The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-05
A STORY FROM THE SEA.
MUTINY FOLLOWS THE DEATH or !
CRAZY CAPTAIN.
Hunger and Thirst and Hntred-Thc
Voyage of the Bark Oakland Was
as Dismal as Any of Those Mar
rated by Clark Russell.
From the San Francisco Examiner.

From the San Francisco Examiner.
With her captain dead. her water and
provisions almost gone, her mate con-
stantly armed, her crew sury, and her
steward in open rebellion, the famous old
bark Oakland came slowly, almost pain
fully, through the Heads yesterday. The
great, strong tug that was putting away
at the end of the hawser stretched over
the Oaklands bow could easily have lowed
a ocean vessel twice the size at double
the speed. So covered with great, red
barnacles was the barks bottom that
she moved through the water like a giant
sponge.
The Oakland was sixty-one days out on
the way from San Jose de Guatemala to
Port Madison, and she put in here because
Capt. McGuier so ordered on his death
bed. The gruesome novelty of these said
ing orders was perfectly in harmony with
everything about the bark. In all re-
spects the Oakland looked ike a floating
funeral Her flag was at half-mast, ana
every man on board wore that sorrowful
aspect suggestive of death, hunger and
disaster. Even when at anchor in the
stream the experiences with which the
voyage of the Oakland was crowded We're
not at an end. for the mate was watcn-
ing his chance TO get on shore to cause
the arrest of the steward for the fearful
offense of mudny, and the steward was
trying to drop off into Whitehall to take
steps to prevent the mate from being care
less with the captains money.
Inc bark went TO san Jose with a load
of lumber from Port Madison. Her mas
ter, Capt. McGuier, was one of the most
widely known sea captains on this coast
For three decades he had been in The
CoaStlhg trade here, and at the age of
65 he had accumulated a competency
Dy years OF careful, never-ending thrift.
The very vessel in which he sailed as
captain was really his, for he held the
mortgage on her mat her ostensible own
ers never hoped to raise.
When the bark reached the port at
San Jose de Guatemala, Capt Mcti.lier
/ was really Ill. He was built OF such stur-
dy stock, however, that even in the face
/ of painful sickness he would not give
/ up. That would be expected of man
I born in such a rugged town as Tho -uas-
ton, Me-, and who had followed the sea
all of his long life. The vessel sailed
i on the return trip Sept. 10, and the cap
I tain, in spite of the treacherous condition
OF his health, went to sea without signing
a second mate, He and his chief officer,
\ Mate LorentSen, were the only naVigaTOrs
on board. The bark was proVisoned Tor
/ fifty days, and it seemed that that would
4 surely be enough, for the usual trip trum
I Guatemala to the sound is not more than
/ forty days.
The very day after leaving port The
| captain began to fail He showed mani
[ fest signs of breaking down-a complete
! surrender to old age and pain. Three
| ing so rapidly that he finally told the
mate to take charge and kept very close
| ~ to his room. Then Capt. McGuier grew
Eighty. At times he was completely out
of his head. With contrary winds and
/ crazy captain, the bark was indeed in
| a serious predicament.
One day the captain fell upon the floor
in the cabin in what resembled a sp.sm.
When he came out Of il he called The
/ can feel it, and i know it's coming.
This is my last voyage; / am near my
last port. 1 wish you would take hold
| of everything here just as if 1 was gone
make San Diego with me If you can before
! die"
The next day Capt MeGuier had another
Eighty spell, and in his wildness went in
to the chartroom and pulling down the
Chronometer smashed IL on the floor This
was indeed a serious matter for the ship.
Lest the captain should destroy compass
I as well as chronometer, the mate ordered
two of the men to stay constantly in the
captains room to guard him and keen
him from injuring either himself or the
Taking two men to guard the captain
left only one man TO spare on deck The.
breaking OF the chronometer. too. was
. most serious, for the welfare Of the yes
I sci depends largely on the keeping Of the
proper time. The mate took up the broken
nStfuuienl ana liNeu IL up as best he
could, but from the time the captain, in
his wildness, threw it on the floor il
( never once kept the right time From
that moment even the whereabouts of the
ship was an uncertainty. Perhaps it
was heading fun toward danger and per-
haps disaster might suddenly close the
/ eventful voyage
BY his observations the mate was able
l TO fix nothing but the latitude the bark
was in. The longitude was made by dead
/ reckoning. AS the result proved me
mate did wonderfully well In navigatine
the vessel for In his reckoning ne kent
I twenty miles ahead Of the vessel as was
/ apparent when she finally picked up Inc
high blum at Point Reyes early Saturday
morning.
Capt McGuler did not linger long after
! the watch was placed nj his bedside no
/ was confined 10 his room altogether ahoilf
/ five days The end came at l.45 IA m ~,
] oct -, when the bark was in latitude b
/ degrees and % minutes uorth. ana lonri-
! fnde l-l degrees and 60 minutes west. Tihaf
| afternoon the captain seemed 90 realtze.
J how near death was. The prroautfona