The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1906-12-18
BAD TALES
OF A SHIP

Tales of the Babcock voyage from
Baltimore to Honolulu by way Of the
Cape of Good Hope do not contain
much that Is to the credit of the
captain of that vessel. The ship was
chartered for cargo to Portland.
Ore, and before she got away from the
Chesapeake some of the old sailors,
who had shipped on the vessel as able
seamen, prophesied trouble before the
voyage was ended. One of the men
loading the ship fell down one of the
matches and was killed and there were
accidents from time to time all the
way out. Said one of the sailors yes
terday:
She was a death ship and no mis-
take and we've had trouble enough
from the time we got out Of sight of
the oyster beds. We had not been
away from port very long, last June
it was. when Dacy, an English-Irish-
man, lost his head and was crazy for
a time before he died and was buried
at sea. Then, when we were down
off the Cape of Good Hope, young
AIueI1Cdu TAU ITOlu t1OIl
near Philadelphia, fell from the upper
topsl yard to the sea. He was a like
ly chap but he didn't know no more
about a ship than does a rabbit. He
wore glasses and was ordered aloft and
fell off the yard. We threw him some
life buoys but he had probably lost his
glasses in the fall down and couldn't
see the buoys. Then he grabbed the
log line and l heard the captain say
something to him that made me feel
glad it was him and not me. And if
he had been me a holding the line
wouldn't a let go. We never seen the
boy again.
THE trouble with the grub was that
there was too much salt beef for the
voyage but 1 will say this much for it.
the quality was AL. But who would
think of putting three months provi-
sions on a ship for a voyage that has
taken us six months and 1t Is not
finished yet? The men have been sick
off and on for more than two months
but the skipper was under the impress
sion all the time that the boys were
trying to throw off on him and he
treated them accordingly. The young
fellow who was drowned was named
Harry Doll. or Dow, as near as l could
make out from the ships articles, and
he claimed that his father was, in the
employ of the fire department in Phil
adelphia, keeping up steam. The fact
has never been reported unless 1t was
sent home from here. The skipper was
funny about that and he never spoke
a vessel all the way out. There was
chance off the New Zealand coast to
be spoken by a steamer but he
wouldn't stand for it.
Last November, John John, he said
was his name, took sick with scurvy
and was not fit for duty but the cap
tain did not believe it till the man
died Thanksgiving eve, then he told
US he guessed the fellow must have
been sick after all. Six of us left the
ship here and before l cut loose from
her the skipper asked me If / thought
wanted all of the money that was
due me and 1 answered that 1 did.
Then he seemed to feel that 1 was I'M
grateful for ali of the necessities I
didn't get. But he paid us the money
just the same. There has been moth
ing but trouble aboard the ship ever
since she was launched and for that
reason we are justified in speaking of
her as a death trap. I viii have to be
treated at. the hospital here before go
Ing to the coast, I'm too sick to work
much. We left nine men aboard the
sh p and she VIII have to take more
or the men that are on her now will
not stay with her. l think they know
what they are doing, for the protest
they made to the captain about the
food and the sickness made him come
here. young chap by the name of
Rose, who belongs here, was one of the
men aboard who left the ship here,
to stay, l believe l have been going
to sea for fifty years but this Is the
worst experience | have ever had.
belong at the Sailors Snug Harbor
and when l get back l will stay there.
This is the first voyage the skipper has
had in that berth and it is new to
him."
-s.%.s.-