Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-29
THE CHOLERA ON SHIP.
Captain LaugobardO Tells How Near
the Crew Came to Mutiny.
From the Ee,o York Herald.

From the Ye,o York Heraid.
Captain LaugobardO, Of the Italian bark
Excelsior, came up to New York again
yesterday. lie was very sorry that his
vessel had been made thus suddenly no.
torious, but he rejoiced in the knowledge
that he had made no attemptto eyade re-
| spOnsibility, but had taken the straight
! forward course. Messrs. Fuuch, Edge ~
/ Co. congratulated him on doing 80, and
/ assured him that the health officer would
appreciate his honesty and would not sub
! je0t MIN to any unnecessary annoyance
( or detention. The quarantine authorities
/ are not crazy on the subject OF cholera,
/ and all they desire to do is TO make sure
! that the infection on the ship is killed be-
/ yOnd the possibility OF doubt
A reporter found Capt. Laugobardo at
/ the shipping Office yesterday, and, though
he could talk English very imDerfectly,
he was perfectly free and unreServed ia
| mis- statements regarding the calamity on
( his record. The name of the dead sailor,
he said, was r. Damato. be was only
! % years OF age, and was a native of
Maiuri, small town across the bay from
Naples. Tie was only sick eleven hours,
being taken down at 9 IN the evening and
dying at the next morning. The Captain
dOsed him with laudanum, very excel
lent remedy, and other medicines which
he had on board, but all to no effect. The
man became deliriOus shortly after he
was taken sick, and sank steadily, when
the black yomit struck him. When asked
if he WAS sure the disease was cholera the
Captain smiled and intimated that the
disease was not wholly stranger to him.
ALMOST MUTINY.
When Damato was dead and the captain
realized the dreadful malady to which he
had succumbed, hewas at first tempted to
90 back to Marseilles and abandon the
voyage. He even went 80 far rs to give
the necessary orders and get the PROV Of
the vessel turned toward the French port.
Atlantic travellers do not realize the diff
ferent style Of vOyaging which the placid
Mediterranean offers when the wind blows
with the current, and vessels are often be-
calmed for weeks at a single port. To get
caught in such a calm with disease like
cholera aboard IL a dreadful experience,
worse q Thousand times than sailors on
the breezy Atlantic can understand
When the captain decided that there was
no disease on board, and that it was safe
ITO resume his voyage he encountered an
unexpected obstacle. The crew r0belled.
They had got wind of the trouble and
were Danic-stricken.
The Captain expostulated with them
and reasoned with them and prayed with
them, but all to no purpose. Then he
got mad and brought out his weapons, to-
gether with scowl which was blacker
than theirs. In language which was quite
plain and unmistakable he informed them
that he was bound for America, and they
could take their choice between the port
Of New York and the port of Inferno. He
hadn't any cholera about his person, but
he had something decidedly more solid in
its workmanship, and his finger was on
the trigger. The sailors grumbled in the
language Of grand opera, and concluded
that they preferred the port OF New York
when 1t came to a choice. So the Cap
tain had the matches closed, turned on the
sulphur fumes and had the watch below
on deck for some time TO come.
A SAFE CARGO.
1t was stated very positively, yesterday,
at Funch, Edge Il Co.'s that the cargo of
the Excelsior was an entirely safe one.
The goods were for the most part packed
in cases and casks and had no cholera
germs in them. They came from clean
port Of Italy and had probably never been
injected. If they ever had Capt Laugo-
bardo's sulphurOus baths had rendered
them safe beyond all peradventure. To
make a safety still more safe, the fumes
of the health officers disinfection were to
: hpo tr.Asn rod IN