama a year ago,
| this yarn having been started by q discus
| sion about the admIral's condition. The men
| had Just returned from some work around the
| deck, an order for which had interrupted
| Browns story few moments previously.
"A year ago this day / was hove to in the
pin mans sick bay III the Ranger, then off
| Yokohama. an l tell YOU. pards, twas no use
ppm my number, cause 1 was nigh on passin'
IN my enlistment papers for a long cruise
| aloft, continued Brown. " Consumption had
| me fiat back, and the doctor says it was use
to stow away his lush IN my hold seem that
my bellows was condemned by higher power
than he could wrastle with"
How did you pucker oat of it p asked a
| gunners mate.
"Wa'all," replied Brown, "my Chinee wash
| man come TO me one mOrnlu an he SAYS to
! me, me hab got alice same Mclean man midi
kin, do you heap goodn [ says bring it off,
| Chang. | buy all the same. That afternoon
Chang hove in with fourteen bottles of a lush,
| enough to kill cure the whole ships crew,
| an that looked fresh IN their nice wrappers.
Says Chang, China man doctor hab got plen-
tee more, he make heap good wei with my
! sick, this number one medikin alice same
! through Yokohama Wa'ali, took the bot
ties an told the doctor / was goin' to try one
as by the sailin' orders on the bottle, and the
| doctor he laughed and says twas no good, but
| l done as the regulations saws from the first,
| an here am, ag lin the doctors ideas to be
| surer'
| WitL this triumphant assertion Brown looked
| about the circle. Then, lowering bis voice.
| said, boys, I've four of those precious bot
/ ties left-alnt give 'em all away vet after / was
cured-an' If you all think that it would not
| be too free with the old man, suppose l go to
his son there on the poop deck an say what 1
| have to you, an askIn' his pardon. say we want
/ the admiral to try the stuff sn my bottles, see
/ IN that they cured my consul mphon."
! This idea met with approval from all sides.
| Therefore Brown walked off for the interview
with the admiral's son, with no little anxiety in
his good heart as to the result of his mission.
| Approaching the lieutenant, Brown saluted,
I
| for doing so. This was readily granted, and
Brown spoke ont.
''Seeing that l was once cured of consump-
ton, lieutenant, | make bold to ask If | can
tell you how, an why I've the reasons for wish
ing you to use on your father what was my sal
/ vation.n
/ In few moments the lieutenant had Browns
/ story out, and much to the latter's gratifca-
/ ton, granted a ready permission to him It
/ did not take Brown long to run to his dltty
4 box, get the bottles of medicine, and return to
/ the lieutenant with them.
"Im afeared that the doctors will kick ag' in
/ the use of this blessed stuff, an what wild you
/ do, sir, said Brown, as he placed the medl-
| cine in the cabin orderly's hands to be taken
/ into the admirsl's room.
/ - will attend to that, Brown, and rest as
J sured that your remedy viii have fair trial III
/ spite of any opposition. 1t will not harm my
+ father, judging from your statement and the
/ opinion of the medical officers Of the Ranger.
/ THANK yod, sir. am God help the admiral
to weather his trouble, Is the prayer of all the
/ ship, said Brown, as the lieutenant turned TO
| enter the cabin.