Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-04-25
LOST In NEW YORK BAY.


city was then full of seafaring men, who
had servGi in the volunteer navy, and
many of whom had even carried muskets
in the army.
American shipping had been, SO to
speak, run off the high seas, and even
the packet ships-that is, many of them
flew the English flag, although they
wereowned in New York as much as in
Liverpool.
Sailor Town, as the Fourth and part of
the Seventh wards of New York were
styled then, was full of sailors boarding
houses, many of them places of dreadful
repute, wherein Jack was taken to live
on his return from sea, heeced and shang-
haied-that is, placed insensible on board
of an outward bound ship, without any
money and with very little wardrobe in
his canvas bag.
There were few, a very few, reputa-
BILE sailors boarding houses there, and
the safest place for a mariner ashore was
assuredly the Sailors Home, at No. 100
Cherry street, which had been conducted
on the most excellent plan, under the
admirable guidance of Capts. Walford
and Richardson, who were connected
with the directorate of the Seaman's
Savings bank.
The Home" at the time of which l
speak was full of sailors, some of whom
were in arrears in their board and most
&c ,,,lop, xyara dou,,, 70 fl,air 10 OF dollar
Nevertheless they were well treated,
for they were, as a rule, sober men, de-
sirous of seeking employment and will
ing to go to sea if they could get ship.
Among the boarders We're three men,
Isaac Reed, an elderly Englishman who
had fought the Merrimac in the FIRST
Monitor; Harry Elliott, curly headed
lad from Newburyport, Mass, who had
Just felt that he could "ship' rs an able
seaman, for he had turned 2l, and had
been seven years a mariner; and the
third was a Spaniard named Antonio,
who had sailed out of the United States
so long that he was very jealous of his
citizenship and took great care Of an old
American protection" - document
similar to that with which all foreign
born seamen in American vessels were
furnished to protect them from being
held for military or naval service in their
own countries in Europe when they went
thither from American ports.
These three men were types Of the sea-
men of that day. They had been filed
with the importance of the victories
gained by Farragut, and as they hailed
from the ''States" themselves, were very
anxious to obtain berths together, on
board OF an American ship if possible,
or an English one if it must be.
Day after day they had struggled from
shippin@ cldce to shipping Office along
South street in quest of employment.
and day .,.er day they returned to the
Sailors Home at No, 100 detected and
disappointed.
They had been ashore for more than
three mon, hs, all their money was gone
and they were gradually getting deeper
and deeper in debt to the managers of
the Home, who, it must be noted, were
very leuient with worthy men,
Night after night the three poor fel-
lows sat together in the smoking room
conversing in low tones about their wan
derings and the morrows prospects, and
night after night they went into prayers
and listened to the sweet voices of the
young ladies of the managers families
singing the good old fashioned penny
royal tunes that Downeasters loved to
hear.
At last, ABOUT the latter end of Janu-
ary, the three sailors sailed forth one
morning determined to take anything
that might present itself, and they
crossed over to Brooklyn, where lot of
English vessels were moored, almost
ready for sea, in the Atlantic dock basin.
They boarded a brig called the Elliott
because the name attracted Harry Ell.
liott's attention, and he said "lIen, this
looks like luck. She's juicer, but that
makes no difference. Her names the
same as mine. Who knows but there
may be a berth for one or more of us on
her"
Over the side went the three sailors
and they spoke to the mate, a Scotch
man, and learned from him that the cap
tain was going to ship a crew the very
next day, rs the brig was ready for sea
While the lads were conversing with tht
mate, the captain came down the quay
and over the gangway. The work of in
PRODUCTION and explanation did not takt
long, and the captain being pleased tina
these sailors boarded at the "Home" anC
could not therefore be "packet rats;
class of voyageur much feared by al
reputable shippers because of their habit
andlack of seamanship-bade them com,
up to the British consul, No. 10 Broad
way, the next day and sign articles.
The three seamen returned to TIN
''Home" that night with light hearts anC
a prospect of half months advance
apiece, which would enable them to pa.
part, at least, of their overdue boarC
bills and save their good names with tn,
kind managers
To make long story short, the thre
men. Reed, Elliott and Antonio wer
shipped. and attended the last praye
meeting at the Sailors Home on Feb. 4
as they were to haul the brig out am,
sell on the morrow.
The old man and his mates thanke
the good lady superintendent of tn
"Homc," after prayers that night, fo
I Niaa