The Republican journal., 1909-07-15

"Our efforts were now directed to saw
ing the ship, but we were unsuccessful
and after fighting for half day we
abandoned the ship, in the big boat. We
remained by her all day, hoping that the
fire would attract assistance, but were
disappointed. With oars dashed for a
mast and blanket for sail we steered
for st. Helena, where we arrived at mid
night on the 10th.
In these two cases the mutineers were
successful in destroying the ships, but
the cases were common where mutinies
were stopped almost as soon as they were
started. There was constant trouble be-
tween the officers and crews. Much of
this was caused by the brutal treatment
of the officers and poor food served to
the forecastle hands. There has been
very little trouble on American ships dur
ing recent years because of the stringent
| laws forbiding abuse and the attitude of
the judges in the Federal courts. But
40 and so years ago, Maine ships had
an unenviable reputation many of
them earned the name Hell Ships" by
which they We're known among the sail
ors. Recently, fiction writers of the sea
have used brutality as a theme for their
stories, and the term ''Bucko Mate" is
more or less familiar to the magazine
reading public. But nothing that fiction
writers have published, equals in any de-
gree, the story of brutality at sea that
is contained in the Red Record, publ
cation issued by the Seamen's Union,
which prints extracts of the testimony
taken out before United States Commits
Cipparc and Lp1aral
While there were MANY mates who
struck first and gave their orders after
wards, this was by no means true of all
mates The greater number of ships
furnished wholesome food and the Of
ticers treated their crews we'll so long
as they obeyed orders promptly and were
civil. Promptness in obeying orders is
! absolutely necessary at sea, for the safety
of the crew and vessel often depends
upon sail being taken in at once. Disci-
pine, which will ensure the utmost
promptness in obeying orders must be
maintained at at all times.
In the old days men were bundled
/ aboard vessels in a drunken condition.
/ Often they came aboard stupefied with
drugs, robbed of their advance, and
woke up not knowing what ship they
were on or where she was bound. They
may have been but day ashore, with a
roll of money, from long voyage, hop
ing to enjoy a week or two on land.
When they awoke with heads aching, the
ship was probably proceeding out of the
harbor behind tow boat In this con-
dition they were sent aloft, and naturally,
being in an ugly state of mind, sometimes
refused to work. Or, as it frequently
happened, the men started in on the first
day to see who was going to be the boss
of the ship, the officers or the men.
Trouble was started at once and when il
began it seldom let up. Sometimes this
was the fault of the sailors and some
times the fault of the officers, but it was
trouble whoever was at fault originally,
and often it resulted seriously.
Casco Bay ships had the usual expert
ence, though the records of the courts
show but few cases where the officers Of
these ships were seriously at fault. In
the mutiny which followed the strandine
of the Freeport ship, Haidee, on the
Florida Reefs in 1874, the crew was al
fault. The Haidee, small ship of 65E
tons, was built at South Freeport in 1874;
by Soule brothers. While commanded by
Captain Clement H. Soule, on her SECOND
voyage, she went ashore on the Florida
Reefs. She was not in particularly bac
position and there were excellent chances
for saving her, but the crew mutinied anc
rushed for the boats with the intention
of abandoning her. In the riot, which
followed one man was shot and killed
and the others were cowed by the firm.
ness of Captain Soule. The ship was
easily f1oated and proceeded to New Or
leans, where she was bound.
~ h.
the Soule Brothers at South Freeport in
1913, were the scene of one of the hardest
and Quickest fights in the history OF
American merchantmen and in the END
Yankee grit and determination won out
against almost overwhelming odds. Al
though she would now be considered a
small vessel, being but 287 tons, she was
then thought none too small for the Pa
cific trade In 1849, during the height OF
the gold fever, the little vessel was load
ed with building material at Freeport
and sailed for San Francisco. She ar
rived out in ITO days, a fairly good pas
sage for such vessel in those DAYS.
After discharging her cargo at Frisco,
she sailed for 1quiqua, in Chill, where
she loaded copper ore for New York.
She then went to Valparaiso to fit out
and take on new crew, including a cook.
The ship had been to sea but day o,
two from Valparaiso when all the officers
became violently ill, after eating. They
recovered and day or two later the
crew mutinied. The officers rushed tc
the cabin for their arms but were cha
grined to find that they had been removed
from the rack around the mizzen mast.
Even the captain pistols had been taken
from his stateroom.
The officers rushed on deck only to be