Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-29
DEATH IN THE TEAPOT.
A Fearful Detection Which Rendered
the Men Blind and Reduced Them to
Mere Skeletons.
From the Neac York .Lournal.

From the Near York Journal.
The bark seryuga cleared from Brunswick.
Ga, with a cargo of oil barrels, bound for
Hamburg, about three months agO. Her skip
per, Captain Wright, weighed something like
300 pounds when the voyage began and had to
be careful how he moved about the vessel for
fear of listing the cargo. His brother william,
the first mate, a second mate, a cook and SIX
men made up the ships company. All were
in splendid health
After being out a few DAYS the Captain, the
two mates and the cook suddenly berame Sc
rlOusly ill. Day after day their condition be-
came worse until they were barely ahle TO
crawl about the deck. The mysterious mala-
dy affected their eyes to such an extent that
the officers were frequently unable 10 make
observations or examine the charts. The crew
continued to be in good health
When Hamburg was reached the Captain
and his officers were almost blind and were
obliged to 60 10 a hospital When the ship
was ready TO sail for New York with cargo
of phosphate the second mate was TOO III to go
aboard and another was shipped in his place.
The vessel was hardly out of sight Of land
when the Captain, mates and COOK were again
seized with the illness in more virulent
form than ever.
The portly form Of the Captain faded away
VisiDly until of his 800 pounds but 100 re-
manned. When the SurYuga reached the Ma
tlonal Storage Company's dock at Communl-
paw week ago the officers were at the last
gasp ana had to be lifted down the vessel 8
sid, All four were almost completely blind,
The crew all looked well and hearty.
DR.. j. o. Tansley, an ocuilst, examined the
sick man and found the blood vessels OF the
eyes frightfully congested. DIR. Cyrus Edison,
of the Board OF Health, was asked to investi-
gate the mystery, and made car full exam
. nation of the ships larder. All the prOvi-
sions were found to be of excellent quality
andin fine state of preservation. The cook
ing utensils were bright and free from any
suspicion of lead or verdigris and the water
was foundtO be all right.
The doctor was completely at a loss until it
occurred 10 him to examine the tea. IL had
been bought in Brunswick and proved to be
an astonishing compound. OF which 10 per
cent. might be old tea leaves and the rest a
mass OF dried leaves of various kinds, broken
twigs, dirt and miscellaneous rubbish. DR..
Edison found that 1t was the custom on board
the Seryugs 10 prepare the "tea" for the cap
tain and FIRST mate from this delectable mass.
and that the following day the leaves were
boiled down for the breakfast of the second
mate, and the cook on the day after again fig
ured il the composition of 'tea" for the fore
castle.
This fully accounted for the fact that the
Captain and first mate suffered much more
severely than the second mate and The cook
and that the forecastle hands had been little,
or at all, affected. During the trip from
Hamburg kindhearted sailor treated a
couple OF pet rabbits to dish of the tea
leaves" AS a substitute for cabbage. In an
hour both the animals were dead.
Mr.. Edison has not yet been able
to make complete analysis of the
tea" but is pretty sure that it
consists in great part OF the leaves OF pois-
onous plants. After reserving sufficient
portion for examination he caused the rest Of
it to be destroyed.
Capt. Wrlghts wife came on from Maine
on the arrival OF the vessel. She was una lie
to recognize IN what remained of her hus-
band the pOrtly skipper from whom she mad
parted only three months before,