New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-28
MEMORIES OF. THE TURK.
THE SIEGE OF sEBAsTOPoL AND OTHER
EVENTS.
AN AMERICAN TRANSPORT IN THE cR RI
AN MEAN WAR BY John Goldman. Octave. PIP
los. Bonnell. Silver Il Co

ne to the political difficulties, past and present. III
the East. but he refuses to take himself or MS
views too seriously. and in consequence ne mas
written a captivating record Of his experiences
They were begun in an unexpected anu 'oAe
what picturesque manner. Forty years ago 'ne
commercial marine Of the United states was III
n furnishing condition. but there were rev
steamers save on the North Atlantic and those
travellers DESTROYS OF reaching the Mediterra-
moan coast were compelled to get there via Liver
nool and tho Continent At this juncture frm
Of New-York ship-ow decided to fit out
steamer of 613 tons, the William Penn, ana SEM
her over direct to Marseilles with cargo OIL
freight and with twenty or thirty passengers
The time was not ripe for the venture. Nei'hei
freight nor passengers could be secured III tio
home port, and out Of sheer pluck and prloe inc
owners sent the William Penn across the SOUTH
ern route, with instructions to Captain Codfhah
TO get what freight he could for the return pas
sage Promptly on the date advertised sne sailed
in ballast In Marseilles the cholera was deci-
mating a population that had already peeh
drawn into the whirlpool Of the Crimean war
Con,oir Goldman could obtain no business for
New-York and idled in the blazing sun until ne
ACQUIRED q contract with the French Government
for tho TRANSFORMATION Of troops. stores ana am
nunitIon to the Crimea. Here his narrative
really begins.
Tho William Penn was the first transport f1ying
a foreign flag which was chartered by the frehc"
Government She was newcomer IN the Dai
danelles. and went aground on Niagara foh'' '"e
very SPOT. as Captain Goldman notes, where Le-
ander swan to his Hero. The Pacha OF the Oar
danelles came off to the ship. rendering HIS DO
sistance and. with the introduction Oh 'h's i"''
viduaL Captain Goldman strikes the ho'e Va
humorous description which again ana aea'"
makes his book amusing Being under the iih-
,rossion that the Orientals were forbidden by
tho pronhet to partake Of wine. that luxury was
oxc,uded from the cabin table Think then OF
nv establishment" writes Captain Goldman, at
. gopt,o hint from the Pacha to champagne.
1t was. OF course. Immediately produced. upon
my remarking that II had not been oHereu peioie
on account of regard to what supposed 10 ne Ills
religious scruples. he replied with an air vi per
foot sincerity: Wine IL forbidden by the Prophet;
not champagne. Champagne ola not exist III ms
dow. how then. could he have forbidden 1t?
Marshalah. God is great continued Suieymah'
smoothing his beard and soothing his conscience.
Pass the bottle" The ship was reloaded ana
Captain Goldman went to Constantnopie ana
10 a long succession of voyages on the Bosporus
and the Black Sea. first in the service OF the
Erorch Government and then in that or the
Turks II is interesting to observe that he FOUND
tho former upright but terribly severe paymas-
tors the latter a little more generous and great
deal more amiabe When he transferred the
william Penn from the French to the turkish
service he drew up charter party ana present
ed it to the Minister Of War for his signature
The Oriental glanced sleepily at the DOCUMENT
and inquired Its purport. This was eXpiaiheu u
him He waved it aside. There was no occasion
for any documents. he said all that Oap'aii
Goldman had to do was to call at the end or each
month for his money, "Thereupon toiu MIN
that for my own part needed no paper, as was
fully satisfied with his word, but that the other
owners Of the ship at home would object 10 my
doing business in that way. All, WE'LL ne re-
piled If YOU must have paper, make IL SNORT
as possible. Sit down and write TINS Inc Oe'o-
man Government charters the William Penn at
80 900 a month. furnishing the coal and paying
for passengers food the same as heretofore
The contract was executed accordingly. and Cap
tain Goldman never had any trouble with his en-
ployers.
He remembers this fact warmly, and one OF
.ho so,,ent noints of his narrative is the SYM
nathv for the Turkish character which 1t reflects
Tho author does not pretend to say that the Mus
su,r,ons have behaved themselves better than the
chr,stions IN the recent Armenian disturbances,
hut no "a uneauivocal in his assertion that forty
wears ago the Turks, as he knew them were a
nrenossessng and companionable people. lie goes
90 far as tn say that the dissensions In Asatic
Turl,ev must he attributed to "Other causes than
that of religious persecution" thus materially
altering the aspect of the case as IL is generally
viovvod on the other hand whether he Will or
M he reveals lamentabe state OF affairs among
Tho Turkish troops. There was no better COM
missariat than with the troops OF the Allies; IN
Fact II was if possible worse; and there Is some
thing tragic in the picture which Captain COD
man calmly draws Of the manner In when ne
| was compelled to crowd his vessel on one MEM
! orable run from Constantinople to Eupatoria
| The latter stronghold was within TWO DAYS san
! of the base of supplies, but II was shameiuiIy
| reelected; the soldiers died off In squads from
| typhoid fever and when Russian attack was
r,,,rored there were belated and panic stricken
efforts IN Constantinople to reinforce the garri-
SON one thousand men and 900 sheep were
| actually nut on board a vessel of 613 tons Be
| fore this was accomplished the chief officer,
| delightful Yankee soul. made rough calcua-
| ton "Allowin' two square foot for man,
! said he "and providin' the soldiers Will stand
up all the way and calling every sheep sodJer,
! providin he will stand on his hind legs. we can
| inst about accommodate EN-. Sheep won't do
| that though. The soldiers will take up all the
room in the between decks and on deck, and the
| sheep will have to go on top o one another in
| the hold" The William Penn steamed OFF, look
ing like a Coney Island excursion boat on a
| Saturday afternoon The congestcd mass Of
! soldiers fell sea-sick with unanimity that
turned the vessel into horrible hospital, and in
the midst of the chaos wreck was sighted and
4 party of men and women were rescued Cap
| tain Goldman turned the Turkish officers out Of
their cabin to make place for the women.
Sinister growlings were the result, and only the
lucky arrival Of a British man-of-war in the
| offing permitting a transfer Of the waits, pre-
vented a mutny Eventually the cargo Of i'll,
! diving and mutinous soldiers was discharged at
Eupatoria only to find that it was not needed. the
| rcport of n Russian advance having been I'M