The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-06
THIRD SECTION
A CRUISE IN A CHOLERA SHIP.
CNE or THE MISHAPS or THE
UNLCCkY BENNINGTON.


and for Three Months the Rest OF the
wsr.a Tres:et. Her ss Leper-.A
Grim Exhibition by Sharks and . BlG
Drunk When Quarantine Was Lifted.
.The Bennington was never what you
could call a lucky ship" said a man who
used to be in the navy "and the explosion
Of her boilers was the climax OF a rather
checkered history. I made one cruise
aboard of her. on the Pacific station. too.
and that cruise doesn't stick In my mind
with any pleasant recollections worth
mentioning
THAT was the cruise when she took the
Asiato cholera on board down at Honolulu.
back in 1895. That was a mean business.
Not that the ship WAS swept by the cholera,
for she wasn't. But the plugging around
in quarantine that she had to do--all hands
in sight of land for three months, and not
a chance to get ashore-was job that I
wouldn't go through again for quadruple
sea pay.
"Only one hand died OF the disease, an
apprentice; but the authorities Of Hawaii
and all the ships that drifted In and out
of Honolulu and all the rest Of the Hawaiian
ports made leper OF US, all the same, on
account Of that one boys death, and we all
felt as IL we might just az we'll he on the
island Of Molokai where they put the
Kanaka lepers.
"The cholera got on board the Bennington
that time in peculiar way. 1t all came
about through the shipment Of a cargo Of
Chinese coolies for the Hawaiian sugar
plantations to Honolulu on the steamer
Belgc.
"On the way down to Honolulu cholera
broke out among them, but the deaths
were put down to pneumonia and nothing
was said about cholera. The coolies were
landed at Honolulu and were all huddled
IN the Chinese quarter.
Through that quarter runs q creek.
The Chinks washed their clothes in that
creek, and 1t was the creek that carried the
Asiatio plague on board tho Bennington.
The way 1t happened was this:
@The ship was anchored not very far from
the mouth Of the creek. The weather -as
pretty hot, and the men for'ard Of the
Bennington were permitted to swim after
knock of every evening. They went in
one evening after the cholera had broken
out In Honolulu and that all hands swim
picked up the cholera for US.
1T was a boy named Willie Goebel from
Georgetown, d. c., who swallowed the
microbe, or maybe . bunch Of microbes,
that flowed into the harbor water from
the Chinese creek. That evening while
he was on watch no began to grab at his
middle. They found him with q ghastly
look in his face and pretty nigh all gone,
and carried him aft to the sick bay. He
lived until about midnight. when be passed
out, dead from a. bad case Of the Asiatic
thing as ever climbed the side Of ship.
1T was mighty curious to watch tho effect
Of that news Upon tie men for'ard. Il gave
us fine chance to mark dead line Of cleav-
age between the game, or, rather. the self
contained men, and the natural born cow
ards.
when all hands were piped. the men
who were there with what you might call
the nerve turned out same 90 usual, dashed
to without any. chaw among themselves
or any casting Of glances aft. Tho boy was
dad dead g END a. OF the Asiatio cholera. Well.
'The cholera had swell chance to sweep
the ship and make her oharnel. Sure.
THAT was the way tho decent, self-con-
trolled men OF the crew, for'ard, viewed
the matter, from their demeanor. So they
did their early stunts, and ate their break
fasts, and lit their pipes when the smoking
Talking wasn't going to help anybody or
and they knew It.
But the lily-livers Of the crew for'ard-
and / am bound to say that there were
few Americana among them-took It In
muttering and exchanging looks with eaoh
other. and blamed ii some of. them didn't
appear to be almost afraid to 20 az far aft
as the hammock MEETINGS on tho main dsok
to stow their sleeping bAgs, they were In
sweli. the skipper Of the ship-commander
Pigman he was, and no better ono over ate
in a one handed mess-had tho Grew called
to quarters bit ahead Of time that morn
ing. and he made us little talk. He didn't
but he said that there wasn't any danger.
He described the preliminary symptoms
OF cholera, and said that II any Of the men
felt any Of those symptoms during the day |
hey should Immediately report aft to |
The sick bay and have the surgeon look them
quarters.
II give you my word that quarters hadn't
been over five minutes before lot Of the |
towards were feeling OF their stomachs |
and sdsing aft towa I'D the sick BAY There
than there 10 with mo at the present minute |
Of talking, but their imaginations had them
And, right here, want TO put In q word |
about q thing that has been often called
. sailors superstition tho sharks
hanging about ship when there b death
On board.
There are plenty Of sharks In Honolulu
harbor. and you can 500 their wicked Ans
shooting along almost any time you ralse
your eyes from the deck. But they don't
group themselves In schools in that harbor.
and up. to tho time that our boy Goebei
had cashed IN never moro than one or two
at the outside had crept around the BEN
nington.
Nov. I don't profess to explain 1t. and
am only stating fact but that morning.
while young Goebel's body was on board
he was carried ashore and buried about
noon-the sharks around The BenninEto
literally swarmed. They hung around,
qriet IKE, - II waiting, and they didn't
81 e. Oh till the body went ashore in the
steam cutter.
4 am not ono Of the old navy hatfeet.
and haven't got any superstitlons IN me
worth speaking Of. But what am telling
you 10 the strict fact.
well, after the boys body WA nut svav