The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-22

scarcity OF food In the Spanish ships
was 80 acute that rats, when they could
be caught. were sold for four dollars
Apiece. A sailor who died on board one
OF tho vessels had his death concealed
for some days by his brother, who dur
Ing that period lay In the same ham.
mock with the corpse In order 20 re-
ceive the dead mans allowance of pro-
Visions ltl Etl ~ n
This disaster TO the Spanish squadron
rendered It. OF course, useless as an ag-
gressive power OF all the fine vessels,
the Asia alone was able In 17is to return
to Spain. OF the original personnel OF
the squadron, consisting OF nearly four
Thousand officers, sailors, marines; and
troops, not above one hundred and fifty
lived to reach their native land. z.
Meanwhile, on the It'll OF March, 17il.
current, the English squadron made the
Mare In three hours time. The Eng
ilsh were elated with the. hope OF a
speedy voyage about Cape Horn. an
elation fortified by serene weather and
bright skies. This was, q fattering de-
fusion. The two hindmost vessels of
the SQUADRON had barely cleared the
straits when q furious squall from the
south burst upon them. This was ac-
companied BY q strong tide, that drove
them to the eastward with great ra-
pldity. This squall was followed by a
succession OF tempestuous westerly
gales, compared to which the oldest
and most experienced seamen on board
confessed that what they had previous
ly called storms We're nothing more
than strong breezes, These tempests
raised short and mountainous waves,
which gave such quick, sharp motion
to the ships that the men were in con-
tinuai danger Of being dashed 10
pieces against the sides and decks.
Many were injured aud more killed
outright Fos forty days the squadron
battled with these fierce westerly gales.
when, in tempest that surpassed in
violence all of those previously encoun-
tered. the Severn and Pearl. two sloops-
of-war, disappeared, and We're not seen
again. On the 224th OF April II another
fierce gale, the Centurion, the flagship.
lost sight Of the remaining four vessels
OF the squadron. IN; +, 8 9.
Soon after passing the Straits OF lie
Marie scurvy began to make Its appear
ance in the squadron. Tile fatisues and
various disappointments met with
caused II 10 spread with such a degree
that towards the end Of April there were
few who were not In some degree at
flicted with II on board the various YES
sells. During that month no less than
forty-three died on board the Centurion,
and proportiorate number on the
q he u1, Do hf,t ,afH nf
mortality had increased to such an eN-
tent on the Centurion that out of q crew
OF 400 men 200 had died. The remainder
were reduced to such state OF help
lessness by the disorder that not above
six men In a watch were capable Of duty.
1t Is a peculiarly Of scurvy that 1t Is
accompanied with great depression OF
spirits and total loss Of courage. so
that anything that occurred TO alarm
the infected crew usually killed those
who were In the last stages OF the dis.
ease. Z; y q
II was under these conditions that the
Centurion on the Sth Of May sighted the
island OF Socora, on the Gillian coast.
the first rendezvous appointed In case OF
separation Of the squadron. After
cruising OF this. Island, upon which no
landing could be made, and none Of the
ships appearing. the 6 Centurion bore
away for the island Of Juan Fernandez.
the second designated place OF meeting.
After a months sail with a crazy ship,
q great scarcity OF water. and crew so
universally diseased that from four TO
six died every day, Juan Fernandez was
sighted. 1t was several days, however,
by reason OF head winds and Gains, be-
fore a landing could be effected; the
lf-famished and suffering crew the
meanwhile driven to madness by the
slight Of green valleys and cascades OF
water pouring from the hills.
The day after coming TO anchor the
sloop-of-war, Trial, one OF the missing
vessels OF the squadron, arrived. She
had not been exempted from the calam-
a crew OF 100 men, thIrty-cight had died
OF scurvy, and OF the remainder only
four or five were fit. fol, duty. The arrl-
val of the Trial inspired Commodore
Arson that he would speedily be reJoin-
ed by the balance OF the missing vessels.
In effect, on the 2lst OF June, the Glou-
cester was sighted: but II was not until
the 23d OF July that she came 10 anchor
alongside the other ships Her losses
through scurvy were even greater thnn
those OF the others. for. Of her crew of
300 men, 225 were dead. or the other
three vessels, the Wager. sloop-of-war.
was wrecked on the coast OF Chill. The
survivors OF her crew to the number OF
about 100, fitted out the long boat. and
in this crazy craft made their way
through tho Straits of Magellan to the
coast Of Brazil, where. with the excep-
ton OF thirty OF their number who had |
they found passage TO Europe
In French vessel. Tho Severn and
Pearl were so badly shattered in tho
storm that separated tho squadron TINT
they; turned buck and ultimately reach
ed England With loss Of two thirds of
their men. IN W. & SEE
After three months stay on the island |
ofsJnan' Fernandez for the refrcshment
OF his 3 crews and the re1ttlng of his
shlps, Arson set sail for. the coast of |
Chili,to attempt the capture OF the town
Of Paita. En- route he took six valu-
ablc prizes, but lost tho sloop- of-war
Trial, which proved 80 unseaworthy
that she was scuttled. and her men and
guns transferred 10 the captured ves-
aels. Paita WINS taken without the loss
p