Huntsville gazette., 1884-01-12
A MYSTERY OF THE SEA.
The Fate Which Overlook the "City of
Boston."-Captain Murray's Ideas
and Experiences.

A few years ago, the City of Boston
sailed from harbor, crowded with an ex-
pectant throng Of passengers bound for
foreign shore.
She never entered port.
The mystery of her untimely end grows
deeper as the years increase, and the At
lantic voyager, when the fierce winds
howl around and danger is imminent on
every hand, shudders as the name and
mysterious fate Of that magnificent vessel
are alluded to.
Our reporter, on a recent visit to New
York. took lunch with Captain George
Siddons Murray, on board the AldSkG, of
the Guion line. Captain Murray is a man
of stalwart build, well-knit frame and
CHEEKY, genial disposition. He has been
constant voyager for a quarter of cent
ury, over half of that time having been in
the transatlantic service. In the course
of the conversation over the Widespread
table, the mystery of the City of Boston
was alluded to.
eyes, "remarked the Captain, 81 shall
| never forget the last night we saw that i'll
| fated vessel. l was chief officer of the
| City Of AntaUerp. On the day we sighted
| the city Of Boston furious southeast
| hurricane set in. Both vessels labored
| hard. The sea seemed determined to
sweep away every vestige of life. When
| day ended the gale did not abate, and ev
erything was dashed for night of unusual
| fury. Our good ship was turned to the
| south to avoid the possibility of ice bergs.
| The City Of Boston, however, undoubtedly
| went to the north. Her boats, life pre-
servers and RATS were all securely lashed;
| and when she went down every thing went
| with her, never to re-appear until the sea
| gives pits dead"
| What, in your opinion, Captain, was
| the cause of the loss ofthe City of Boston?"
The Guy OF Limerick, in almost pre-
| cisely the same latitude, few days later,
| found the sea full of floating ice; and l
have no doubt the CITY Of Boston collided
with the ice, and sunk Immediately"
| Captain Murray has been in command of
| the Alaska ever since she was put in COM
mission and feels justly proud of his noble
| ship. She carries thousands of passengers
every year, and has greatly popularized
the Williams & Guion line. Remarking
upon the bronzed and healthy appearance
of the Captain, the reporter said that sea
| life did not seem to be very great phys
| ical trial.
"No? But PERSONS appearance is not
always trustworthy indication of his
| physical condition. For seven years l
have been in many respects very much out
| of sorts with myself. At certain times /
was so lame that it was difficult for me to
move around. | could scarcely. straighten
| up. l did not know what the trouble was,
and though performed all my duties reg.
| ularly and satisfactorily, yet l felt that |
might some day be overtaken with some
serious .prostratlng disorder. These
/ troubles increased. felt dull and then,
| again, shooting pains through my arms
| and limbs. Possibly the next day would
| feel flushed and unaccountably uneasy
| and the day following chilly and despond-
| ent. This continued until last December,
| when l was Frustrated soon after leaving
thear 7e,- IF fhka
| voyage was helpless, pitiful sufferer. In
| January last, friend who made that voy
| age with me, wrote me a letter urging me
| to try new course of treatment. | glad
| ly accepted his counsel, and for the last
seven months have given thorough and
| business-like attention to the recovery of
| my natural health; and to-day, have the
proud satisfaction of saying to you that
| the lame back, the strange feelings, the
| sciatic rheumatism which have so long
| pursued me, have entirely disappeared
| through the blood-purifying influence of
| Warmers Safe Rheumatic Cure which en-
| tirely eradicated all rheumatic poison
| from my system. Indeed, to me, it seems
that it has worked wonders, and there
fore most cordially commend it."
"And you have no trouble now in expos
ing yourself to the winds of the Atlautic?o
"Not the least. l am as sound as bull
let and l feel specially thankful over the
fact because l believe rheumatic and kid
ney disease is in the blood of my family. /
| was dreadfully shocked on my last arrival
in Liverpool to learn that my brother, who
is wealthy China tea merchant, had sud-
denly died Of Bright's disease of the kid
neys, and consider myself extremely fort
, uaate in having taken my trouble in time
and before any more serious effects were
possible"
The conversation drifted to other topics,
and as the writer watched the face before
him, so strong in all its outlines and vet so
genial, and thought of the innumerable ex-
posures and hardships to which its owner
had been exposed, he instinctively wished
all who are suffering from the terrible
rheumatic troubles now so common might
know of Captain Murray's experience and
the means by which he had been restored.
Pain is common thing in this world, but
far too many endure it when they might
just as well avoid it. 1t is false philoso-
ply which teaches US to endure when we
| can Just as readily avoid. So thought the
hearty Captain of the Alaska, so thinks
the writer and SO should all others think
- -. L. -