Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-06-12
A HORRIBLE VOYAGE.
reacher's Experience in a Chinese
Hold in Mid-0eean.
Syracuse Standard.


The Rev. I. f. Clark. who circum.
navigated the globe with a staff and
knapsack told an audience filing the
Brown Memorial church the other
night how he crossed the Pacific
ocean. On arriving 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 a Storage passenger. With him
in the dungeon below were several
hundred Chinese immigrants. 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 expert
ence which few men would have sur
vlved. Only q nature as desperately
courageous as that Of the American
traveller 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
elements, as she tossed in the tempest
on tho billowy deep AS matter of
safety it became necessary to fasten
the matches over the steerage. Mr..
Clark thus became q prisoner in the
bowels of the ship, a prisoner in nest
of Vermm, prisoner in a pit reck-
ing with the filth of a small army.
The noisome character of the horrible
place was rendered more and more
uncomfortable by the shocking habits
of the Orlentals and the continuance
of their confinement Sea sickness
was general prevalent among them.
This alone would have contaminated
the air beyond the possibility of
healthfulness. What was worse, a
type of varioloid broke out among the
heather, who suffered the torments of
the damned in the agonies of disease.
There was no relief whatever, the
officers of the ship seeming to be pow
erless to better the condition of
things.
Aware of the dangers to which he
was exposed, Mr.. Clark appealed to
be removed to another part of the
vessel, offering as security for the
ultimate payment of his passage more
than its value in watch and chain
and a collection of curiosities and
trinkets picked up during the tour
Seven dollars was the extent of his
needy money. The officers of the
ship, however. refused to allow him to
come forth on any consideration He
begged, prayed, pleaded for release
from the horrors of his situation.
There was, however, no hope of escape.
The storm ragged undated in the sea.
Darkness reigned below, the over
powering oppressiveness of the place
being broken in upon by the agonized
passengers, which never ceased by
day or night. He'll could not be
crowded with scenes more horrible
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 themselves to care for their best
friend. One morning Mr.. Clark
found the unfortunate heather dang
ling out of his berth, corpse, his
eyes staringin 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 seamen came below to re
move the body. 1t was pulled down
by the hair of the head, falling to the
defiled floor with thud 1t was pre-
served in a refrigerator until land was
reached The steamship company,
under the contract allowing it to land
in Oriental ports, guarantee burial on
land to all Chinese.
Owing to the fact being noised
about that an American was in the
steerage enough of protest was raised
among the passengers to have Mr..
Clark brought up. He had been in
this chamber of horrors three days.
Another day would have resulted
death. 1t was several days before he
was able to stand upon his legs. A
compass .onate passenger consented to
take Mr.. Clark into his berth at the
cost of FORGETTING his own right to go
into the saloon. The prevalence of
variOloid IN the hold necessitated this
precaution. The remainder of the
yOVape was made with more comfort