The Washington herald., 1919-08-18
The Wreck of the Grosvenor
By w. CLARK RUSSELL
(Conde by James B. Connolly

We were bound out Of London !
with a general cargo. The wind dy- /
ing out. We had to come to anchor ,
in the Downs. The crew had been
zrumbIing about the grub: and were
now grumbIing yet more. I was sec
ond oflcer. and to me came the cook |
saying: "Mr Royle, would you
mind tasting this" and handed me
a bit of a ships biscuit. Sugar.
raoIasses. tea and pOrk-if they call
en- that-they're all the same rot
. ten mess. sir"
The biscuit was bad. and though
- il was not my place to do so. took
it to Captain Coxon. but got nothing
- from him except curses and the cold
advice to mind my own affairs. Mr..
= Duckling. the first officer. added
few obseQuiOus remarks on his own
account The result was that the
rev. getting no redress. refused TO
make sail on the ship, and were put
ashore. Next morning a crimp came
DOWN from London with a fresh
rev.
\ fair wind sprang up. the ship
wcs got under way. but We were not
,lear of the Channel when the new
.-ew were also complaining of the
grub. Hot words were passed be-
-ween them and the captain. so hot
nat the captain had to take notice
Ha finally promised to put into some
handy port. in Spain or elsewhere
along the route, and lay in fresh
supply Of ships stores.
what injustice in the meanness
4 owners and captains" l thought
Here were ood sailors and ordi-
7arily harmless men who might be
made into criminals. and all to the
md that our banking balances might
oe kept large and our national power
supreme Without the British sailor
here would be no British empire,
and what treatment ia meted out TO
sim, He submits to hardships and
langer. and receive low wages,
DOOR food and mean living quarters;
wen should he be granted hearing
'or a grievance. nineteen out OF
.wenty persons appointed to inNes-
.iCate the trouble are qualif1ed nei-
her by experience nor sympathy 10
-ender a just verdict.
The Gro venur. of which ! was sec
md officer. was a fast sailing. full
.fg=ed little ship OF 500 tons. The
.aptain. under owner orders TO
make what time he could to VAL
,araiso. was out to drive her. We
E-re rushing along under press OF
.anvas when we ran over a small
raft Of som, ind. ! got glimpse,
n the dark. OF a mast and SAL
,efore tncy vanished under us.
No word came to bring her to. l
lsked Capt. CoNoa. who was on
ieck. if he was not going to try to
ave the possible survivors.
Save be hanged. Why didn't they
Ieep out of our way.
I knew what 1 wanted to say; but
is in the power Of a ships cap
ain TO injure. even to ruin. the
uturc of an officer under him.
lsld my tongue
We ran into three days gale.
Se had n terrible time. but man
nged to live through t. As it was
nOderating We sighted wreck,
most mOurnful pite GUS sight. 1t
Fas in my watch, and I ordered the
nip luffcd to have a better look at
ler What I saw was an arm pro-
Getting through her deck-hOuse
gindow. 1 at once called the cap
ain and asked for instructions.
Keep here away was his order.
I called him a murderer, and ap-
scalrd to the men. They cried to
ave the lives on the wreck. The
:aotain then allowed me to take
- bats crew and see what l could
70.
sAfter a hard struggle our boat
made the wreck. She was an Eng
tsh ship. At no little peril I ran
u0nE the deck to her house where
Ffound a young girl and her old
ather Another man was also
here alive. bat insane. Seeing a
aannikin Of flesh water. this man
trabbed it, drained it and dropped
lead.
When we were back aboard the
Srosvenor. I. for my part in the
rescue. was put in irons.
This wreck incident, added to
Aurther needless abuse of the men
I'D the further failure of the cap
ain to live up to his promise of
,utting in for better food. inflamed
he crew beyond endurance. They
gatched their chance, rushed the
Soop in the night and killed the
aptain. They then killed Mr.. Duck
Ing. They might have killed me
90, notwithstanding that I had
rhown sympathy to them, but some
.ody had to navigate the snip to
within fifty miles of the Florida
zoast, which was where they intend
d to abandon her and row ashore
Having the safety Of the young girl
md her old father as well as my own
ife to think of. 1 agreed to act as
navigator.
i was having my supper in the cabin
ander the new regime when 1 felt a
sCJch on my arm. looked up. 1t was
Miss Robertson, the rescued girl Be
.ore could prevent her. she took my
aand and kissed IL. She told me then
II the wrecked ship. Her father, a
Wealthy Liverpool merchant, was the
wner Of the ship. which had been
round home from Capetown- After the
torn. the officers and crew, fearing
he ship would sink under them. had
AIKEN to the boats. She and her