The morning call., 1894-07-14
WHY THE SEAMEN MUTINIED.
The Captain Attended to His
Family Too Strictly.
AND DIDN'T FEED HIS SAILORS.
This Is What the Men Say, but the
Captain Charges Them With
INSTRUMENTATION.


does rot tend to altogether clear away the
uncertainty shrouding the report pub
lished concerning her In the issue OF IHE
CALL of July l. There are two sides to
the story. the captains yarn and the sail
ors' somewhat sensational statements.
The Empire came into port yesterday,
80 days from Honolulu and 1873 days from
Newcastle, n. S. W.. with coal for j. j.
Moore 81 Co.
While en- route from Newcastle TO Homo
lulu the ships crew mutinied and num-
Der of men were put in irons. Mate Cas-
sidy was discharged at Hawaii, together
weth Seamen William Campbell and sgd
ney MELONS. The mate came to this city
on the steamer Australia, and told his slde
! of the story TO the papers
CAPTAIN Charles Davis came ashore at 9
| o'clock in the morning and announced
that he intended to have certain members
of his crew arrested. He declares that he
! will prosecute them vigorously. and that
! he intends to make it warm for Officer
! Cassidy into the bargain.
The Empires men have different tale
/ to tell. They say that they will make a
| formal complaint TO the proper authorities
concerning the action of the American
| Consul at Honolulu and also of Admiral
! Walker of the cruiser Philadelphia.
Trouble on board the Empire was com
! plicated according TO the Seamen by the
| resence Of the captains wife and family.
! The skipper. it is alleged, bad given more
! attention to his wife aud little ones than
he had to the ship. He paced the decks
| like a lord and looked upon his suDordin-
| ates as lot of slaves.
They complain of poor food, hard work
and ill-treatment. TIE ship leaked at the
rate of two inches an hour all the way up
from the islands. compelling them to
work at the pumps almost continuously.
The Empire left Newcastle on The 30th
of March and hadn't been out more than
Two DAYS when the first officer claimed TO
have discovered that the provisions were
short.
Captain Davis" said he, 1--WE have not
got enough food in the lockers to see US
through"
II can take care OF the lockers" replied
the captain. II do not care Tor you to in
terfere with my business"
Cassidy kept an account of the rations
dOled out and discovered that there were
only about SIX pounds of beef issued per
day for the entire crew.
The men had an idea that they were
only getting about three pounds and based
their calculations upon the feeling OF their
stOmachs after mess.
I've been shIpWIecked and lived on
crabs, birds eggs and rawhlde," said one
old salt who looked as if he could stomach
most anything and yet survive; "but L
never seed the like of our grub afore. L
asked the captain to let me have the loan
of his spy-glass to try to find me breakfast
one morning. but he threatened to swipe
me over the head with pickle-bOttle. If
I'd have thought there were any pickles in
it I'd ha' SAID swipe away"
The mutlny came when Mate Cassidy
was called upon one day to order out the
port watch. Not man would obey. There
were seven men in all on this watch, and
they were all thrown into irons.
Later Cassidy called on the starboard
watch without success, and they, too, were
put in irons.
The mates turn came next. He would
not leave his room, SO the shackles were
fastened on him.
Aided by the ships carpenter and a few
willing sailors the vessel was headed for
Honolulu.
Captain Davis appealed to the American
Consul when the ship was anchored. Ad-
miral Walker then sent detail of men
on board from the Philadelphia to help get
the Empire under way.
Cassidy AID the alleged ringleaders of
the mutiny were tried, discharged and
sent to San Francisco on the Australia.
Cap ain Davis says that only four me
in all were irOned, including Cassidy
whom he accuses of being the instigator
of all the trouble.
Details of nature that is calculated to
inspire one with a wholesome disregard
for deep-sea vessels are entered into by the
men now in port with the Empire. The
disagreeable consequences of a seaman try
ing TO live on salt air and an occasional
hard tack are deliberately dwelt upon, and
charges will be made against Davis just as
soon as the men can be paid off aud dis
charged.
One member of the vessels crew declares
the commander likened the disabled and
hungry tars to canary birds, and averred
that they should be a bic to exist on few
seed and an occasional bath.
Working at the pumps excited appatites
that were appalling to the saving Davis
He began 10 fear that his family might
not have their regular allowance of beans
and potatoes if the men were satisfied.
There was grumbling all the way up
from Honolulu, and the leaky condition of
the ship only aggravated matters.
Captain DAVIS explains that the Empire
ran short of provisions after leaving New
castle and that the supply was repeuished
at Honolulu. His men, he declares, have
no Just right to make complaint.
Those men who had been put in irons
were released after leaving Honolulu.
There is not any very definite story told
by either side as to just how many men