The herald., 1895-11-11
The Old Bark Oakland Comes
Into HarbOr
DEATH AND MUTINY ABOARD
A Voyage With Contrary Winds and
Crazy Captain
Nearly Led to . General Mutiny
Of tho Crew

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 10.-With her
captain dead, her water and provisions
almost gone, the mate constantly armed,
her crew surly and her steward in open
rebellion, the famous old bark Oakland
came slowly, almost painfully. through
the heads today. The great, stron, tug
that was putting away at the end Of the
hawser stretched over the Oakland's bow
could easily have towed clean vessel
twice the size at double the speed. So
covered with great red banracles was the
bark's bottom that she moved through
the water like 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 be-
cause Captain McGueir SO ordered on his
death bed. The gruesome novelty OF
these sailing orders was perfectly in har-
mony With everything about the bark.
In all respects the Oakland looked like
floating funeral. Her flag was at half
mast and 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 were not at an end, for tho
mate was watching his chance to get on
shore to cause the arrest OF the steward
for the fearful offense of n,utiny, and the
steward was trying to drop off into
boat to take steps to prevent the mate
from being careless with the captain 8
money.
The very day after leaving port the
captain began to fail. He showed signs
of being down as the result of old age
aud pain. Three weeks passed end the
captain was failing SO rapidly shat he
finally told the mate to take charge and
tain McGuier grew fiighty. With con-
trary winds and crazy captain the bark
was indeed in q serious predicament.
One day the captain fell upon the floor
OF the cabin IN what resem bled a spasm.
When he came out of it he called the
mate and said:
INV end is near now. l can feel it.
This is my last voyage; I am near my
last port. / wish you would take hold
OF everything here just as II was gone.
Do the best you can by the boys, put
make San Francisco with me if you can
before l die"
II will. sir. said the mate. ~ will
do everything l cam"
The next Gay Captain McGuier mad an.
other Eighty spell and in his wildness
went into the chart room and pulling
down the thermometer smashed 1t on the
floor. This was a serious matter for the
chip. Lest the captain should destroy
the compass AZ well as thermometer the
mate ordered two of the men to stay con-
staptly IN the captains room to guard
him and keep him from iniuirng himself
or the ship.
Taking two men to guard the captain
left only one man to spare on deck. The
breakihg of the chronoDeter, too, was
most serious, for the welfare OF the yes
sci depends largely on the keeping OF
proper time. The mate took the broken
instrument and fixed it up as best he
could. but from the tins the captain, in
his wildness, threw it on the floor, it
never once kept the right time. From
that moment even the wherea bouts of
the ship was an uncertainty. Perhaps it
was heading toward danger; perhaps dis
aster might suddenly close the eyentful
voayge.
By his observations the mate was able
to fix nothing but the attitude the bark
was in. The onsitude was made by dead
reckoning. As the result proveo, the
mate did wonderfully well in navigating
the vessel. for in his reckoning he kept
twenty miles ahead of the vessel, as was
apparent wnen she finally picked up the
tigh bluff of Point Reyes.
After the captain s death the mate and
the steward had a quarrel. The mate
eaid the steward wanted to sail the ship,
and be will therefore have the steward
arrested. The other sailors took the
stewards part and as the mate feared a
general mutiny he armed himself and
waited for the ship to reach port.