The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-05-15

ready e%nsconced in the depths of our holds
in fact, they struck up q copa,tnership,
Joined forces, increased rapidly and speed
lily became bold and aggressive.
By the timo we had finished our eighteen
months cruise on the African coast and ar
rived in the Mediterranean, it was deter
mined to commence proceedings against
them. Matters had become 30 bad that it
WAS difheult to get Y good sleep below.
They would consume and spoil . barrel of
Hour in forty-eight hours. They went
alott at night aud ruined our sails when
their bites. We had a number of cats on
board, but the rats had no fear of them.
It was determined to smoke them out.
Our first lieutenant took the matter in
charge. He took the ship to Spezzis, at
that time only q small town. its shore as
coast, instead Of Italy. A place we'll
adapted to our purpose.
Upon anchorinR We commenced opera
tiOns by bringing up from the berth deck
to the main deck all of the mess gear, mems
bags and officers clothing, bedding and
awnings were spread on the spar deck, the
curtains got up, the deck divided off into
mess rooms by canvas scr eens-everything
made ~ comfortable as could be.
After all had moved to the spar and main
decks, the holds were broken out, and every
box, bar 81, coil Of 70. .. etc.. was slowed in
the wings Of the berth dock. Gratings were
placed over the hatohes and covered with
tarpaulins; in tho center of each was fitted
a pane Of glass, so that all below it on the
berth deck could be seen.
On this deck, directly under the pane OF
glass in the h%atchway above. a shallow
wooden box, about four feet square. was
set and filled with sand. On this sand was
placed a drying stove filed with charcoal,
and around it was placed low-sided vessels
TITLED with wate-.
When all this bad been completed on the
berth deck, every soul except the men sta
toned to light the fires was ordered up from
below. Then the fires were lighted and the
men who lit them came up. The hatch
Ways were closed and cemented so no air
could got below.
For three days the matches remained
closed. On the fourth day the tarpaulins
wero taken off and wind sails put down
each hatchway. On the evening Of this
day a man was sent down in q bowline to
take out the air ports. But as soon as he
was down he became insensible ind was
Immediately hauled up. No one was suf-
ferod to 90 below again until next day,
when the air ports were taken out and the
air allowed to circulate.
Upon inspection 1t was found that each
fire was surrounded by rats that had gath
cred there. as being the last place where
air could be found to breathe. Bucketful
after bucketful of these creatures were
passed up of all ages and size until three
hundrod and sixty odd lats were counted
and thrown OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES with the
six cats that could not be coaxed from the
holds to the upper decks.
After a general overhauling below and
renovating, the holds and store-rooms were
restoweu and the people moved back to
their quarters on the berth deck. As far as
we could discover only one rat escaped with
its life; it found safety in the timbsrs un-
dor the quarter gallery, whore some fresh
air entered through u crack in one of the
seams.
The remainder of the cruise was q most
delightful one. But even now. l never
think of that cruise without remembering
these incidents. and also that of I'll the of
fcsrs who were serving on board that ship
during that cruise. l am tho only living one
remaining in the service.
l.. A. KIMBERLY.
Copyright.