Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-10-18
Miss Florence Minis Sees Old
est Ship Ahoat, in Boston
s@ Harbor.

js COT SAAF AAAOdeS III DOSlOu
Harbor.
tDear Advertiser:
At present, the oldest ship afoat.
built in 1890, is anchored in the Bos.
}ton harbor.
It is the convict ship, Success
1.-THE sole remaining craft of the ter.
! lrible felon fleet which England used
Ito send the prisoners from her shores
Ito Australia. These ships were known
las "ocean hells," since they were
dungeon, cell and torture, as well as
1.-THE scene of every inhuman practice
1that a cruel captain could devise, to
make life intolerable to the convicts,
lMany of these convicts had been sent
flor the most trivial offenses.
4 At the period of English history,
3when this ship was in use, there were
one hundred and forty-fve offenses
punishable by death. For lesser
acrimes, the culprits were put on
aboard the Success" which was
,fWorse than death.
In England today, there are two
'fcrimes punishable by death, murder
land treason. l doubt very greatly the
Eustice of the death penalty for trea-
ason.
sSSI am of much the same mind and
.lmood when I write this on prison re-
,tforn1 as was last year when writing
ION school reform. Though I am sure
athat you will be Of the same opinion
hconcerning the atrocities permitted
Eby England's penal system, many of
lyou disagree deeply, no doubt with
al1ny ideals Of the present educational
isystem.
IThe Success" was launched in
British India, as an East Indian mer-
ichantman, and was used for carrying
Ispices, aromatic teas, ivory, jewels
aand other luxuries all over the world.
Il Is Itis built entirely of Burmese
Eeak5Wood. Inf1802 it was first used
Sas "a Convict transport.
Below the water line are the dun
diggeons, the condemned cells and the
e til the mo terrible cells
81 "a person
was placed in total darkness, with
the ball and chain to make life more
|intolerable. The branding irons, the
cat o. nine tails and manacles made
one. shudder at these evidences of
"man's inhumanity to man," and
then suddenly rejoice at the great
progress that the human race has
made during the last century.
Many of the prisoners became in
sane, some committed suicide, and
others died from the effects of cruel
treatment. A broad arrow, the insig-
MIA of the ship, was branded on each
of the prisoners, so that when he had
served his term he still bore the
mark of crininality. This would al
ways keep him from earning an hon
est living when he had served his
tenn. People with their narrowness
and prejudice were apt to turn from
the man they should have helped
most, the friendless and despised
ex-convict.
The ship was raised from Sidney
Harbor, Australia in 1890 where she
had remained under water for five
years. The "Success" has for years
been touring the world as an educa-
tional object lesson. She has been up
the Mississippi River and will go
along the East coast to the ST Law
renee River and on the the Great
Lakes. Over twenty million people
have visited the Success"
The same da, At the Titanic
set sail from S Hampton, the
"Success" left G Dock, near
Liverpool. Sea- of expert
ence said that TIN sn.. was too old
and battered to Withstand the Allan
tic ocean, but brave crew set sail,
and for ninety-six days battled with
the waves, arriving at the end of the
time in Boston Harbor. The Titanic,
meanwhile, which the seafaring
world considered impregnable, went
down like an eggshell.
That epoch making voyage of the
Success" was compared to that of
Christopher Columbus.
/ In 1857 the knowledge of the in