The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-05-14
ALMOST A MUTINY|
ON HEATHDENE.
Sailors Are Panic Stricken
See Claws of Russian Bear Unsheathed forI
Them and Would Leave Ship.

OAKLAND, May 130The crew OF the
British steamer Heathdene, now lying
at Long Wharf. in this city, is In near
" q complete state Of mutiny as the
result Of the accidental discovery Of
oontrabend Of war In the ships cargo.
The sailors declare that unless they
are given q suitable bonus to compen-
safe than for the risk they VIII run,
they VIII leave the ship In body.
Their articles signed In Newcastie-on-
Tyne do not call for any hssardous
service, and the men claim that the
British Consul Will support them IN
case the matter should so to extremes
The Heathdene was lying In Toxic
Bay when the British ship Knight
Commander was sunk by the Japan
csc in the early stages of the war, and
the fact that the sailors on board that
unfortunate vessel lost ell their pos
sessions, even down to their clothes,
has sunk deep into the memories OF
the Heathdene's crew. The men are
now at almost the end OF q three years
cruise, and each has collection OF 1T
tie keepsakss and souvenirs that he in
tends to take home to his friends To
run the risk of losing these little treas
ures and perhaps spend several
months In the depths Of q Russian
prison hulk Is more than the men care
to do, unless they can expect to gain
& substantial reward for taking the
chance
One member of the crew spoke his
mind In the following way:
For my part land think every man
ON the Heathdene feels in the same
way), viii not go out on the ship II
she is going TO carry machine gun
shells, unless I have a written prom
Use Of q bonus in hard cash before we
leave port We sailors do not receive
enormously large pay and under the
best Of circumstances incur all kinds
of danger, and IL we take a chance Of
losing what few possessions we have
while blockade running I think that
we ought to receive at least a small
part Of the profits from it 1 knew
men on the knight Commander who
lost everything except the clothes
sunk, and am not going to have that
happen to me If can help II"
The Grew of the Heathdeane num-
bers seventeen men, OF whom Eve are
Japanese, one Greek and the remain
der English, Irish and Norwegian, and
the greater proportion of them have
large sums coming to them as wages,
the carpenter, for instance, being q
creditor for $1,000 and the others for
sums ranging from $3.50, $3.50. .525,
$3.50 and so on down to SO.
United States Immigrant Inspector
David ]. Grifflths found that two Of
the Japanese members Of the crew
are affected with rachoma, and that
several members deserted within the
last two days. Should it be found
that any of the deserters are suffer-
ing with a contagious disease Captain
w. J. Milburn will be placed under
arrest. Otherwise, should the DESERT
ers have been passed by the medical
department, the captain will be called
upon to pay the immigrant tax of 81
per head.
The munitions of war destined for
Japan filled seven cars. The mem
bers of the crew are thoroughly
frightened and declare they cannot be
forced to remain with the steamer I'M
der their contract, which does not call
upon them to assume war risks. They
were very much relieved yesterday
when informed that the owners had
decided to unload the dangerous
cargo.