The morning call., 1894-10-20
THE ADALGUISA.

have been seen by numbers of curious
people, who have noted their hungry
looking countenapces and pitied the own
ers as they cluster on deck and hang over
the bark's patched bulwarks, watching
the busy city from Howard street wharf.
These men have declared, "God 6e praised,
we have averted an awful DEATH" The
creakiDg deck planks and unoiled sail-gear
seem to echo in unison. ''rhe winds and
the seas shall soon now claim the ship.
This is her last voyage"
From Callao for Humboldt came the
Adalg uisa. "They sent US out on yoy-
age of DEATH" said her mate, Richard
Roberts, gazing intently at the vessels
shrouds that sag Dow-shaued in their loose
ness and hang limp and death-like to the
skeletons of masts, 'and it was planned
that the ship should never return TO port" !"
he whispered with kindling anger in his
eye.
The Adalguisa's sails. still bent to their
spare yards. were dropped in ugly festoons
of blaekened canvas full of holes and rot
ting in the boltropes. From the day she
was launched, in 1856, not cent has been
spent upon her for repairs. Her rigging
may have been replaced from spare gear
picked up along some city front. but be-
yond this the ship stands in the same CO.'S
tune in which she was dressed on the day
she first voyaged out to sea.
The deck is worn down to the thinnest
OF splintery boards. The crooked bull
warks are patched with one-inch lum ber,
while over the main shatch is spread sew
eral sloyenly nailed together sections OF
1ao tka l.,
been washed over board one time when the
vessel was lying in Callao harbor. Chain
plates, channels and anchors are red with
years of accumulated rnst. and the ratlnes
of every spar are patched and nearly al
broken.
Old ropes hang carelessly from aloft and
look as if they would part il any strain
were put upon them. The forward house
is grimy with dirt and smoke and Jagged
galley stovepipe peeps bashfuly out of it4
top as if afraid to risk too much of it
sooty self under the gaze OF outsiders
The after cabin is bereft of every comfor
of a seagoing craft. A dingy oil LAM
swings over the mess table, WHEREOF
stands an earthen jug, a can of pepper an(
bottle of what may be identified as vine
gar. There is no other furniture in the
room except few chairs and couple o
cheap pictures of Italian war vessels.
There is no bed-clOthing on the ship
Her narrow hunks were bare as a Syca
more tree in autumn when her mates an(
skipper came on board. Luckily they hat
plenty of clothing and old socks, and tn
weather was warm on the trip up.
In this condition the bark lett Callao
Fine weather favored her, so she escape,
going to the bottom. 1t blew a little wset
she was off San Francisco and then sh
commenced to leak. The crew were star '
ing, so her commander, Captain Pedr
Gardalla, made this port with all haste
This occurred last Sunday, but the vesse
was not allowed to dock until yesterda ay
so her history was not made known unit
then.
Mate Roberts was on board when b
told his story. which is herewith given il
his own language:
''This is queer tale | have 10 tell" h
remarked, as he took his seat at the cabil
table. 'We have many serious charges t
make against the bark's owners, Messr:
Bucheli & Loera, of Callao. 1t was de
liberate attempt to destroy ship and crew
according to my way of thinking. and i
this am backed by every one on board.
In the first place fictitious names wer
substituted for the names of those VIII
signed for the voyage. The ship we
provided with dummy provisions, and
looked as if the owners tried to arrange
SO that we should either go down with a
on board or all starye to death in mi(
ocean. In either event our identity woul
never have been known TO the world. Tn
bogus names would have been hidden.
I'VE have a cargo of small value, but
is heavily insured. There is some trick !
this case that do not clearly understan,
Time will show. however. sc let US &,
down to facts.
'When | signed in the Adalguisa kne
nothing about her. could see her from