News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1921-01-19
CONVICT SHIP "SUCCESS"


formerly lived at Hyde Park. 1t will be
read with interest by our readers.-ED.
This boat. THE Success is the only
remaining survivor of Englands fleet of
, felon transports, which consisted of fi7e
ships. In 1870 at Moulmein, in British
India, it vas built throughout Of solid
Burmese teak, wood, that for resistance
to decay, has no equal in the world 1t
was used for about twenty years by East
India as an honorable merchant ship. Her
tonnage is 100, she is 1876 feet long with
80 feet beam.
The prisons of England became SO over
filled with convicts, in later years she used
this fleet ct ships as means OF transport
ing some of her convicts away to Australia.
In 1851, The Success was permanently
stationed as a receiving prison in Hudson's
Bay, Australia. In 1885 this method was
abolished, the ship was scutted and sunk
in Sydney Harbor. She remained under
water for five years, then, at an immense
expense, was raised to be exhibited to the
present generation as an educational les
son and vivid reminder of an almost for
gotten period ofpena history. Since then
she has been on exhibition in Great Bril-
tain, Ireland, Australia, and at {. number
of cities in the 2ew world.
In 1912 she attempted the greatest feat
of. her remarkable history namely, to
cross the Atlantic without help from tug
or steamer, under her own sail. She lett
the port of Liverpool on the same day
that the Titantic" left Southampton.
After long trip of ninety-six days she at
length reached the port of Boston, with a
crew worn out and half starved, but very
victorious, for the feat had not been be-
lieved possible
1t often happened that many of Eng
lands prisoners were cast into prison for
no greater offense than stealing a small |
piece OF linen, or a crime Ct similar value.
OFTEN the sentence would be from seven to |
twenty years, or for their lifetime.
The cells are on the two lower decks,
the lowest one of which has no light or |
ventilation whatever. The second deck is !!
a little better, in that it has a small |
amount of light and ventilation. None of
these cells are large enough to hold more
than couple of chairs, beds or hunks being
an unheard of luxury. Often from ty to
six or more prisoners we're kept in one
cell. Two of these cells we're called the
Black Hole" as there was no light what
ever in these cells. The men were fas
tened by the ankles to heavy iron ring
in the floor and left there from five to six
ty days, according to their offense.
The prisoners we're allowed one hour
daily in the open air on the upper deck,
and many times were forced to drag heavy
iron balls, weighing from five to seventy
pounds, which were fastened to their ank-
les, with them. Upon the top deck are
shown all the forms of torture which were
used, cat o'nine tails, the iron maiden,
heavy iron balls with chains, the colnpul-
sorry salt water bath, the branding iron,
the iron straight jacket, the spiked collar,
the flogging frames, and numerous other
forms resorted to in those days.
Every prisoner was branded in the palm
of his or her hand with broad arrow,
which was England's prisoner mark. The
iron maiden was one of the most severe
of third degree. 1t was large
iron frame trife larger than a person,
with the inside studded with spikes. A
refractory prisoner would be placed inside
and then the maiden closed tight, which
would cause all kinds of misery. The
salt water bath was a compulsory bath to
be taken directly after receiving cuts and
gashes, caused by the infections of the
different tortures. In those days it was
the only preventative of blood poison
known. Many prisoners wovld try to
drown themselves while in these baths,
-ather than to live to endure more treat
nent of the same kind.
Many of the prisoners grew insane while
n prison, and great many died off like
animals, sometimes being left on board
quite while, even afterjdeath.
Words cannot express the misery which
existed on board this ship. The only way
% realize to the fullest extent is to actual
y see the cells and forms of tortures. Even
hen one must have strong imagination
o realize the extent of the hardships en-
lured by these poor unfortunates. There
re many more stories about the ship, (
tories of the convicts lives, stories of tor
ures, of attempted escapes, all too numer- |
'us to mention. In each cell is found
wax figure of some of the most notorious
riminals aboard the Success" As YOU
ook through the little opening in each
loor and see that person apparently, !
tanding there dressed il criminals uni .
orm, a chill will go down your back as 6
or picture the misery and tortures that
hat represented individual had To end,,re