The morning call., 1891-10-17
STARVED AND BULLIBD
How the County of YarmOuth's
Crew Was Treated.
Sick Sailor Dragged From His Bunk by the
Mate and Forced to Work-0ne Man
Drowned at Sea.

The Nova Scotian ship County Of Var
mouth arrived in port yesterday in ballast
after most eventful voyage of 118 days
from Rio de Janeiro. She was reported by
the Francis that arrived in port several days
ago, as short of provisions and as having
lost her fore-yard.
The ship was boarded by a CALL re-
porter yesterday in search of news, and he
had talk with Captain Swanson and Chief
Mate Perry. From them 1t was learned
that the long trip was caused by bad
weather off Cape Horn and head winds in
the Pacific The ship had fair weather to
the Horn aud was then caught in several
heavy gales that sent her far to the south
ward and eastward.
For days at a time no sail but lower
topsail could be carried, and as she was in
ballast trim she drifted to eeward as fast as
she went ahead, and the first the crew knew
the ship was close in on The coast Of Pata-
gonia. All hands were called and sail
packed on the ship in order to claw off the
coast. In doing so the fore yard was car
ried away in the port quarter and the ship
crippled SO that if the gale had lasted few
ours longer she would certainly have gone
ashore.
SAILS BLOWN AWAY.
In the effort to clear the coast the fore
and main lower topsails, three topgallant
sails and two iibs were blown away. Then
the ship was off the California coast nearly
a month, but could make no Roadway against
a head wind in the condition she was in.
On the third day out from Rio one of the
seamen, named John Peirce, died Of fever
and was buried at sea the same day. On
October 10th another seaman WAS lost by
f,Ili ord Vrni mir "a
anchor off the bow.
There was a fresh breeze at the time, but
a life buoy was thrown to the poor fellow,
and he seized it and was seen to place it
over his head. As soon as possible the ship
was brought to the wind, but 1t was fully
half an hour before a boat could be lowered
over the side. This was at last accom-
plshed, and, manned by five men, started
back to look for the man, but after vain
search of nearly three hours the boat re-
turned to the ship half full of water.
When the snip Francis was spoken Mate
Perry was sent on board her and told Cap
tain DOane that they were short OF pro-
visions, and from him they received two
barrels of flour and all the oil he could
spare. Seven days after the barkentine
TroDic Bird was spoken, and from her
case of apples, barrel of beet, five sacks
of -four, two cases sugar aud three sacks of
potatoes were obtained. Captain swanson
said he was sorry he had taken anything
from the Francis, as he did not wish the
matter reported.
DESERTED BY HER CREW.
No sooner had the ship come to an anchor
than the entire crew left her, very glad to
come ashore.
Three of them were seen at the Sailors
Home, and they told a pitiful story of suf-
feriug and treatment while on board the
vessel. They say that it was a hard matter
to find Il crew for the ship in Rio, as both
the mate and second mate were arrested at
that place for shooting one OF the men
while going ashore in boat
The case created the greatest excitement,
and the mates would have been lynched had
they been caught before they were arrested
by the officers. The new mate, Perry, is
described by the men as "a shoulder strlk-
er," who seemed TO take the greatest de-
light in abusing the men. Not a day passed
but some one felt the weight of his fist, and
on one occasion he chased man named
Otto Scaluck about the decks with Ratchet
and swore to kill him.
PULLED OUT OF HIS BUNK.
The men further declare that PIERCE was
sick when he was placed on board the ship,
and was so weak he could hardly stand.
He was dragged from his bunk in brutal
manner and forced to assist in heaying up
the anchor. in spite of the fact that blood
was running from his nose ana mouth in
streams. As soon as the ship was clear OF
ln6 uhIUOI, ellCe AGAIN toOh w MS Jun
but was pulled out by Perry, who ture his
shirt from his back In doing so, and forced
him to work. When he died lie was nothing
but skin and bone, ana hardly weighed so
pounds.
The ship WAS short of provisions and
water when she left Rio, and the men were
placed on short allowance when off Cape
Horn. For weeks they lived on handful
of bareback day, because, owing to the
scarcity of fresh water, they dared not eat
the salt beef. When food was obtained
from the Francis and Tropic Bird they eX-
pected TO receive part of il, but say there
was no increase In the amount served out
William Clark, one of the men, said that
the men were so weak from starvation that
they were unable to work the ship properly.
and that was one reason why she had such
a long passage.