The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-10-06
A SEAMAN'S HARD LOT.
Cruelty on shipboard That
Snlacks of the Dark Ages.
WHERE CIVILIZATION is SLOW.

Through q Course of Sprouts-Sea Dis
cipline Is Serious Business.
Tint the sailor who ships for u cruise on
any vessel places himself in absolute bond
age and in the most complete servitude
until tho time for which he has signed
hns expired Is broad statement to make
in these days Of advanced reform, but 1t is
ono that Is very generally conceded, snys
the New York Herald. 1t is in the power
of the liking" of the ship to put him in
irons, place him ON short rations, fell him
to tho deck with brass knuckles, strike
him with Delaying pins, oapstan bars and
marlin spikes and hammer and pound
him Mt will, and his chances Of redress
are very slight. 1t is only when absolute
murder has been done thnt. the culprits arc
brought to justice. When vessel is Mt
sea, the officers always go heavily armed,
but nowadays n snilor may not carry oven
u pookotknifo with point to 1t, much
less the old time shonth knife.
Probably one Of the most brutal muir
ders on the high seas occurred some yenrs
ago, when tho old ship St. Paul sailed
from New York round Cape Horn to San
Francisco. Tho ship, which was known
as "hnrd case" had n crow OF rs fine,
nblcbodicd men as ever lett port. When
down In the rolling forties" one day, off
the La Platn, tho vessel got into "a kind
of cyclone culled by snilors a"pump hell"
In n moment the ship was on her beam
ends and all hands were quickly nloft
shortening sail. Thoro were "a mon on
the main yard taking in the muinsuil On
tho deck wcro tho captain, mate, second
mate, boatswain and steward, the lntter
being mt the helm. Because tho men on
the yard could not work fast enough to
suit tho captain he and the others OH deck
began firing, using three revolvcrs and
shotgun. Five men were killed, four drop
ping into tho sea, and the other to the deck
When the othor men reached tho deck,
they were ordered to throw the body of
their companion overheard, which they
did. Then the work of shortening sail
WINS resumed. AS the vessel ncarod Snn
francisco the captain offered the men $500
apiece to say nothing of tho shooting and
killing. When port was reached, one of
tho men hung an old blue flannel shirt in
the rigging and soon the hnrbor police Ind
the flvo accused men In custody. At tho
trial all wero found guilty except the
steward and seltenccd to long terms of
imprisonment, which they arc now scrv-
ing in tho state penitcntiary of California
Another case Of brutality was on the
ship Tillie Starbuck, about four years ago,
shipped by 'sharks' at Portland, Or, as
I'M able seaman. Smith informed the cap-
tain that he had ncvor been to sen before,
but the Inter said they would "put him
through course of sprouts before they
got through with him. Then he became
frightened, and, jumping overheard, tried
to swim to shore. The boatswain jumped
into boat and soon had Smith baok on
the ship, where he got his first taste of sea
discipline, and WINS locked In tho foreoastle
until tho vessel was ready for sea.
After sail had been set Smith was
brought up md placed ut the wheel, al
though he did not know ono end of the
ship from another. His ignorance soon
became apparent, and he was kicked and
beaten and driven aloft to loosen tho sky
sails. AS the ship was rolling heavily he
becamo frightened aftor he had gotten
little way up and clambored back to the
deck. Then his real troubles began The
captain started in by making him get on
the main hRtch and crow like rooster for
an hour When he failed to crow to please
the captain, the bontswain would remind
him with ropo's end.
After tho growing, sling would be
thrown over tho midship capsal, and
Smith would have to heavo it in three
inches forehead for one houra and then back
'S"'i hOi oiiONHNr ilOQr Ills licAU JOD
would be to walk around tho capsal and
sing "Ctspsal Shantios - If he did not
sing to suit the captain, he would get
licked and have to start all over again.
Then he was made to run around tho
deck, the captain accelerating his move
mcnts with long riding whip. Once,
when he jumped to avoid tho whip across
his legs, the captain had him stripped TO
the waist and gave him 81 lashes across
the back. This concluded one days work
for Smith
When the vessel was two weeks out,
Smith was put on tho starving list, his
daily allowance being three hard biscuits,
pint of tea and one-quartor pound of
salt horse" This was because he did not
know his duty. The other senmen helped
him out with food whenever possible, but
no had to subsist mainly on tho 'slush'
used 10 grease the masts. "Slush" is the
fat SKINNED off the water in which the
salt horse" is boiled. When Smith was
ordered to grease tho masts, most of the
contents of tho can went into his mouth
On the vessel reaching Kings Ferry, near
Cardiff, Wales, Smith loft her. and, max
ing his way to Liverpool, reported his case
to the American consul, with tho result
thnt nothing WINS done. He shipped on an
other vessel and is now an A No. 1 seaman
more recent case is that of the clip
per ship W. +. Babcook, whose captain,
Robert Graham, was arrested about year
ago for beating Thomas Graves, n seaman,
over the head with pair of handouts.
Tho Babcock was from Honolulu for New
York, and at San Francisco some of the
men wanted to leave the vessel. The cap
tain objected and had Graves, the boat
swnin's mate and another man placed in
irons and jailed. When the vessel was
ready to sail, the men were taken on board
and kept in the lazaretto In irons for "a
hours. Thon. rs the story ia told Grayas