The herald., 1897-11-09
/ SEA STORIES
OF Hunger and Most Brutal
Ill-Treatment
AMERICAN SHIP J. A. BRIGGS
BADLY FOUND AND oFFICERED
By FRIENDS
Requests From San Francisco Will
Result in Sending Relief to the
Frozen-in Whalers

a short time ago, was told IN the ONCE o.
United States District Attorney H. s
Foote by four or five forlorn. weak and
scurvy-stricken sailors, members of the
American ship John A. Briggs of San
Francisco. They told their story in a
straightforward way to Assistant
United States District Attorney Bert
Schlesinger and Chief Clerk Sherrard,
and then swore to a complaint charging
Capt. ]. w. Balch with having misused
and starved his men, while First Mate
johnson also will be arrested for cruelty
beating and wounding sailors on the
high seas.
The ship John A. Briggs sailed from
Baltimore little over Ave months ago,
bound for this port. Before a month
had passed the potato supply was ex-
hausted, and from then until the close of
the voyage no vegetables of any sort
were served the sailors. OF this alone
they would not have complained, but
they say Capt Balch absolutely starved
them. Three times a day the crew was
served with one-half Of a small loaf of
bread, making about four slices, and
two thin slices of salt beef Of junk, cut
so thin that the poor sailors could almost
see through it. Day by day the men
grew weaker and weaker on this diet,
and in a body they complained to the
captain, asking for more bread. The
captain promised to give them a whole
loaf. He kept his promise, but previously
gave orders to the cook to reduce the
| of <Io pofnro Gan Horn
had been reached two of the men. Chas.
Jarvela and George Nichols, were at
tackled with scurvy, and the entire crew
had been driven to such desperate
straits that in order to save their lives
they were compelled to eat the grease
used to lubricate the masts. All hands
were shortly in a horrible state, partic-
ularly the two suffering from scurvy.
They were so weak they could scarcely
work the ship and, to make matters
worse, several storms were encountered.
On the 23rd of last July Jarvela was ad
dressed by First Mate Johnson, who
ordered the seaman to move quicker.
At that time the poor fellow was nearly
dead from starvation, and his limbs
were so swollen with scurvy that each
movement Of his body caused him ex-
cruciating pain. He replied to the mate,
saying that he was suffering so that he
could not possibly move quicker, where
| upon Johnson struck him, knocking
him to the deck. In his fall Jarvela dis
located his right arm at the elbow, and
while he was still down johnson pro-
ceeded to beat and kick him unmer-
cifully. Again, on August End, johnson
administered a terrible beating to jar
vela, this time breaking his nose. Later.
for no pretext whatever other than that
Abel Peterson had not obeyed quickly
enough, Mate Johnson beat the seaman
into insensibility with the handle Of a
broom. Another seaman who was made
the recipient Of much abuse was George
Nichols, who was terribly maltreated.
AS seen today, Nichols and Jarvela,
suffering from scurvy, presented ter
rible sight Their limbs, hands and faces
were swollen, their skin bloodless and
| CHASTITY. Both the men were taken to
the United States Marine hospital for
| treatment.
AID FOR wHALERS
SAN FRANCISCO. Nov. 8.-A deter
mined effort is being made to aid the
300 whalers now imprisoned by ice in
the Arctic. All the California represen-
tatives in Congress have appealed to the
Secretary Of the Navy asking that tho
government at once send a relief ship
to their rescue. The Call has offered to
provision the vessel and $4,000 in cash has
been promised by the Examiner and the
managers Of the baseball tournament.
II no government vessel is available, it
is possible that a private steamer may be
chartered. Many experienced men are
of the opinion that relief ship will
not be able to get within several hundred
miles of the suffering men, but it is hoped
that provisions may be taken by rein
deer overland to Point Barrow. The
success Of this project will depend
largely on the weather, though it is
thought to be feasible. The Chamber
Of Commerce favors immediate relief,
and indications are that some plain of
succor will soon be carried into effect.
The chamber of commerce sent the fol-
lowing message to President Mckinley:
"In the name of humanity and patri-
otism the chamber of commerce of San
Francisco respectfully urges upon you
the prompt dispatch of the revenue
steamer Bear to the Arctic, under COM
mand of Capt. Healey, with discretion
airy orders, fully fueled and provisioned,
to rescue over 200 American seamen i'm
prisoned by the ice near Point Barrow
and with authority to facilitate land
transportation
| A HULK SOLD
ASTORIA, Ore, Nov. 8.-The British
ship Glenmorag, which stranded on
North Beach March 10, 1896, was sold tC
|