The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-09-29
TRE PLAGUE AT SEA.
The Tragedy of q Ships Crew
Stricken With Yellow Fever.

The Tragedy of a Ships Crew
Stricken With Yellow Fever.
In the gray light of a July morning
we made a sail dead ahead, close up
on the outskirts of retiring night. In
20 minutes we heard the report of
fire arms from her deck and saw that
her flag was at halt mast in token of
distress. A murmur of excited SYM
pathy al through the great throng
on the deck of the --ic. There
was another of disappointment, when
the purser told US it was a Spanish
brig. 1t was as if we had wasted
our compassiOn-an impulse natural
to the Saxon breast, born of the fierce
blood of those who peered through
the stormy passes of the Alps into
the Elysian fields of Latin foes.
The ST. ady throbbing Of the screws
slackened and ceased as we closed
upon the quarter of the helpless brig.
In a light western air she lay with
top sails backed and her jibs and
spanker idly swaying to and fro.
Four me were upon her deck, and
rs We approached lowered a boat
astern, hauled it slowly alongside, aud
entering 1t left the ship. She was
apparently deserted. They rowed
painfully toward our steamer and we
gathered on the port side, where the
rope ladder had been hung, to catch
the first glimpse Of their faces. This
we could not do; the four wore wide
sombreros aud bent to their ores
teebly but presisten,ly without once
looking up from their work. Our
captain hailed tnem impatiently -
they only waved their hands between
the clippings of the oars. They were
nov al 'ug>ide, and the bow oarsman
cIutched the ladder and began to
climb on deck. Tive Others followed
him, all three hanging like spiders
on the narrow way, resting at every
round. The NEST intense excite
ment was visible in every face that
watched them from the -ic's deck.
Our captain hailed them from the
bridge, and as before, each nan
waved his hand in q mechanical
way. Then the captain came to the
ladder awaiting their coming. The
fourth man sat still in the boat, but
those who noticed hum saw him bend
ing forward as he sat until the broad
brim of hat touched the gunwale and
the black locks of his hair showed
from behind. He seemed helpless or
asleep, hui attracted little attention
as the others climbed closer to the
deck.
AT last the uppermost had his hand
upon the steamers rail; a few more
steps and he would he on deck. A
hundred hands were ready to aid him
in what seemed q task beyond his
power. But the captain thrust them
all away, aud reaching forward lifted
his hat from his head. A general ex-
clamation of horror broke from our
eager group. There, not two feet
from the rail, looking upward the
visage of Death-a yellow, shriveled
face, aud eyes that burned with the
weak and cruel fire of wasting life.
Long and matted hair and mustache
sweeping down made the picture be-
yond fault. 1t was the look of the
baser man, after the divine and hui
man elements of his nature die away
in hunger, thirst or bodily distress,
leaving in his useless frame the rep
tile only, from whose depths the
strict Drawinians claim ascent. Ar
impulse Of terrible dread seized all
who locked upon the sallow face,
askant in all the fear Of sudden death.
The captain motioned back the
man. He tremb!ed like a leaf and
spoke for the first time:
I'VE are dying, senior::"
"Of what?"
ave do not know"
But the CAPTAIN knew, and we
shrunk as if from flames at the
words.
"They are dying Of yellow fever"
If we had doubted this, the next
moment would have proved his
judgment right. Ike man remain
ing in the boat rose sundden'y from
his seat with a quick, sharp cry,
''Santo D:os!!" and fell upon his back
dead.
The captain ordered the others
back, promising aid on board the
brig. They swore they never would
return, and began climbing with the
haste of desperation. Never will l
forget the struggle that ensued. The
leading Spaniard, clinying with both
hands to the ra,l, held back by the
broad hands of the captain, seemed
The active lersoniffc tton OF the
plague, doing battle with the lives of
all on board. He was like n mad.
he cursed and snapped his teeth;
filling the air with bitter oaths,
drawing his feet under him to the
highest round he could reach,
and threw all his strength into a ia
tai effort. He made it., and Was
thrust down again by the same
strong hands. But his feet had been
drawn 81 close to this body that they
slipped from beneath him--and for a
infant he hung above the
Others. Then he fell, striking the
next man and the third and carrying
them with him into the sea They
sunk like plummets; in a moment
more there were but three broad
hats floating upon the place of their
descent.
The captain consulted with his
first officer, a w%ell-thrown pig OF
iron crushed through the bottom of
the boat, and the bell rang out full
speed ahead.'
When the sun came up the Span
ish brig stood for an instant against
the disk and disappeared in the
radiance of its later rays.