The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-08-13
SEA AND SHORE.
How Sailors Are Punished on
the Richard Rush.
search-Light Drill on the Dubourdieu-peatI
and Burial at Sea-More Coal-Move.
ments and Charters.

The following communication, dated from
| Oonalaska, Alaska, July g. 1891, has been
received at this office:
Some time ago, before the revenue STEAMER
| Rush left San Francisco 1 read In THF Cali. an
article on the difficulty OF securing men for the
United States vessels, and also the reasons given
| by an old mai-of-wai's mau why men did moi like
| TO join tue service.
In the newspapers recently received here
read that the officers of the United States steamer
Charleston. through Offering rewards for forcihIe
apprehension OF men overstaying their liberty on
shore, have caused riot and murder. | would
thank you 10 lei me also give my evidence before
| the public OF the treatment Seamen receive on
| the vessels OF the Government.
On one OF the last days of last month the sltp's
| cook OF the revenue steamer Richard Rush. Cap
| tain Washington c. Caulson was taken sick and
| sailor who had let II ESCAPE him that he knew
| bow To cook was ordered to take the cooks
| place In the galley. This man was paid $50 per
| month. which is The rate for common seame1 in
| the revenue service. He refused to DO cook,s
| work unless lie got cooks pay-S50 per month.
IRoNED AND TRICED UP.
| For this refusal alone. given In a quiet and
| civil manner. lie was nut in irons for i've DAYS
and thirteen hours. the first day with his hon nd
| shackled behind him and tied up so as to cause
eXctuciatlng pain. The last day he was put int
locker IN Tie bow of the snip, where il WA
| perfectly dark aud wholly without ventilation
| and smelling horribly from paints ana otis that
| for years had been kept there and allowed TO
| soak into the wood.
The man is married and has a family in San
Francisco, and. for fear of seriously injuring his
| health ana becoming unable 10 provide for them
| he at last expressed his Willingness TO do what
| ever was required Of him for lie wages lie had
whertupon lie was released, considerably thinner
| and paler ihau week before. He had nf
| course, been f'd on bread and water on,y during
| his confinement
| STILL ANOTHER.
| At the present moment, in the same pesti.
| ferrous hole, there Is man confined also on
| ships biscuits and wafer whose crime is tint
| he went on shore without leave when lie vessel
was laying alongside the wharf. The man Is n
IN. FOREIGNER "A
| with a very limited command OF the English
| language. When he came on board lie was very
| what the officers termed abusive IaDeuareO
and so got legally C) into their power. A ring
| bolt Is driven into The ships side, his hands
| manacled behind his back and locked 10 Ihe
| able 10 move.
| How Long he is to stop there only God and hi 8
| tormentors know. lie may be thankful II the
| year for which he has given himself into the
power OF the representatives OF the United States
| Government passes away without his being in
| 1ured for the rest OF his life.
doctor IS kept on board, but It would have
| to be very bad case before he would Interfere
| aud risk his pleasant relations with his brother
| officers, aud perhaps his future prospects.
WHY THEY AVOID SERVICE.
| or petty punshments and many irritating cir.
cumsIances In tue daily life OF seamen will not
| speak at present. The above is simple unex-
| aggerated truth, and goes 10 show some reason
| for men avoiding service in Government ships
| The officers OF this vessel are by no means worse
than the average and act only In accord with tine
| general system. not knowing any better. Some
| of them, especially tile chief engineer aud The
| navigating lieutenant, are very Kind and humane
| men and we'll liked.
| Help for sailors and adjustment of unpeces.
| sary cruelty must come from higher authorities
| than those on board ship before men who pos
sl6ly can do otherwise will serve their country as
| seamen.
AT present there Is here, as in most American
vessels, no native American OF lower grade than
| commissioned officer on board.
| BURIED AT SEA.
| Dr;t ;eb ior IL, DnIr 4
| rived in port from Panama yesterday after
| noon. had very long passage, taking
| seventy-0ne days to make the trip. Her
| captain reports that on July oath seaman
named Olaf Gregesen, native of Norway,
aged IS years, died of consumption. Gre
| gesen had been sick for some time, and
everything possible was done for him that
| the limited skill OF those on board the ship
| could suggest, but the poor fellow sank in
| spite OF the efforts made By his shipmates to
| prOlong his life until the vessel reached port.
| The remains were SeWed up in a hammock
and laid out on the afterhatch with the red
flag OF Great Britain spread over them.
