Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-07-13
WEIRD TALE OF THE SEA.
How Stowaways Bred q Serious Mutiny
on the Dolphin.

How StOwaways Bred a Serious Mutiny
on the Dolphin.
San Francisco, July 1.-THE steam
er Dolphin, which arrived last night
from New York, through the Straits of
Magellan, had sensational trip. Ac-
cording to Captain John O'Brien, the
day following her departure three stow
aways were discovered. But for the
stormy weather Captain O'Brien would
have put about and landed the men.
Subsequently the captain wished with
all his heart that he had followed his
first inclination in this respect.
From St. Lucia, he took eight ma
tives to assist the crew. About week
after leaving the West Indies, native
told the captain that one of the stow
aways was q notorious bandit, and an
other was lunatic and the third was
an escaped murderer. Edward Palmer,
negro steward, assumed an independ-
ent attitude before the Dolphin was
past Sandy Hook. Three days out from
St. Lucia he attacked a fireman named
McAllister with chair and laid his
scalp open. The steward was put in
irons and Captain O'Bren and Chief
Engineer Winter took six stitches in
the fireman's head. The West Indians
then became friendly with the negro
crew and they worked only whenever
they pleased.
Captain O'Brien intended to land the
steward and the natives at Montevideo,
but the United States consul there ad-
vised holding them until an American
port was reached. The steward was
released from his irons and put to work
painting and cleaning ship. Follow
ing this trouble the blacks showed a
tendency to rise against the officers and
white men of the crew, but Captain
O'Brien and his men kept their revolv-
ers in plain view and by their apparent
readiness to use them prevented trouble
for the tine being. Three days was
spent at Montevideo in coaiing. In
sailing out to open sea, in the river
Platte, a hurricane swept down on the
Dolphin, and she narrowly escaped be-
ing wrecked.
In the Straits OF Magellan the man.
eating Fuegans attempted to set fire to
the Dolphin as they had done a year
before to Chilean man-of-war, killing
and eating the entire crew. At Coro-
mel, Chilean coaling post, the coal
passels obtained liquor and went on the
warpath and could not be subdued.
They smashed all the fire axes on board
and threatened to kill every one on the
steamer. During the trouble, Purser
Humes and Second Engineer George g..
Carroll were sent ashore by Captain
O'Brien to procure assistance and they
lost no time in finding the men in au-
thority. The nearest troops were 100
miles away, but special train was
sent after them by the government. 1t
developed that Humes and Carroll were
no better on shore than they had been
on the Dolphin, for in SO out of the
way place it was useless to make at
tempts to get back to the ship.
"When we got back to the steamer" :"
said Purser Humes, "the mutlneers had
the crew up in the rigging and were in
full possession of the vessel. The SOL
diers had quieting effect on the ne
groes. The striking firemen were TAX
en- ashore in irons and next day the
court of inquiry was held on the
Dolphin. The court sentenced the six
ringleaders to three months each in the
calaboose. In the crowd were the
steward and the three stowaways from
St. Lucia. You can bet we lost no
time getting out of Coronel as soon as
sentence had been passed. l would
not want to see my worst enemy in
prison in Coronel. 1t is a desolaJe
place where only leprosy and crime
seem to thrive"
The Dolphin is on her way to Seat
tie, where she will 60 into the Alaskan
trade.