The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-18
HER LAST VOYAGE.
The LagOda Condemned and Sold
at Yokohama.
A Leak Sprung Which Could Not Be Stopped.
Mutiny Of the Crew on the High
Seas-Ths Whaling Fleet.

The steamer Rio de Janeiro, which arrived
from Yokohama yesterday, brought three OF
the crew of the whaling bark Lagoda, includ-
ing three of the mates.
TIE Lagoda will never again make another
trip to the Arctic. The story of her last
voyage Is a most interesting one, carrying
with it long contest between the crew and
the captain regarding the navigation of the
vessel. and the final triumph of the men
after the outbreak of mutiny.
The story a $50 contains the meeting of I'M
usual hardships on the sea, and ends with
the final condemnation of the Lagoda, and
her RELOCATION to the fire and junk-shop.
From one of the mates the first details of
her eventful voyage were obtained yesterday.
The Lagoda left this port on whaling
voyage at the opening of the season, but had
not long been under way when a leak was
sprung. At the Caroline Islands the leak
increased, so that all hands were required at
the pumps. In the Yellow Sea the leakage
became frightful, the double pumps being
used and the pumping continuing steadily
thirty minutes every two hours.
So dangerous became the situation that
Captain Leake was compelled to put into
Vladivostock, Siberia, where an endeavor
was made to locate the leaks. She was
found to be strained and grounded all over
Her bottom was in a terrible condition.
Captain Leake did what he could for his
vessel and prepared to proceed on his whal-
ing journey. But an unexpected opposition
was met with on the part OF his crew.
REFUSED To GO FURTHER.
The men refused to go any further in the
diiapidated craft into northern waters, and
demanded that the master put in some
port where there was an American Consul,
in order to have the vessel surveyed. A
round robin was drawn up, signed by
all, and to this document the captain was
compelled to affix his signature.
lie agreed to the proposition of his men,
and they returned to work. Captain Leake
asked them if they were satisfied with Yo-
k0hama, and they replied in the affirmative.
The Lag0da was soon put to sea, and for
while all went well. The calm did not last
long, for the captain soon altered his course.
The officers of the bark, consisting OF the
mates, carpenter aud cook, known as the
aft guard" had prevailed upon the cap
tain to change his mind.
The vessel had been out long while and
only one whale had been caught. The ex-
penSeS had been great, and they We're in the
proposition to make money. If the pro-
posalS Of the crew were agreed TO it would
amount, not only 10 severe financial loss,
but also to the loss of whole years work
a work OF which only those who have been
in the Arctic can have any adequat. idea.
WON OVER BY THE AFT GUARD.
The "aft guard" had persuaded itself
that the vessel was seawOrthy and could
stand the trip, at all events they we're will
ing to take the risk rather than make their
voyage a total loss, and accused the crew Of
cowardee ana unseamanllke conduct. This
Induced the captain 10 change his mind
about agreeing to tile proposals of his crew.
The latter soon became suspicious of the
dire ton in which they were heading. and
discovered that the vessel was entering tie
Japan Sea on her whaling trip.
The crew then broke out in open mutiny
on the high seas and refused TO work. The
captain was III a strange quandaTy. He
could not put the men in irons because they
were required at the pumps to prevent the
vessel from sinking 1t they did not prevent
the leakage from gaining on them they
would all be lost. The captain accordingly
once more agreed to the terms imposed 10y his
men ana headed for Yokohama.
When about seventy miles off that port
the crew took a sperm whale, giving 10i
barrels of oil. Soon after a terrible gale
sprang up and the leak increased. The
Laguda, however, reached Yokohama in
safety. was surveyed and condemned, and
was to have been sold on the day the Rio
left Yokohama, Captain Lcake remaining
behind in order to attend 10 the sale of the
vessel.
HOW THE BARK WAS STRAINED.
One of the mates in speaking of the condi-
ton OF the bark said that the following was,
in his opinion, The way she became strained:
Before she left this port she was thoroughly
repaired, but when placed on the dry-uOck
she had on board 1000 barrels of water, and
he believed that the weight Of the water
strained the hull, which was 81 years old.
He also characterized the conduct of the
sailors as NEST cowardly, declaring that he
had never shipped with such an unworthy
set. They were shipped by the notorious
Gashie Stein, who is now serving term in
the penitentlary for passing counterfeit
coin. The mate claimed that Stein did not
ship the original men seen by the captain,
but at the last minute substituted some OF
the worst characters he could hnd.
The captain himself had declared that he
had never seen but three of the crew before,
and the mate hoped that he would never
again have the misfortune to fall in with
such crew. Besides the crew the officers
who came by steamer were First Mate
James Leary, Third Mate Thomas Wilson
and Fourth Mate Ii. r. Reynolds. The Sec
ond mate, w. G. Haven, shipped as second
mate on the American ship Eclipse, bound
for Victoria.
CATCH OF THE FLEET.
The LagOda's officers also brought the latest
tidlDgs of the whaling feet. The catch of the
Lagoda waS at stated, one sperm ana one
right whale, giving % barrels of oil and
8S7 pounds Of bone. They left Y ladivGStock
on July 9Th, and arrived at 1okohoma on
August 9th. While in Vladivostock, the
whaler John P. West was there with one
whale and sixty barrels OF oil; the Charles
W. Morgan with one Whale; the Cape Horn
Pigeon without any catch.
The bark Lancy, which had put in, was
sold for $500, and when the Lagoda left she
was stripped to the lower mast, and was to
have been turned into hulk.