Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-10-18
Miss Florence Minis Sees Old.
est Ship AAoat, in Boston
81 .iarbor.

Sok SAAAH xAAASC&ks AAA 3~SSeSAA
4iarbor.
dear Advertiser:
At present, the oldest ship afoat,
Ebuilt in 1890, is anchored in the Bos-
ton harbor.
It is the convict ship, "success," /"
the sole remaining craft Of the ter
!rible 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
the scene of every inhuman practice
that a cruel captain could devise, to
make life intolerable to the convicts.
Many Of these convicts had been sent
flor the most trivial offenses.
At the period Of English history,
when this ship was in use, there were
one hundred and forty-fve offenses
punishable by death. For lesser
Ecrimes, the culprits were put on
board the Success" which was
worse than death.
r In England today, there are two
{crimes punishable by death, murder
land treason. I doubt very greatly the
fjustice of the death penalty for trea-
son.
| am Of much the same mind and
Emood when l write this on prison re-
Form as I was last year when writing
Ion school reform. Though 1 am sure
That you will be of the same opinion
concerning the atrocities permitted
Eby .England's penal system, many Of
you disagree deeply, no doubt with
my ideals of the present educational
system.
The Success" was launched in
|British India, as an East Indian mer-
|chantman, and was used for carrying
Spices, aromatic teas, ivory, jewels
EEand other luxuries all over the world.
lis built entirely of Burmese
teak wood. In 1902 it was first used
AS 4: Convict transport.
& Below the water line are the dun
t1s6Ts Sf}ie ndemned cells and the
shol tll M nost terrible cells
g: sssss ss bips 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 criminality. 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 day that the 'Titanic"
set sail from South Hampton, the
Success" left Glarson Dock, near
Liverpool. Seafaring men of expert
ence said that the ship 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
humane treatment of prisoners made