The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-11
WITH DEATH AND MUTINY.
Bark Oakland Reaches Port After a
Perilous VOYAGE.

San Francisco. Nov 1e.-With her cap
tain dead. her water and provisions almost
gone. her mate constantly armed. her
crew surIy and her steward in open rebel
lion. the famous old bark oakland came
slowly, almost painfully, through the
heads today. The great, strong tutt that
was putting away at the end Of the hawser
stretched over the Oakland's bow. could
easily have towed a clean vessel twice the
size Of that al double the speed. So COW
cred with great red harnacles was the
bark's bottom that she moved through
the water like a giant sponge. The Oak
land was sixty-one days out on the way
from San Jose de Guatemala 10 Port
Madison. and she pat in here because
Capt. McGueir so ordered on his deathbed.
The grewsoue novelty OF these sailing or
ders was in harmony with everything
about the bark. In all respects the Oak
land looked like a floating funeral. Her
flag was at halfmast. and every man on
board wore that sorrowfui aspect sugges-
tive OF death. hunger and disaster. Even
when at anchor in the stream the expe-
riences. with which the voyage OF the,
Oakland was crowded were not at an end
for the mate was watching his chance 70
get on shore TO cause the arrest OF the
steward for the fearful offense of mutiny.
and the steward was trying 10 drop off in
a boat to take steps TO prevent the mate
from being careless with the captains
money.
The very day after leaving port the cap
tain began 10 fail. He showed signs Of
breaking down as the result Of old age
and pain. Three weeks passed. and the
captain was failing so rapidly that he
finally told the mate to take charge, and
kept very close 20 his room. Then the
captain grew Eighty. With contrary winds
and a crazy captain the bark was indeed
in serious predieament One day the
captain fell upon the floor Of the cabin in
what resembled a spasm. When he came
out of it he called the mate and said: My
end is near now: l can feel Il. This is my
last voyage; am near my last port. Do
the best you can by the boys and make
San Francisco with me IL you can before
die" SCI viii. SIR said the mate; 81 will
do everything can The next day Capt
McGuier had another fighty spell. and in
his wildness went into the chart room and
pulling down the chronometer smashed IL
on the floor. This was indeed a serious
matter for the ship. Lest the captain
should destroy the compass as well as the
chronometer. the mate ordered two of the
men to stay constantly in the captains
room, to guard him from injuring either
himself or the ship Taking two men to
guard the captain left only one man to
spare on deck. The breaking of the chro-
nometer. too. was most serious, for the
welfare of the vessel depends largely on
IT. The mate took the broken instrument
and fixed II UP as best he could, but from
the time the captain in his wildness threw
IL on the floor IL never once kept the right
time. From that moment the whereabouts
OF the ship was an uncertainty. Perhaps
IL was heading full on toward danger.
and perhaps disaster might suddenly close
the eventful voyage BY his observations
the mate was able to FIX nothing but tho
latitude the bark was in. The longitude
was made by dead reckoning. As the re-
suit proved. the mate did wonderfully
we'll I'm navigating the vessel for, in his
reckoning. he kept twenty miles ahead
OF the vessel. as was apparent when she
was finally picked UP off the the high BLUFF
at Point Reyes.
After the captains death the mate and
the steward had a quarrel. The mate says
the steward wanted 10 sail the ship, and
he viii therefore have the steward arrest
ed. 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.