The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-03-31

FAVOR Oh mat which is sneered at by old prac-
titioners, MY startle you, but seeing is beiey-
ing" and when recount the attack made
on my old hulk, how near came to lowerinr
my coiors, and the final volley, which, through
the agency above. mentioned, gave me VIC
tory, you Will at least credit me with lust
cause Tor sincerity in my thanklulness and
peneI L VIII also spin my yarn anent my
CHINA cruise, and, altogether, expect to en-
terrain as well as be entertained by you.
Win Dest wishes, Sincerely yours,
Rear Admiral u. s. Navy.
Hon. GEORGE WENDELL,
sinclair Place, Boston.
An autumral afternoon in the year 1SS-
found the taut flagship Nonaad rounding
the treacherous and dangerous extremity OF
south America. And this day certainly in
tended to place itself on record with those of
It's predecessors marked stormy, its nastiness
In wind and weather giving all hands on board
The 1jgship their fill in hard work and dis :
comforts. The record OF the NOnldd on this
cruise, which she was now completing on her
homeward bound pass sc TO Boston, had
been most disagreeable, when considered in
the light OF heavy weather work. From Suez
TO Alden, then on to Bombay, Point de Gale,
singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, NagGsaki
anu Yokohama, tue balance sheet stood
largely in favor of old Neptune's rough char
acterlsties, but with remarkable eyenness the
health ami original roster of the ships COM
pany stood. this day as it did nearly three
years ago-Bith one exception. Throughout
the diverse and varied exposures incidental
to cruising over the Asiatic station, where
cholera, fevers, liver co mplaints, malaria, and
colds OF all degrees reign in full force, none
OF the crew had suffered more than tenn
porary Inconvenience, and thus it seemed
very hard that now, in the closing DAYS OF
the cruise, there stood nine chances for, to
one against, a victory being at last scored for
HpgtFnUin % he II
reached Shanghai IN the early portion of her
cruise her admiral was the healthiest man
aboard. grand specimen of manhood was
he. Over SIX feet 10 height, weighing two
hundred pounds, broad in chest aud strong in
limb, he rightly claimed for himself a full
share OF Natures blessings. While returning
late one night from diplomatic reception at
the Consulate at Shanghai, through over
heating and insufficient protection from the
dangerous effects of the peculiarly damp and
searching night air, he caught cold. "Only
cold, " remarked the admiral to the doctors
OF his ship, land easy to cure" So thought
the medical officers, but with quiet though
insidious progression, this cold chung to the
admiral in spite of their best efforts to erali-
cate it, and when the time came for leaving
Yokohama, homewdrd bound, the admiral
realized that his lungs and throat were deci-
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
Naval Hospital there; but the admiral
preferred to stick to his ship, still i'm
sgining 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 typitied 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 such a
deep-seated trouble. Time passed after leav-
ing 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 formation of
tubercles, night-sweats, and the now rapid
consumption of lung tissues. which had set
In with alarming symptoms, the patient
realized that his cold had laid the seeds of
that fell agent of Death, consumption. The
hacking cough of the admiral had in itself
sderation, and now, as in the warm
autumn days the flagship CALAMITY rode
over the blue waters Of tle Pacific, bound for
Cape Horn, the doctors hoped much for sue
cess. But this boisterous afternoon iound
the good ship struggling with gigantic seas
set of from the Cape by a 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 in
same condition as reported last night A
burning fever his been slightly reduced,
while other symptoms are a S heretofore an
nounced." All understood these words with
out questioning. The beloved admiral had
during the past two weeks sunk very low.
The symptoms of blocd-posonng, a torpid
liver, intense pains throughout the body, eye
sight and mental faculties affected, appetite
gone, through inaction OF that great regula-
tor-the liver These were the means which
had reduced the admiral from the pinnacle of
health to the valley and shadow of de tn
Consumption held full sway now, and the we'll
known skill of naval doctors was in this in
stance at least completely foiled.
The admiral had issued orders for the flag
ship to touch at Monteyideo for coal, and it
was the intention OF the doctors to land the
admiral there for treatment But one man
in the ship was wra' ped in the gloom of dis
pair, as standing by the weather rigging on
the poop deck he gaZed absently over the
seething waste of waters. This was the adj
miraPs son, a lieutenant, and attached to his
fathers staff. He feared that the wear and
tear of ship-life would aphis 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 of the fore-top,
Brown, a slight but healthy looking man.
His companions were listening to a recital of
his sufferings from consumption, which had
developed while he was attached to the sloop-
of-war Ranger, lying in the harbor of Yol1D-
hama a year ago. this "yarn" having been
started by adiscussion about the admiral's
condition: The men had just returned from
some work around the deck, an order for
which had interrupted Browns story a few
moments previously.
"a year ago this day was hove to in the
pill MANS sick bay in the Ranger. then off
Yokohama, an / tell you, pards, twas no use
pipin' my number, cause ] was nigh on
passin' in my enlistment papers for long
cruise aloft," continued Brown. "Consump-
ton had me fiat aback, and the doctor says it
was no use to stow away his lush in my hold