Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-26
Record ofthe Ill-Starred Lei
Cester Castle.
KNOWN AS HOODO0 SHIP
ARRIVES AT VICTORIA WITH
PLAGUE ABOARD.
Captain Dead and Crew Dying-Ship
Has Made Tragedy in
Marine Annals.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


| VICTORIA, B. c., September 26.-With
| her captain dead from yellow fever and
| two thirds of her crew incapacitated from
| the same disease the British bark Leicester
| Castle famous in marine history as a mu-
tiny ship, is being held IN quarantine In the
Royal roads, down this harbor. The YES
sci arrived yesterday from Acapulco, in
ballast and the boarding officers who went
down to meet her heard narrowing story
of a fight with the plague and heavy seas.
They were also told that nearly all the
residents of the port the bark sailed from
had become victims of the plague. Aca-
pulco is a seaport of Mexico on the Pacific,
in the state of Guerrero. 1t is a noble,
land-locked harbor and lies about two hun
dred miles south-southwest of the City of
Mexico. The harbor is midway between
San Francisco and Panama.
Full Of Fever Germs.
The Leicester Castle, while at Acapulco,
anchored off bit of land which once was
a cemetery. The section was surrounded
by swamps and is pregnant with fever
germs. Within five hours after she sailed
for this port Capt. Crosby her commander.
was attacked with yellow fever. The vessel
still had the promontories of the harbor in
sight when the captain died. Knowing the
nature of his disease, the crew buried him
at once, and the mate, Capt. Spragge, took
command
The new commander had scarcely given
his first order when word was sent to him
that a number of the crew w6Se seriously
i'll of a trouble like that which killed the
captain. In less than four hours eight men
were down with the yellow jack, and the
working of the vessel fell upon one-third
of the ships company. Many of these felt
symptoms OF the disease, but the comman
IL a lyayN
them on their feet.
Capt. Spragge himself felt the preliminary
signs of yellow jack, but he treated himself
as he did his men and kept at his post
sometimes for twenty-four hours at a
stretch. On his arrival here he mere
shadow Of man, but was full of stamina
to the last.
The floating hospital has had more to
contend with than the dread disease. When
away up the coast the Leicester Castle ran
into exceptionally heavy weather, and the
mountain-high seas beat her about merci-
lessly. With her light crew she was only
able to carry shortened sails, and on more
than one occasion she came perilously near
the rocky shore. Once, in q dense fog, the
bark was almost on the breakers, and the
mist lifted just in time for the men to see
their danger and save the ship.
Showed Distress Signals.
Making into this harbor, the Leicester
Castle showed signals of distress and a tug
was sent down to meet her. On the tug
was Captain Oliver, who had been sent out
from England by the owners to take COM
mand. He relieved Captain Spragge of his
charge, and Spragge was sent to the cabin
to rest after his trying experience. The
members of the crew who We're still laid
low with the fever were looked after by
physicians from this city, and the vessel
was kept at anchor far down the harbor,
to be held there until the last vestige of
the disease was gone.
The Leicester Castle has made a good
deal of tragedy in maritime annals. Two
years ago, when off Pitcairn Island, her
crew mutinied. The sailors fired three
bullets into her commander, Captain Beat
tie, killed the mate, and then left the ship
on a raft. She lay deserted at her anchor
age until her owners sent a crew down to
bring her home.
Acapulco is a seaport of Mexico, in the
state of Guerrero. on the Pacific ocean, and
is about half way between San Francisc
and Panama. 1t derives it's chief import J,
ance from the fact that ii is a port of call
for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company's
vessels on their trips to and from San
Francisco and the isthmus. 1t has a mag
nifcent landlocked harbor, but that is the
only magnificent thing about ii. An old
brick fort that was once formidable, but
IS now out of date and partly in ruins,
stands at the mouth of the harbor, with a
garrison which lounges around barefooted
the week and struts about on Sundays in
semi-French uniform of red and blue.
The Old Cathedral.
The only building of Importance in
the town is an old cathedral, which
shows the ravages of old age and neglect
very conspicuously. The town itself is
composed mostly of mean, one-story
buildings, the residents in which go bare
footed in the scantiest of linen or cotton
garments and the biggest of sombreros.
consists of the export of hides, cedar
and fruit to San Francisco, which busi-
ness is managed by a few slim, swarthy
early, attend to their affairs till IL am,
then have breakfast and take a siesta
till late in the afternoon, when they are
on deck again till dinner time, at @
o'clock. AT night the streets are all dark
and quiet. and suggest stories of old
Spain, serenades and stilettos.
The swamp presses close upon the
town, the climate OF the country being
tropical, rainy, hot and sweltering Along
play in the water during the day, just
inside of the line from the other side of
which hungry-eyed sharks watch for
some happy misehance, while In shady
corners most of the adults lie and smoke
straw cigarettes. But the town is pic
turesque in its squalor on account of the
palms and other vegetation that fringe
IL and the beauty of its bay. 1t used to
be periodically lively by means of revo-
lutions. or late years that recreation
has fallen into disuse.