The morning call., 1893-11-01
STARVED HIS MEN.
Sailors on Half Rations
Six Months.
Several Vessels in a Two Days
Hurricane With Their Decks
Swept by Seas.

The barkentine Marion arrived yester-
day from Navidad. Mexico, with a cargo of
logs and a crew of sailors who claim that
they have not had a dozen satisfactory
meals during the past six months. Since
September II they have been on half
rations, and for the past four days their
only food was beans. bread and coffee.
The vessel is now in the stream. and as
soon as she is docked formal charges will
be preferred against Captain Rosenlund
before the United States Shipping Com
mise ioner.
A CALL reporter boarded the vessel
yesterday afternoon and received from the
sailors, who vouched for the statements OF
their spokesman, the following recital OF
their treatment:
practically, we have been on short
rations FIVE and half months, because
from the time we left Eureka in May until
we got to ChampeTico we had to do With
out meat. The salt beef was putrid; still
the captain ordered the steward TO cook 1t.
was heaved overheard. At Champerico
two Italian sailors who protested to the
captain against the lack of meat were
silenced by stick of wood which Captain
Rosenund seized in the galley and felled
them with. He drove them from the
ship"
There was opportunity to bring the case
before the American consul at Cham
perico, but the men feared they would
meet the fate Of the Italians and lose their
pay by being beaten and driven ashore.
While in port, working hard diScharging
lum ber in hot climate. the crew received
a half pound of meat twice week.
whereas the law provides one and half
pounds a day. In response to a demand
for lime juice they were given one BOTTLE,
but never any more thereafter. At Navl-
dad they were fed continually on fresh
fish, bread and coffee three times day.
Before sailing from Navidad the steward
called the captains attention 10 the short
ness of provisions, which were clearly not
half enough for an ordinary voyage, but
he paid no attention to the matter.
Scarcely had the vessel got to sea when
Captain Rosenlund put the men on half
rations. and for forty-three days not one
of the crew received the meal which the
law requires to be provided them. Since
last Saturday nothing but beans, bread
and coffee was served them.
Corroborating the statement of the crew,
the steward went further and said !:
when l spoke to the captain about the
putrid beef lie said, To h with them,
it's good enough for them. Let them eat
IL or starve.
The mate and the second mate of the
Marion being asked by the reporter for a
statement of the captains inhuman con-
duct. declined to speak. Asked whether
the story told by the sailors was in sub
stance true they did not deny any part
OF it.
Driven by fresh breeze quite fleet of
deep-water ships got in yesterday. All of
them were in hurricane October % and
%. The British ship Metropolis. 55 days
from Newcastle, labored IS hours in a
high. confused sea. her decks being full of
water to the rails and the cabin flooded.
The Mauna Ala from Honolulu caught the
gale with hurricane force from the north,
tremendous sea breaking 1t was i'm
possible to show any sail to ii. She had
recourse to oil bags. which acted like a
charm on the sea. For 4S hours she lay