The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-05
The Knight Commander.

at Dublin in 1864. She was last surveyed at
Antwerp In 1890, and Is clasSed Al eight
years az Lloyds. She is 1875 tons burden,
2l3 feet long, So feet beam and % feet deep.
She was chartered for wheat at A. 81, but the
charter expired year ago. She left Antwerp
on February 4, 1891, aud put into Port Stan
ley. Falkland Islands, for the first time on
July 3 of the same year. On October 10 she
nut back into Port Stanley with jury
rudder On November II the rudder was
repaired. On December % she put back
again, the crew having mutlnled, and went
back 10 MOntevideO, where fresh crew was
engaged. So great was the prejudice against
the ship that Captain Murdoch could not get
a man TO sign articles till he had paid $500
or $500 blood money" 1t had become
known at MonteyideO that the Knight Com
mander was "hOOdOO" ship. In her first
trip from Calcutta to Liverpool she was
year OF the voyage, and she was dsmasted
shortly after starting and had TO put back
10 port for repairs. In another trip she lost
five of her crew overheard in mdOceah. At
MonteYdeO one of the apprentice boys fell
down the hold and was killed. Even then
the catalogue of misfortuneS was not cons
plete. The vessel had both main and miZ-
zen masts blown out, and rggers had TO be
sent out from Liverpool to fit her out at
Port Stanley. There were not enough spaTs
to complete the work, and the vessel had
finally to sail without cross jack yard and
mZzen topsail
While at Port Stanley, place with mis-
cradle accommodations, the work Of re-
placing the steering gear consumed months,
where week would have done the business
in San Francisco. Il was during this time
that the crew refused work and seven men
were imprisoned. The first mate, Wilson,
went ashore 10 bring them of and got into
difficulty also with a constable. He was
locked up, but the ual search for con-
cealed weapons net being made, lie used
his revolver and dangerously wounded the
constable, who was taken up to MOntevideO
for treatment and narrowly escaped with
his life. Wilson was tried for the shooting
and sentenced to six mouths imprison-
ment In the same Jail with the seamen
we're confined 10 men OF the ship City of
Benares, who had broken into the cargo
aud gotten into an insane condition of in
toxicttio by quaffing draughts Of French
liQueurs.
Even after the Knight Commander left Port
Stanley for the last time her troubles were
not over. The new screw-steerlng gear got
badly wrenched and twisted, and many
days were spent In getting 1t into shape
again. The trip from Stanley TO this port
occupied 80 days and the entire voyage 453
days.
Captain Murdoch spent an anxious time
yesterday with the conslgnees, j. w. Grace
& Co., and with the insurance firms, with
whom he succeeded in effecting satisfac-
tory settlement He expects to have every
thing In shape to-day. Captain Murdoch
says that even the elements seemed to con-
spire against the ship. During the storm in
which the rudder was lost, Charles Cruise,
a member OF the crew, was carried over
board by sea and was never seen again.
The repairs to the snip in the previous trip
from Chilean port to Antwerp, when she
was tOwed by the EsmeraldatO Sandy Point
in the Straits of Magellan, under Captain
Bells command, alone cost S35. 900.
In the cargo Of the Knight Commander Is
large quantity Of very valuable marble
statuary for Governor Ferry of Washington.
The crew shipped at Montevideo is prob
ably as badly mixed in race and speech as
ever entered the port of San Francisco. The
% men represent nearly all the European
and Spanisb-American countries, and the
present chief officer, who left an American
ship to make the trip under liberal induce
ments, has become linguist Of lingpists in
the hard school Of necessity and expert
ence.
The seven men who refused duty at
tackled the mates on the ship. but were
beaten off by Captain Murdoch and took
refuge in the forecastle. They were dealt
with by the Judge at Port Stanley and SEN
fenced to two years hard labor.