Connecticut western news., 1883-05-02
United States Flagship Nomad, ]

gave me victory, you will at least credit me with just cause for sincerity in my thankful ness and belief. I 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 U. s. Navy. Hon. GEORGE WENDELL,
 Sinclair Place, Boston.
 An autumnal afternoon in the year 1S8 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 it's predecessors marked stormy, its nastl ness in wind and weather giving all hands on board the flagship their fill in hard work and discomforts. The record of the NonGd 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 Galle, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nagasaki and Yokohama, the balance sheet stood largely in favor of old Neptune's rough characteristlcs, but with remarkable evenness the health and original roster of the ships company stood ths 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, levers, liver complaints, malaria, and colds ot 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 vlc-' tory being at last scored for the destroying angel Death. When the Nonlod 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 in height, weighing two hundred pounds broad in chest and strong in limb, he rightly claimed for himself full share of Natures blessings. While returning late one night from diplomatic reception at the Consulate at Shanghai, through overheat- ing and insufficient protection from the dan gerous effects of the peculiar damp and SC earching night air, he caught cold. Only 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 in spite of their best etfortst to erad- icate it. and when the time came for leaving Yokohama, homeward bound, the admiral re- alized that his lungs and throat were decid- edly 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 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 typifed in this case. Only cold at first; and in spite of orthodox treat ment the peculiar climatic effects of China nursed it, and hastened the sure result of such deep-seated trouble. Time passed after leaving Yokohama for Boston, bringing varying symptoms in the admlraPs case, and the doctors imagined that they held the dis ease in check at least But with the forma- tion 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, consumption. The hacking cough of the admiral had in itself been sufficient food for serious consid- eration, and now, as in the warm autumn days the flagship gallantly 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 ott 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: "The admiral is in same condition as reported last night. A burning fe1 e has been slightly reduced, while other symptoms are as heretofore an- | nounced." All understood these words Yitholt questioning. The beloved admiral in1 mio uur1Hs Lne past two weeks sunk very LOW. The symptoms of blood-polsonlng, torpid liver, intense pains throughout the body, eyeslght and mental faculties affected, appe- t1te gone, through inaction of that great reg ulator-the liver. These were the means which had redu ed the admiral from the plnacle of health to the valley and shadow of death. Consumption held full sway now, and the well-known skill of naval doctors was in this instance at least completely foiled.
 The admiral had issued orders for the flag ship to touch at Moutevldeo for coal, and 1t was the intention of the doctors to land the admiral there for treatment. But man In the ship was wrapped in the gloom of de- spair, as standing by the weather rigging on the poop deck he gzed absently over the | seethlug waste of waters. This was the ad- mlraPs son, 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 of the foretop, Brown, slight but healthy looking man. His companions were listen ing to recital of his sufferings from con sumption, which had developed while he was attached to the sioop-of-war Rdnger, lying ln the harbor Of Yokohama year ago, thus 'yarn" having been started by a discussion about the admral's condition. The men had just returned from some work around the deck, an order for which la interrupted Browns story few moments previously. "A year ago this day I was hove to in the pill mans sick bay in the Ramger, then of 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. 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 denned by higher power than he could wrastle witn.'
 "How did you pucker out of it?' asked a gunner's mate.
 "Wa'au,' replied Brown, "my Chinee washman came to me one mornin' an he says to me, 'me hab got alice same Melican man medlkin, do you heap good! l says. bring it off, Chang; l buy all the same' i hat afternoon Chang hove up with fourteen bottles of lush, enough to kill or cure the whule ships crew, an that looked fresh Ill their nice wrappers. Says Chang, China man doctor hab got plentee more, he make heap good well with my sick, this number oue ll!> dk e1 alice same through Yokohama
 Wa |, 1 took the bottles an told the doctor l was goin' 10 try one as by the sa1l1n' or ders on the bottle and the docter he laughed and said twas no good, but done as the regulations says from the first, an here l am, az in the doctors ideas, to be suren'
 W Mith this triumphant assertion Brown looked about the circle. Then, lowering his voice, said: Boys, I've four of those precious bottles left-ain't give 'em all away yet after was cured-an' if you al think that it would not be too free with the old man, suppose go to his son there on the poop deck an say what I have to you, an' askin his pardon, say we want the ad- lniral to try the stuff in my bottles, seein' that they cured my consumption"
 This idea met with applo, al from ail sides. Therefore Brown walked off for al interview with the admiraps son, with no little anxiety in his good heart as to the re- suit of his mission Approaching the lieu tenant, Brown saluted, and asked for per mission to state his reasons for doing Ihis was readily granted, and Brown spoke out.
 "Seaing thlt I was once cured of con if I can tel you how, an why I've the req