The Helena independent., 1893-12-29


DRAWN OUT BY THE STEAM WINCH.
elation to such a reader, as it was to gen.
tleman who recently sailed from New York
to Porto Rico and back on British tramp
steamship. He would find that conditions
in the forccastle are not much more toler-
able today than they were a century ago,
and that poor Jack is still a prey to remorse-
less boarding masters and unfortunate cir
cumstances that make his life worse than
one of actual slavery.
The gentleman above referred to thus
described his experience in conversation
with New York Sun reporter: when we
started, the first thing that struck me was
the remarkably small number of men in
sight. They were SO few that it looked as
though the officers and one quartermaster
were going to run the ship to Porto Rico.
The steward was stretched out on the floor
Of his Etateroom dead drunk. The first and
second mates were on duty, but the former
was in such condition that he navigated
the decks with great difficulty. The only
man in sight before the mast was the quar-
termaster-perfectly sober.
II saw as soon as we were under way that
the captain was worried. It was not hard
to tell that it was the condition of his crew
that worried him, but he took off his coat
and went toswork. Everything was lovely
in the engine room, the Scotch engineer
and his two English assistants being steady
men and the four coal passers straight
enough to shovel coal.
"As soon as we were outside and all COM
munication with the shore cut off the cap
tain began active operations with the in
visible crew. His first step was to call the
chief mate aside and give him talking to.
What he said l do not know, but whatever
it was it was very effective, for the mate
Strengthened up and from that moment
was as sober as any man on board. Putting
the Guartermaster at the wheel and the
second mate on the bridge, the captain and
chief mate went forward.
1.-THE five men who were shipped before
the mast and who had been brought on
board by the shipping master an hour or
two before the vessel sailed, all under the
influence of liquor, and at least two of them
unable to walk without assistance, were
then pulled out of the forecastlc one by
one. Five men the shipping masters con-
tract called for, and five men he had deliv-
cred, dead or alive. They did not come out
willingly, either, in most cases. The first
two who appeared were too Imply drunk
ged out by the heels and rolled and shaken
about the deck till they were able to stand.
The third man was powerful fellow with
rich brogue. who was apparently aching
for Il chance to fight the whole crew. He
was sober enough to.know what was going
on, and the two officers seized him by the
shoulders and dragged him out.
"A captain. you understand, has no right
to strike sailor except in self defense or
in case of mutiny, but this fellow was no
sooner on his feet outside than he aimed
furious blow at the captain. This was pre-
cisely what the captain expected and de-
sired, and though the sailor was double the
officers size the plucky little captain pol
ished him off beautifully in one short round
and made him cry for mercy and promise
to obey orders. As fast as the men were
pulled out and sobered up they were stood
against the rail, and three repentant mu-
tineers were now in line waiting for fur
ther orders.
'The fourth man came out without re-
sistance. He had been among the drunk
est Of all when the battle began, but the
scuf1iing had partly sobered him, and he
crawled out, pulled himself together and
took his place in tho line, where he made
No. 4. He was by long odds the finest
looking man of the five, though slightly
built. He had the most sailorlike appear
ance, coo, in dark blue trousers, shirt open
at the throat, sailor hat and sheath knife
in his belt, all brand new. But curiously
enough he had never been on board ship
before that day. He was an American me-
chanic who had been shanghaied. How
ever, l must not get ahead of my story.
''There was only one man left now in the
forecastle, another big, burly fellow, and he
gave more trouble than all the others. He
was sober enough to know what was going
on, but still drunk enough to be obstinate
and determined not TO come ont. The room
he was in was so small that he could brace
himself effectively against its two ends, and
the combined strength of the captain and
the first officer was not sufficient to dis
lodge him.
"'Put him on the winch, Mr.. Humphrey
the captain ordered, after unsuccessful ef
forts had been made.
"The chief mate produced stout rope
and fastened it securely around the mans
legs; then took the other end of the rope to
the forward winch and attached it and
started the winch.
"'You've got to come OUT Mr.. Humphrey
said, as the winch started. This was evil
dent when the rope began to tighten. Either
the man must come out or the front come
out of the forecastle.
"'I'n come outr the man shouted, when
the rope began To take firm hold of his legs.
As he spoke he let go his hold and was
dragged by steam to the foot of the winch,
where the mate united him.
"The whole crew before the mast were
cow marshale1 along the rail, and the two
officers began to search them. Flasks of
liquar were found in all conceivable places
in their clothing and ny fast as found were
thrown overheard. Then. with the men
still standing in line. the forecastle was
searched. There was enough whisky there
to have kept the crew glorious throughout
the voyage, but 1t all went over the side.
Half an hour later the five men were at
work. but still moving about as though
half dazed. The steward was shaken into