The San Francisco call., 1904-06-16
4h Loy'S AfonemeHt.


Francisco with several saloon passen-
gers and q large number Of Chinese in
the steerage. Like other ships Of sim
flsr construction, the China was pro-
PEELED by & huge wheel on either SIDE
revolving between two wide beams, the
whole being inclosed in the usual semi
circular paddle or wheelhouse.
Cold, wet and disagreeable weather.
with strong head winds and seas, was
encountered soon after leaving Yoko-
hama. but the voyage was entirely
without incident until the fourth night,
when we were all aroused by the night
watchman's tragic cry Of Man over
board" As soon as a slight temporary
confusion had subsided, we learned
that a watchman who had just nm
sshed his midnight inspection and was
on his way 10 report 70 the deck Off
Ger had been knocked down by Chi
nese passenger. who. rushing furiously
past him 10 the lee or starbOard bow,
plunged into the sea.
The officer on watch responded so
promptly 70 the watchman's alarm
that. as the ship was moving but slow
Iy against wind and wave. her progress
was arrested almost instantly.
The night was intensely dark, the
sea extremely rough. and the tempera-
ture so low that the rain turned to ice
as il fell on the decks and rigging. In
fact. conditions generally were so very
unfavOrable that il was considered un-
wise 10 attempt TO lower a boat and
thereby imperil an entire small boats
crew on such a dubious quest. After
a somewhat prolonged detention an
order for full speed ahead" caused
the old ship to resume her struggles
against adverse winds and waves.
At a general muster and roll call of
passengers on the following morning
fl was ascertained that one of them,
named All 10y, was missing. and an
entry TO that effect was made in the
ships log book. soon after the COM
pletiOn 0f The above mentioned muster
a sailor happened to enter the store
room, situated in the forward part Of
the stsrboard paddlebox. and while
doing a loaf" casually glanced through
a small opening in the bulkhead and
watched the revolutions OF the paddle
wheel. While trying TO peer through
the fast falling showers Of spray and
foam he saw. but quite indistinctly, an
object somewhat resembling a human
being lying on the opposite paddle
beam The discovery of such an OBJ
ject in an almost inaccessible position
naturally excited the curiosity Of many
other members Of The crew. and it was
finally decided that the captain should
be notified. r. Eain p clearer view
that of.ria -a-red r.. machinery
stopped al, soon as The spray had
ceased fails f~om the wheels the
mysterious o. i-ct was discovered to be
an apparent iifeless Chinaman. After
a part Of 80 bulkhead had been re-
moved. She supposed corpse secured
and haEled iu on deck it was recog-
nized by z group Of Chinese passengers
as All 10y, their missing companion,
and. under the impression that they
had seen supernatural object. they
fed IN terror 70 the lower decks. As
our rescued passenger had been lying
near the wheel, under constant show
er Of icy cold water and spray for more
than eight hours. I was not surprised
at finding him cold and apparently
lifeless. his eyes fixed and expression
less, his limbs rigid, with a decidedly
sub-nOrmal bodily temperature In
spite OF vigorous treatment several
days elapsed before he was-able TO re-
late his adventures. When finally able
10 converse he stated that be was the
eldest son of q widowed mother and
for several years had been isboriously
saving a sum Of money sufficient for
his journey TO California. but just as
ne had succeeded in accommodating the
long desired amount his mother unex-
pectedly passed over TO the spirit
world
Being The eldest son, he fully realized
that X vas his filial duty to provide his
mother with a burial in keeping with
long established usages and family ira
ditions, but knowing that its cost
would 50 deDlete his savings that his
journey would be indefinitely postponed
he decided TO give her a humber and
less expensive sepulture After these
solemn rites were duly performed he
resumed his weary task OF making
good the amount he had been COM
PEELED to deduct from his savings, but
he soon realized that although the
body Of his maternal ancestor had been
laid away TO rest her immortal part
seemed so sadly disturbed and dissat-
isfied that IL began TO show its dis
Gus ways. Many specious promises were
made, with frequent presents Of roasted
and decorated pigs. as well as several
coats Of lacquer for his patron joss,
which gained him temporary surcease
from his disquieting tormentors. until
q happy turn OF fortunes wheel en-
abled him to undertake his Journey
much sooner than anticipated. Leav-
ing his country and graves Of his an
cestOrs did not, unfortunately bring
relief and cOntentment, for no sooner
had the darkness OF his first night at
sea surrounded him than he found
himself besieged by legions Of ances-
trsl shades. who, violently upbraided
him for trying to evade by flight the
performance Of the duties taught by
the much reve-ed Confucius. Finding
that promises failed to placate his tor
mentors. he unWisely turned TO the Sc
ductive pipe for relief, and for a time
enjoyed an undisturbed and peaceful
oblivion. but when HIS supply of the
POPPY became exhausted his ghostly