The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-01-15
Steam S1li Used to QuslI Mutlny 90 a French
Prison Ship.
GOULD BE ScALDED TO DEATH QUICKLY
shoa'd an ou,bronI Eycr occur s.ca am
Can no Turned Upon Them wniIe
They Arein Their cnges-rho Inv
Gives the onse.s drcn. Latitude ,n
such Cases.

| a dispatch from Tampa, Fla, says:
me French transport ship Carladonic.
now lying ut Port Tampa, Is an object
OF much curiosity. This grim sea pris-
On annually conveys about 1000
souls from the land of the living
the gay French republIc-to an endur-
ing death on the Safety Islands. A
great deal of interest has been mani
rested IN this ship by the people here
on account of her having Just arrived
from The living tomb OF Capt Alfred
Dreyfus, whose guilt appears not quite
40 cohciasfe IN the face of recent
events which have agitated Paris.
The officers of the shin. with the
easy suavity OF all Frenchmen, appear
70 md much pleasure in showing visl-
tors through the vessel and cheerfully
answer all questions, until Inquiries
are made of Captain Dreyfus, when
they reply, with proruse apologies.
of him.
The Caledonia is an iron ship of
a,foo tons. For the past ten years she
mas been in the employ Of the French
government transporting criminals
rom France and Algeria to the penal
colonies on Safety Island, thirty miles
OH the coast Of French Guiana These
arc taken aboard at Rochefort and
Aigiers and consist of persons con-
victed OF various crimes, whose SEN
fences are not less than five years.
-FOUR steel cages, each with a capa-
city OF $50. are ready for the male pris-
oners as they come aboard, while a
much smaller one. capable OF holding
only thirty-one persons Is sufficient for
the femaie eonvlcts. This latter cage
Is In the aft of the ship and is widely
removed from the others. The women
are treated with a great deal more
consideration than the men, having
regular herths and better fare The
men isleep in canvas hammocks and
are given the ordinary seaman's ra-
lions which is substantial. IL not
elaborate. The chip Is provided with
n well arranged hospital phar-
macy and two physicians. Drs. Ron
ault and Wallet, wLo are ever watch
ful over the health of the convicts en-
trusted to their care
"a very iTterss ting feature, and one
ho"n.ble to contemplate. is the facility
with which steam can be used should
me oonvicts attempt to take possession
OF the ship. Pipes are SO arranged that
were such an effort made 1t would be
possible for the CiTccr3 Of the ship to
scald every prisoner to d5UtE lin less
tlins than ut would take to count them
steam can Ire turned upon them while
thHH are in ahe!r cages o. should they
escape frcEn them It can lie so directed
that thcS would he forced to appeal for
mercy. The law gives the officers of
this ship great latitude and whenever
they deem 1t prudent that the c3nvtcts
shall he put to daath in this manner
1t is w!thin their power to do so Cap
tain Lano has navcr mad such 4 case
10 arise ON board his sfhip, but II often
becomes necessary io give thnm n lit
tie OF the steam - qmell discomfort. As
u RUE, however, the eighty guards who
are regularly detailed for service on
board are sufficient TO kesp the priso-
ners docile
Should an outbreak at any time oc-
cur signal Of alarm calls all hands
- the midship section of the ship. and
then all ahe ladd;rs leading to tine up>
per deck CT this section are drawn up,
the lower decks barricaded and the
riglbtful commanders have a quickly
.mprorlsed, but Il strong fort. which
| cnfbrace.s the boiler and engine rooms,
the arsenal and provision rooms, the
oilccrs' quarters, the chart and steer
irg room and the bridge The CON
vitts cannot come near enough to scale
she walls or batter down the doArs ON
account of the scal7ing steam, while
from the fortress the guards and crew
can shoot thorn as they appear above
decks and as the steam does mol al
low them to remain long below they
are force TO quickly call for terms
If lndivlt nails become unruly they are
promptly put in chains. The steam be-
Ing resor;ed to only when there is n
general disturbance.