The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-14
A. SCURVY SHIP IN PORT.
Nine Sick Men on Board the
Hawaiian Isles.
Unfortunate Passage Of a New Vessel From
swansea-0ut Of Both Food and
Water.

One Of the most terrible scurvy-ridden
ships that ever reached this port arrived
yesterday morning and was at once put In
quarantine by Dr. LawlOr.
The ship was the Hawaiian Isles and
was 49, days from Swansea and her arrival
was the cause of rejoicing among the insur-
ance men, who had taken extra risks on her.
She was given up for lost by many.
The Hawaiian Isles was in command of
Captain Kustel, and this was her maiden
voyage. 1t was very eventful one and
unfortunate from the start.
According 10 the captains report she
sailed from Swansea April last and
crossed the equator May / in longitude %
degrees west.
From June to had strong head winds,
during which the midship-hOuSe aud fore
castle were washed out The captain then
concluded to take the eastern passage
around Cape Of Good Hope. From then
until port was reached the weather was
fair, except the wind was very light during
the last two months.
The state in whit h the ship reached port
was in appearance all that could be desired,
but the condition OF nine men on BOARD ac-
tually is deyond description. All had scurvy
In its most violent form, and two OF the
men were in the last stages
The vessels crew were nearly out OF food
and entirely out of water. Another day at
sea would have meant death 10 some.
George Switzerland. Edward Bovett, Will
liam Dougherty. William Lee and Alfred
Blummer were the worst and were literally
fostering masses Of flesh. Two of the men
were unable to walk. The odor about the
ship yesterday morning was something
frlghtful. and at 10 o'clock last night was
still offensive In spite OF the liberal use OF
dsinfectants
The eDtire voyage was series Of misfor-
tunes from the day the vessel left Swansea
In the first place, the vessel behaved very
badly. The waist is very low. and In the
least bit Of blow the decks are under
water. She is also very hard to manage
and requires a great deal Of work.
The men seemed in bad health from the
start and were ailing all the time. Before
the vessel was two months out three men
were sick with saltwater boils. as well as
being worn out with the heavy work.
When Cape Horn was reached there was
hardly half a crew. and as cold weather
was approaching 1t looked bad for the sick
men, aud at their eDtreailes the captain
took the eastern passage, and thereby
saved the mems lives and the ship. Had
he continued round the Horn the sickness
would have been much worse, and with the
reduced crew it would have been impossi-
BILE TO handle the vessel and she would have
gone TO the bottom.
The men do not blame the captain for the
shortness OF provisions, but say ID would
have been very easy for him 10 mt in a.
Pitcairn Island and saved them ali a great
deal OF misery. 1t seems that the provision
ing OF the ship was done in a miserable
manner and nothing taken except the most
ordinary Kind.
The vessel was put in quarantine early
yesterday morning and not released until
last night.
The nine sick men were taken To tbe
Marine Hospital yesterday afternoon about
6 O'clock. Most Of them seemed in better
spirits than they have been for seyerar
days. and the doctor says they will soon be
eating vegetable food.