The morning call., 1890-06-25
Return of the Adams From the
South Seas.
A Growl Over Food-The Coal Gives Out.
Veteran Downsy in Disgrace-Cast-
aways Of the Challenger.

| rleS SIX guns. One mas q crew OIL %, aQu
her officers are: James G. Green, Com
mander; John j. Hunker. Lieutenant
Commander; Absolom Kirby, Chief En-
gineer; W. FL. Buehler. Hanson r. Tyler,
Herbert WinslOw, Lieutenants; John G.
Sullivan, Passed Assistant Paymaster; E.
H. Mursteler, Passed Assistant Sur geon !;
}. II. Gibbons, w. B. Fletcher, Ensigns; T.
G. Fillette, First Lieutenant Marine Corps !;
john Early, Pay Clerk.
The man-of-war brought up the United
States mail from the islands, as she left
three days after the Australia, the last mail
steamer
SHORT-TERM MEN.
Shortly after dropping her anchor off
Jackson-street Wharf the Adams was
boarded by reporter, who was cOurteously
received by Ensign Fletcher, the officer Of
the deck. The vessel looked as clean as a
| new pin, and from her miZzenmast streamed
| the ''homeward bound" pennant, a piece of
bunting $50 feet long.
Nearly all the men on the Adams are
short-term men, whose term of service has
nearly expired, and many Of them will soon
be discharged and proceed to their homes
in the East. Among them are sixty eight
men from the Nipsic, n corresponding num-
ber from the Adams taking their places.
Among those who were transferred to the
Adams from the Nipsic was Lieutenant
| Fiilette, who was In charge of the American
| Consulate at Apia during the uprising in
the Samoan Islands. He reports that every
| thing was quiet at Samoa when he left, q nd
that the old King Malietoa was much im-
| proved in health.
The men ON the Adams say that they
were delighted to see the Charleston in
| Honolulu and were greatly impressed with
her appearance. When they left the Charles
ton was still there. The Nipsic had gone
on cruise and was eXpected to return
| about July Sd.
LONG CRUISE.
The Adams left here on June is. 1889. and
| arrived at Honolulu on July 4th; she left
there on August 4th and arrived at Apia,
Samoa, on August 10Th Commander f. L.
| Woodward, U. 5. N, was in command of
the vessel when she left here, but shortly
after she arrived at Apia he was taken i'll
and Commander James e. Green was sent
| to relieve him.
Commander Green left here on the mail
steamer for Honolulu and from there went
| to Apia on the United States steamer Mo-
hican. relieving Woodward on May 1st.
| The Adams remained at anchor at Apla
| excepting that she went to Pago Pago
Harbor once month for coaD until May
| Sd, when she sailed for Honolulu.
She arrived at Honolulu on May Goth,
after the quickest trip on record ever made
I by man. -of-war between the two places.
| She stayed at Honolulu, where the officers
were well entertained. until June 9th, when,
| after effecting transfer OF men, she sailed
| for this port
| A GRoWL ABOUT GRUB.
The men, who came up on the Adams
/ and were transferred from the Nipsic, state
that one week after the vessel left Apia for
| Honolulu the provisions gave out. The
/ steamer also fell short of coal and had to
! put into Tanning Island and lie there for
one month until the United States steamer
| Alert arrived and brought supply. The
| Alert gave them no provisions.
| They say that for six weeks-that is,
from one week after they left Apia until
they arrived at Honolulu-they had nothing
| to eat but oatmeal, except fish that they
| caught with a seine while lying at the
island. They had oatmeal "burgoo" three
times day. They blame Captain Lyons,
as they say he should by law have three
| months provisions on board VIXEN leaving
Samoa and that there was no deartn of pro-
| visions there if he and the paymaster had
felt minded to buy them. They say. too.
that the officers aft did not live on oatmeal.
| The crew Of the Adams say that the eX-
ecutive officer, HunkeD, is a pretty good
man on the whole, but complain that before
| leaving Apia he would not allow them to go
| ashore and purchase stores for their messes.
They say that on the passage up only two
| of the mesSeS had fiour-that is, with the
exception of the small allowance d0led out
weekly, in compliance with the Govorn-
ment schedule. All the men were grateful
to AL White. who has sent to them full files
of THE CALL during their long stay in the
| South Pacific.
A VETERAN IN DISGRACE.
As the reporter was walking along the
| deck of the Adams he noticed familiar
| face-that of man named DOwney, whom
he saw last on the cruiser Charleston few
| days before she left the port. Downey was
| formerly chief boatswain's mate on the
| Uan1nlio onH xybpn thu Charlpcfnn
! placed in commission he was appointed to
| the same position on her. He was one of
| the prime movers in the grand supper and
| ball which the crew of the Charleston gave
| at Odd Fellows Hall, shortly before she
| left this port.
1t appears that Downey overstepped his
| leave of absence ashore, or committed some
| other crime against the regulations of the
| navy, while the Charleston was in Homo
| lulu, ana Captain Remey sent him home on
| the Adams with recommendation to the
| powers that be that he be dismissed the
| service.
Downey is a fine looking, intelligent vet
eran seaman and feels his position keenly.
He has been in the service twenty-siX years
and in short time would have been en-
titled to retire on pension. 1t was stated
by an officer of the vessel that all the Off
GERS of the Adams have signed a petition to
the Secretary of the Navy to have DOwney
reinstated, and S125 has been collected for
him to pay his expenses TO Washington,
where he will present his case in person.
Seventy-nine dollars of the amount was
subscribed by his comrades on the Charles
ton.
TWO SAILORS OF THE CHALLENGER.
Among those who came up from Samoa
on the Adams were two-colored men, sailors,
who left here in October last as seamen on
board the three-masted schooner Challenger,
Captain Thompson, for voyage TO Apia
and return. Their names are Julius Cesar
| nafl ia ..f
279 tons burden, and Searles IL Stone Of %
California street are her managing owners
here.
When the Challenger returned here three
months ago Captain Thompson told story,
which was published in full at the time, to
the effect that the two sailors mentioned
had misconducted themselves at Apia and
been punished. Shortly after the vessel left
Apia, he stated, the men had stolen one
of the schooner's boats and gone away, evil
IDENTIFY intending to land on one OF the
islands that abound in that vicinity.
Advices since received from Tutuila were
that the sailors had been taken off an
island by the Adams. These sailors were
seen by the reporter, and while Ennis sat
on the deck peeling potatoes and OCCASION
ally nodding his woolly head in assent
Julius Cesar spun the following yarn:
SHIPPED HERE IN OCTOBER.
1--WE shipped on the Challenger here on
October 22d for voyage to Apia and re-
turn. -Four men shipped, three being col
ored men. We had good passage down Of
twenty-five days. When we got there we
discharged the cargo and then asked the
captain for liberty ashore. He said we
| could 90 ashore every night in shore boat.
| We did so, and hired Portuguese named
| Joe. When we got ready to sail the captain
| would not pay all the money we owed Joe
| and there was some trouble. The boatman
was afraid of trusting the skipper, as he
| had been sued in the courts there for bring
| ing in damaged cargo.
ave left Apia on January sth, when the
| breeze sprang up, and soon got out Of sight
| Of land. We had good breeze all that
| night, Next morning when we turned to,
the mate. ballard, told us to rig stages and
| place them over the side to chip the rust off
| the deadeyes. We did so. A nasty sea
was on and the vessel rolled considerably,