The funeral took place at shutdown of the
| following day, and all hands gathered to
| witness the last sad rites. The ship was
| hove to, and in solemn voice Captain
! Clemens read the prayers for the dead, and
| at the words, " We now commit his body to
the deep" the grating or which the corpse
rested was raised and the body plunged into
| the ocean.
Inside of fifteen minutes the ship was on
| her course, and the entry made in the log
book: Olaf Gregesen, seaman, died and
| was buried at sea-"
! ON THE DOCK.
The cruiser Charleston was placed on the
big stone dry-dock at Mare Island yester-
day, and large gang of men were at once
| set to work cleaning and painting her bot
tom. In order to get the ship ready for sea
as soon as possible, everything is going
1 oh noA -S.fo
for three years cruise are being placed on
board. and what is of still more Importance
| to the boys in blue over 200 of them have
been given liberty. and the city-front saloons
did lively trade in consequence. The men
| were ordered 10 report Oh board at SUM-
down last evening. but q large number of
| them were still in San Francisco long after
that hour.
Many OF the men openly declare their In-
tention Of staying ashore and CALL re-
| porter overheard waterfront shark direct
| ing some of the men to a place where they
| could obtain citizens clothes In exchange
Tor their uniforms. 1t is expected that
fully thirty of the men will not return to
the ship. The vacancies will be flied from
| the Pensacola. as more than half of the
latter's crew have long time to serve yet
In all probability the cruiser will be
ready to go to sea about the 18th.
FLASHLIGHTS.
People along the water front last night
were treated to fine display of what can
| be done by the powerful search-IiChts sup-
piled to war-ships The French war-ship
[ Dubourdieu gave an exhibition to q select
| party OF visitors. The party consisting of
ladies and gentlemen gathered ON the ships
bridge and the mode of working the lights
was fully explained; The current was
turned on and instantly stream of light
was thrown on the wharf at Broadway,
and every object in range of the light WAS
as visible as at midway. Both lights were
used, and Folt Point, the PresidO Alcatraz
and Goat Islands were in turn lighted IN.
Various modes of signaling were shown.
One lamp threw column of white light
straight up into the air, while the other
flashed up. down and to the right and left
almost as rapidly as the eye could follow.
The current was then shut off for few
moments, when suddenly both lights were
trained on the Pensacola and the old war
ship stood revealed as plain as day. Every
spar, rope and man On her decks could be
plainly seen by those on the W haryes.
Alter nearly binding the people on the
American war-shp the lights were turned
Oh one OF the Oakland ferry boats, and from
the time SIZE left the mole on the other side
until she ran into the slip at the foot of
Market street she was never out of range of
the lights for an instant. Some of the mas
sengers on the boat told CALL reporter
J that so powerful was the light that a news
piper could be read with ease at the Oak
| land Mole.
| ne buoouruleu VIII sail Tor Panama to-
morrow, and as n precauton against nos
slble starvation forty head of 6set cattle
will be taken off to the ship by the steamer
Sunol just before the war-ship sails.
A FINE SCHOONER.
One of the prettiest schooners ever bnilt
In the lTsrDor Of San Francisco was launched
from the yard of the California Lannch
Company at Sausa Tito yesterday. Thecra
was built to the order of Dem0ro Brothers
and is % feet long, % feet beam with n
depth OF s feet. She is well finished through.
out, and is coppered nearly up to her
waterways. As she slid off the stocks she
was christened the Luisa d. and almost as
soon as she was afiOat was taken in tow, and
with merry party of lad es and gentleman
on board the new craft made a trip around
the two war-ships, and was saluted by both
She was then taken to Lombard.sireet
Wharf, where she will load for Central
american ports in the Holmes Dispatch