The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-11-30
SAILORS
British Ship Anglesea in 81
SOuth--Men Suffered.
CANVAS AND RIGGING FROZEN
For Twenty-Four Hours It Was
Almost Impossible to Work
the Ship.
CANVAS AND RIGGING FROZEN

The British ship Anglesea, which dock
ed at Mission street wharf yesterday
seys the Call, after voyage from Swan
sea, had an experience that Captain ii.
Lewis never wants to encounter again.
For nearly three weeks the thermometer
was always at from 28 to % degrees be-
low zero, and on one occasion the run
ming gear was frozen so stiff that It was
impossible to work the ship. The crew
were all more or less frost-bitten, and the
captain himself got badly nipped while
attending on the men. II was almost Inn
possible to keep them awake, and the
watch on deck was half the time around
the galley fire. Argument was Of no avail
and many and many a time physical
force had to be used during that terrible
fortnight to keep the men awake and at
their post.
Night and day the coffee pot was kept
boiling, and every Jack on board got a
cupful whenever he wanted II. The cap
tain and officers suffered with the men.
and some of them still bear the evidence
Of the terrible time they went through.
The man who suffered least was Angus
tus Connor, the cook. He had the galley
fire to keep warm, and he succeeded ad-
mirably at his task. Connor is a man
with a record. He is a prize-fighter, who
has defeated every sailor on the ship who
has dared to come up against him on
the English coast, and now he wants to
see what the American marines are like.
Strictly speaking, he is not in the heavy
weight class, but still he is confident that
he could give Sharkey fight to a finish.
After vanquishing everybody In his class,
from John o. Groats to Lands End, he
sought around for some means Of reach
Ing San Francisco without expense. Tho
Anglcsey was ready to sail and wanted
cook. Ccnnor applied for the job and
got It.
"If he is as good fighter as he Is q
cook he will be hard man to beat" said
Captain Lewis yesterday.
When Captain Lewis camc TO speak of
his experience in rounding the Horn he
grew eloquent.
II have been sailing to San Francisco
for nearly fourteen years." said he, land
never did l go through such terrible
time. Thinking / would strike favora-
BILE wind the ship was worked to 61 de-
grees south, and there we nearly froze to
death. For a day and night there was
not rope pulled through the blocks
and II took the mate and myself half our
time to keep a man at the Wheel We
were under snug canvas of course, hut
had II come on to blow we would have
heen In a fine predicament. Then we
would have been compelled to get hot
water and send 1t aloft to melt the ice
in the blocks In order to get the running
gear In working order.
when the thermometer was at 80 de-
grees below zero we had hard work to
keep the men awake, and got my hands
frostbitten rubbing some of their frozen
limbs They would crawl In behind the
galley fire and although we kept stove
constantly alight In the forecastle, II did
not seem to warm up the place. They
would get as close to II as possible and
once they dropped asleep II was a case
If thump and punch to get them awake
again. II the sleep was allowed to con-
tlnue It would have resulted In death.
When a whaler goes to the Arctic he Is
prepared for the frozen North, but we
were not. and our men could not get on
enough clothes to keep them warm. Some
of them are still on the sick list, and will
re for some time to come.'
Captain Lewis was very much disap-
pointed yesterday. He has been gone
from home for over year and was calcu-
'atlng on getting back to Swansea inside
Of six months. His wife was coming out
here to join him, and then when the
wheat cargo was aboard they were to sail
for Liverpool That was the program the
skipper had mapped out, but II Is not to
be carried out. South Africa, like Aus
tralla, Is short of wheat, and the Angle
sey has been ordered to Cape Town. From
there she win probably be sent to South
America, and 1t will thus be eighteen
months before Captain Lewis sees his
wife and family.