The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-15
THOUSANDS GAZE ON
OLD FLOATING HELL

darihness Af'sr le.day. and during
the few days the Success remains on
exhibition here. the public will be al
mittcd aboard between the hours OF
10 o'clock in the morning and 10
o'clock At night. The lighting system
as interesting TO the visitor as visit
in daylight.
Bright and carly yesterday morning
crowd, constantly augmented dur
OF Eighteenth street to inspect the
ship. Thousands were disappointed
however. as no visitors were allowed
on board Captain Smith decided to
admit no one until the Mayor and other
officials make their formal boarding
this morning. so the crowds were
again this afternoon.
Although refused admittancc to the
vessel the unusualness OF the old con-
vict ship proved Il magnet. and 10000
exterior angle during the day. Her
high raised deck, blunt aggressive
bow, ancient timbcrs and out-of- date
windlass were to be seen from the
seen for many years. oh You Beau
HIui no,,, pinyGh on h eornst with
the cabin, caught the crowd.
Old Story of Torture.
The history OF the Success is in
measure the record OF the progress of
the race out of cruelty into mercy.
With the dismantling and destruction
OF the other members OF large meet
she remains unqucstionably the most
remarkable ship in the world. In
1880. she was launched at Moulmain. in
British East India. Built all of teak
wood, with massive beams and finest
fittings. she began her career as an
armorcd passenger-carrying East In
dian packet the pride of the Indian
fleet.
There still remain in her cabins and
fittings musty signs OF splendor when
the success conveyed Indian nabobs
from port To port. For twelve years
She remained in that trade, going
through actual nights with pirate yes
sells. escaping unuer the fire OF French
men ofw war, and once even being fred
upon by mistake by an English fort.
Gaping cannon shot holes still yawn
III her sides.
In lSO2 she was impressed by the
English government and put in the
convict transport service carrying priS-
oners to the penal settlements in,
Australia from the British Isles. Por-
were written in those days. In this
degrading business she continued until
1851. when, reaching. Melbourne on
what WAS destined to he her last voy-
age out from England, her crew de-
serted TO a man and fled TO the gold
fields of Australia.
At that time, when Australia was
hlling up ut an astonishing rate with
gold madmen, there were no prisons in
which desperate criminals might be
confined. In the deserted transport
Success the Australian government saw
an opportunity and took her for q float
ing prison. She was already equipped
with rows of dingy cells. whipping tri-
angles. Instruments of torture and COR
rcction and all ancient apparatus of
penal institutions. AS many as 300
prisoners We're confined on the Sue
cess at one time. She. witnessed muir
der. deaths and executions almost with
out number, and her decks still bear
the marks of the dragging iron
shackles OF the convicts.
She is 1886 feet long, with twenty
ninc-foot beam, and has tonnage OF
$50. Her sides are thirty inches thick
at the water line and capable or with
standing collision with an iceberg. The
Success came recently from England
under her own sail and without con
voy. She was sunk once and raised by
her owners.