The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-14
BURNING OF THE SARAH SANDS.
Captain of the Clipper Points Out
inaccuracies in KipIing's story.
From the London Mail.


From the London Mail.
John s. Caste, who was captain Of the
Sarah Sands when that ship burned N
1851 takes exception to Rudyard Kiplings
recent narrative of the loss of the clip
per.
Il must take exception of Mr.. Kiplings
description of the crew, who he says
with the exception of the engineers and
firemen. seemed to have been foreigners
and plerhead jumpers picked up at the last
minute. They were bad, lazy and insur-
bordinate
This is not correct. There were only
two or three foreigners on board. The
crew was not composed OF pierhead jump
ers and were not picked up az the last
minute, but were shipped al the shipping
office In the East India road Poplar
Neither were they bad, lazy or insubordi-
nate had no difficulty with them, with
one exception, which was while lying in
Ssmon's bay.
Mr.. Kipling states that on Nov.
squaH struck the ship, carrying away the
foremost, and that il is to be presumed
that the troops turned to and Cleared
away the wreckage. Any person reading
this description would imagine that the
crew were in a state of INSTRUMENTATION,
which | distinctly deny; and as to the
foremost, it was merely a small jigger-
mast (the head only being carried away,
on which a small fore-and-aft sail was set,
the ship being peculiarly rugged the only
one that l have ever seen rugged in the
same manner. No doubt the troops did
assist the crew in securing the mast; in
fact, I found them willing to do anything.
ITO come to the fire on Nov. II. About
D.Nr ..N~F..
were going down into the after-hod 30
get up provisions for the following day.
which was usually done at that hour mo
person having been below since the pre-
VioUs afternoon) and on opening the
hatchways smoke was observed TO come
up Immediately. This l smeked from my
cabin, and at once inquired as to the
cause OF it, and then proceeded 90 the
hold myself, where l found fierce fire
burning.
Il al once returned to the deck. ordered
the matches TO be put on, the engines to
be stopped and the vessel to be brought
TO the wind, so as TO conhne the fire as
much as possible to the after part of the
ship. Realizing the dangerous nature of
the FIRE / at once called for volunteers
to clear the powder magazines then or
dered all the boats TO be got out and the
women and children 10 be placed in them
This was safely done although there was
half gale at the time with a high sea
running. l then ordered the third officer
Mn Very, to take charge of the hfeboat
| in which the officers wives and daugh-
tiers We're placed, and sent the fourth Of
! flcer, MIR. Wood, in charge of another boat
| In describing the boats. Mr.. Kipling ac-
| cuses the crew of having behaved shame
| fully in abandoning the vessel. Now. this
| / also positively deuy Any person with
| the slightest knowledge of ships boats.
| must be aware that they cannot be lower
ed and handled without men. and there
fore l had to send men to take charge
| OF them to prevent them being damaged
or lost; and as there We're seven boats.
! Il. necessarily took several of the seamen
! from the ship. The only persons of the
crew that left the ship without orders. as
| far as I am aware. were three firemen
| These men l prosecuted on my arrival at
the Mauritius, and If 1 remember correctly
| each was sentenced to one months impris-
| onment.
81 have 40 intention OF writing a fun
account of the burning of the vessel. but
as Mr.. Kipling has published what l con-
slider to be grave charges against the
| sailor portion of the crew. and has entire
ly ignored the services Of the officers of
the ship. l feel 1t my duty 20 protest
| against It.
1T is now forty-one years since the
| casualty occurred, and most of the men.
expect, have long since passed away MY
first officer Septimus Welch. and the sec
ond. John Ascot Ticket (who, | have no
hesitation in stating, were as good officers
| as ever stood on ships deck, are both
| dead; but their families are living and
IL would be painful for them to think that
: their fathers good names had been pass