Sunday morning globe., 1901-10-20
My name is Captain Kidd,
As I sailed. as / sailed,
oh the wicked things I did
AsI sailed as I sailed"

The cruise Of the United States Gunboat
Bancroft which recently went out Of COM
mission in Boston, from which port She
sailed in September or October, 1900 for the
purpose of surveying the passes, inlet and
waters of Boca del Drago in the United
States Of Columbia appears to have been
one carousal Of drunkenness, fighting and
immoraliues from the time the ship left
Key West until her return to that port.
The Bancroft was commanded by Conn
mander j. d. Adams. The ship was absent
on her assignment from September, 1900,
until May last The orgies on board COM
meuced at Key West, on her outward voyage
when Commander Adams brought a woman
b belonging 90 a barn stormiug company at
Key West on board the Bancroft As She
stepped over the side She greeted Leutcu-
ant Howard whom she apparently knew,
with Well how are you, you old s-- of
"a b-n Descending 20 the commander
cabin she remained there until after a. IN.
Caruu-ing. when she was put over the side
of the vessel and taken ashore. The junior
officers taking their cue from THE Rube, '
as Commander Adams was called by his
crew. soon di.couuted him iu drinking
fighting and carr0usiug with the women
they brought on board. There was no con.
cealmeut of their conduct from the eyes of
the sailors. The men could look down the
sky-light and see the young officers play
imitation bango tunes with the leg of their
lady visitor for the instrument and held In
position TO represent the banjo.
tunior Lieutenant Lyon becoming offended
at something Senior Lieutenant willard
said punched him in regular prize ring style
The common sailors did as they pleased
and the more serious their oifense the
lighter the punishment inflicted by old
"Ruleh the commander
There was one notable exception to the
general debauchment among the officers in
the person of Or. Charles DE Lancey, He
neither associated with the fighting carous-
ing officers nor INDUCED in any Of their
pastimes, such as drinking playing horse
with the women br ught aboard etc.
At Boca del Drago a gentleman and his
wife presumably, came aboard. The young
officers soon got the man dead drunk, and
while he laid stretched out in a helpless
condition they INDUCED in Undesirable
liberties with The lady The hardened sail
ors, looking down through the sky-light,
blushed with indignation, and were even
disgusted with the exhibition.
10 can easily be inferred that discipline on
board as a greater farce than ever entered
the head of Gilbert & Sullivan IN the con-
ception of their most improbable scenes Of
Puaiore and Sir Joseph Porter X. G. B.
The position of Chief Master-at- Arms-who
Is charged with duties similar 20 those of
Chief OF p0licp-was anything but a de-
sirable one on board such a vessel. The
men paid uo attention TO him as the punish
ment they received for the most serious
infractious of discipline were ridiculously
out of proportion 20 the ofiense, On the
other hand triaing little oGeuscs were pun
ished severely The sailors got drunk and
went ashore when they pleased When put
in irons they even walked OFF the vessel az
the wharf and went up town in the presence
of the officers, and one Of them was bold
and drunk enough to pluck "a cigarette from
the officer on duty and place 10 IN his own
mouth The drunken sailor was in irons at
the time and after asking the officer for a
cigarette. and being refused took the one
the officer was smoking from between his
teeth. put 10 Zoo his own mouth and delib-
eratgly walked off the vcssc up town, in
Key West These and other breaches of
discipline disgusted the Chief Mastcr.at-
Arms. 70 gentleman named Martin Jacobson
who had eight or nine years service and a
splendid record as ana American seaman.
lie expressed bis disgust of the whole bust
ness and thus became "a marked man for
the quafrelliug, riot.ng and drunken officers.
Hence when the Mastcr-atArms, suffering