The bee., 1884-07-12
A HORRIBLE VOYAGE,
A Preachers Experience i'm q Chimes;
Hold i'm NIilsDcean,


Hold i'm NidsOcean'
The Rev. T. F. Clark, who circumnavi
gated the globe with a staff and KNAPP
sack, told an audience filling the Brown
Memorial church, in Syracuse, II. Y,
how he crossed the Pacific ocean. On
arrival at Japan his scanty store Of money
was so depleted that he was obliged to
ship for San Francisco on a Pacific Mail
steamer as steerage passenger. With
him in the dungeon below were several
hundred Chinese emigrants- They
looked upon the intrepid preacher with
wonder as he picked out : bunk in the
dark recesses of the ships hold. This
was the beginning of an experience
which few men would have survived.
Only a nature as desperately courageous
as that of the American travele: would
have encountered the subsequent
hardships and privations without
breaking. The voyage was extremely
rough, for days and days the
vessel being at the mercy Of the clements
as she tossed il the tempest on the bill
lowy deep. AS matter of safety it be.
came necessary to fasten the matches over
the steerage. Mr.. Clark thus became a
prisoner in the bowels of the ship, pris-
oner in nest of vermin, prisoner in
pit reeking with the filth Of a small army.
! The noisome character of the horrible
place was rendered more and more unen-
durable by the shocking habits of the
| Orientals and the continuance of their
confinement. Sea-sickness was generally
prevalent among them. This alone would
have contaminated the air beyond posi-
bil;ty of healthfulness. What was worse,
type of varioloid broke out among the
heather, who suffered the tortures of the
damned in the agonies of disease. There
was no relief, whatever, the officer of the
ship seeming to be powerless to better the
condition of things. Aware of the dan
| gers to which he was exposed, Mr.. Clark
appealed to be removed to another part OF
the vessel, offering as security for the ul,
! innate payment of his passage more than
its value in a watch and chain and 9
collection of curiosities and trinkets
picked up during the tour. Seven
dollars was the extent of his ready
money. The officers of the ship, how.
ever, refused to allow him to come forth
Ou uuS III DtSSCu.
prayed, pleaded for release from the hor
rors of his situation. There was, how
ever, no escape. The storm ragged una
bated in the sea. Darkness reigned be-
low, the overpowering oppressiveness of
the place being broken in upon by the
shrieks of the agonized passengers, which
never ceased by day or night. He'll could
not be crowded with scenes more horri-
ble. One of the poor fellows lay dying
in his bunk near Mr.. Clark for several
days. The tortures he lived through
were most pitiful. No attention was paid
to him by his fellows, who were either
too stupid with opium, or too sick them
selves to care for their best friend. One
morning Mr.. Clark found the unfortun-
ate heather dangling out Of h's berth, a
corpse, his eyes staring in the SEMI
darkness with fearful agony. showing
what his end must have been. Word
was got to the deck of the death. Three
or four hulking scamCn came below to
remove the body. 1t was pullrd down
by the haic of the head ia ling t. the
detiled floor with 4 thu J. 1t WIS pre-
served i'll a refrigerator Until Ianl was
reached. The steamship com paly,und2r
the contract allowing it to land l.: Oricn.
tai ports, guarantee blral on lml II all
| Chinese.
Owing to the fact bcinG no'scl about
that an American was in tn st cragc.
enough of protest was raised am ing the
passengers to have Mr.. Ch:k bro Ight
up. lie had been in the chamber of hor-
rors three days Another da: would have
resulted ir death 1t was several days
before he vs. able to stand upol his LEGS.
A compassionate passenger consan.e to
take Mr. Clark into his berth at the
cost of forfeitin@ his own right to go
into the saloon. The preva eHcc of var
foloid in the hold nccesstatcd this pre-
caution. The remainder of the voyage
was made with more comfort.