The Republican journal., 1885-09-17
On a Yellow Fever Ship.

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CAPTAIN DAvENEYs TALE OF THE JOHN Glib
| SONS FATAL VOYAGE. SICK, DELIRIOUS
AND DYING. HOW DEATH WAS FACED. DIS
| INFECTION WILL NOT KILL THE PLAGUE.
The story of the plague stricken voy-
age of the bark John Gibson from Cien-
fuegos to the Delaware Breakwater, and
thence to New York, presents remark
able picture of helpless suffering and CO.
incident heroism to the eye of the merely
curious onlooker But there is a far
more important aspect to it in the light
OF science as study of the conditions in
which yellow fever may lurk undetected
and unsupported.
The one man who knows most concern
ing the outbreak and prevalence of the
dread scourge on the luckless vessel, and
who, by reason of his intelligence, is most
capable of telling the tale of suffering, is
Captain Arthur Daveney, the young skip
per who was promoted to the command
of the ship while he was yet suffering
from the fever, through the death at sea
of the captain, Leonard Nickerson. Cap
tain Daveney is native of Coburg, Ont,
about tWenty-nine years old, and slen-
der, nervy, and we'll educated fellow. He
sailed for Europe on Wednesday last on
board the steamer City of Rome. The
night before bis departure he talked with
a Herald reporter and gave concise ac-
count of the John Gibson's fatal voyage.
Captain Daveney has been about eight
years at sea, and served his apprentice
ship on All East Indiaman, running be-
tween Liverpool and Calcutta. His home
he makes with an aunt who lives in Eard-
ley Crescent, South kensington, London.
He joined the John Gibson at Buenos
Ayres as first mate in April last, Captain
Nickerson being in command. The crew
comprised six men, the cook, mate, sec
ond mate and captain-ten all told. The
| bark went to Barbados in ballast for or
ders, and there was chartered by Whit
ney & Co., Of New York, to go to Trini-
| dad, Cuba, and take cargo for this port
At Trinidad they took in half cargo of
sugar and then went to Cientuegos for the
other half. On July Is they sailed from
| Cienfuegos, with fair weather, the tenn
| perature being moderate for that latitude
THE FIRST CASE OF FEVER.
"The first show of yellow fever" said
the Captain, "was at Trini lad William
| Dunn, the cook, got the lever while he
was knocking about ashore on a drunk,
but we took him to Cienfuegos, where be
got medical attendance and ne recovered
| was attacked on July Is, the day be-
fore We sailed from Cientuegos. | did
not know what was the matter with me.
got a Cuban physician, Dr. Maceredo,
to attend me. He told me what was the
matter They would have killed me if |
had staid behind, aud as wanted to so
with the vessel the ctOr said thev had
better take me along He prescribed
for me and gave me a lot OF medicine,
and we set sail. believe the fresh air
did as much as anything to aid my re-
covery. On the 10Th Of July William
| schultz, a seaman, was caught by the
fever, and then we began to think it was
serious. Now, | lay all the time on the
open deck near the mizzen- mast, and
Schultz never once came near me.
A SAILOR HELD HIM Up.
"At last | became lemented and used
to 90 to the companion way and stand
there and refuse to let Captain Nicker-
son 90 down into his cabin On July
25 the captain was taken sick. At that
time was getting little better and had
to take charge of the ship. | was so
weak that sailor had to hold Inc up
while was taking the sights to set the
ships course. The captain told me to
try to run the bark into Nassau. set
her on that course, and at four o'clock
the next morning | made the Great ST.
lsaac's light on the great Bahama Bank.
The captain then came up on deck and
said MIR. Daveney, feel better now :;
let her GO on her proper course, and we
stood away for New York. The next
morning, at eight o'clock, the captain
was worse than ever He had some
medicine aboard and doctored himself,
but he never got up for duty again.
Three days after that he came up on
deck and began to vomit
THE CAPTAIN DELIRIOUS.
"EIo was delirious and tried to take
the sight, but knew he was crazy when
he said, Il think we ought to have passed
Hatteras this morning, Mr.. Daveney.' |
knew that we were three hundred miles
south OF the cape that very hour. Very
soon had him helped below. The next
night he called me to the cabin and said,
'Mr. Daveney, we are getting near to
port. You had better heave the lead
Poor fellow, he was very near port. We
were in the middle of Gulf Stream, with
four hundred or five hundred tathoms of
water. Still pretended that | was hay
ing the lead heaved to please him. 1t
was the second mates watch from twelve
to four in the morning, and when be
called me at four O'Clock to relieve him |
found the captain on deck again. The
mate told me the captain had been there
all night bothering him to heave the
lead. When | came up Captain Nicker-
son looked pleased and said I'm glad
you've come-now keep good lookout
for the lead we must be pretty close to
shore He soon went down again and
fell asleep. At six in the morning,
July %, he awoke and sent the steward
to tell me he wanted me and all the crew
down in the cabin. | mustered every
| body in bis room. He was sound in mind
then, and in the presence ofthe crew he
told me to put the ship into Hampton
Roads for medical assistance.
SAYING FAREWELL TO HIS CREW.
"Then be turned around to the men
ana SAID boys, | don't think shall
be with you much longer. have tried
to be good captain to you. Goodby,
and God bless you all ? With this be
dismissed the men and soon fell asleep
again. He was strongly religious man,
and not only religious, but acted up to
| what he said
1.-The next day we passed Hatteras and
tried to make Hampton Roads, but on
July 81 | got light winds and calms and
could do nothing. We lay Off and on till
next day, and in the morning the captain
had dropped into a state Of coma. At
nine O'clock | went to him. His feet
were cold and his pulse feeble. At half
| past eleven o'clock | went on deck to
take the noon sight, but had not been
there five minutes when the steward
called me back to the cabin. | went
down and held looking glass over the
captains mouth and nostrils, but he had
ceased to breathe and was dead. With
in an hour his body had changed to a
coffee color and decomposition set in be-
tween the fingers.
| BURIED AT SEA.
81 at once ordered a canvas shroud to
| ha Doa1n Tho m cai1 thay would liz