The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 12, 1898, Page 24

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SU Y, JUNE 12, 1898. OM. “Heartsease?"’ He had come back for another §oodby kiss and loomed above her impressively. She put up her tragile finger and caught his coat lapels. “You won't make a mess of it, dear boy? You'll keep your whole mind on cousin Agatha? Keep saying ‘Cousin Agatha—cousin Agatha—cousin Agatha’ over and over, 80 you won't forget you're going to meet her."” “Cousin Agatha—cousin Agatha—" “0, no, you needn’t begin now! O, Tom, it makes me have the cold shivers—if I could only go instead of you!" The face of Heartsease against the pillows was wistful and distinctly anxious. Prof. Pomeroy Pettingill Lee re- garded it with whimsical tenderness. “Don’t worry, little woman,” he cried cheerfully. “I'm on my good behavior this time. You shall see how I'll distinguish myself. Hoper-may-die if I don't!"” “Well, I'll trust you, Tom. Now, let me review you once more. She's little like me—" “Little llke me,” murmured the big man, meekly. “And doesn’'t wear glasses—most everybody does, you know—and has light hair and smiles. When we went to school together she always smiled. I should know her just by that. Now, say your lesson after me.” He repeated it gravely. “There, now you may go, dear boy. If he only doesn't get things mixed,” she thought, following the big, square figure across the room with loving eyes. “If he only does it right! Pom, Pom!” “At your service, 'm.” “No, don’t come back. Are you certain sure you read the letter all through?” “Hoper-may-die if I didn’t, little woman!" “Q, dear,” still worried Heartsease softly, “if I'd only read it! Why did I have that nervous headache just when it came? And then why did Pom lose it? O, dear!” Meanwhile Prof. Pomeroy Pettingill Lee was swingin, down the street with painful alertness in every motion 0 bis big figure. He was keeping his mind on cousin atha. Wild hors mselves should not drag it away. 'he city clock clanged loudly, insistently in his ears and reminded of the flight of time. He hailed a pass- ing car and ttled himself comfortably on one of its cushioned sea Might as well ride and reserve all his strength for cousin Agatha. ‘here was a trifling hitch in his complacent self-resigna- tion when the conductor came around for fares. Where in the world was that change? Confound it, a man had as many pockets as a centipede had feet! AR, there it was, and something else, too—cousin Agatha’'s lost letter. “I'll review it a bit, now it's turned up again so handy,” thought the professor, smoothing out the crushed, sweet- scented sheet on his knee. “My dear cousin—m-m-m-m-m-m—and reach you at about three forty-five in the afternoon (that's all right side up)—m-m-m—what!” The professor straightenéd himself aghast with horror. He had never n that part before—heavens, no! He didn’t read that to Heartsease. Now, why by all that was mighty must a woman tack on a postscript to everything she wrote! And this postscript— The poor man groaned aloud in his extremity, meek little man beside him was moved with pify 7" he inquired softly in his ear. n the last extremities. I'm nearly and the gone! And he was obliged, out of sheer gratitude for the lit- tle man’s compassion, to accept one of the tiny white lozenges he proffered with nervous agility. “P. S.—I shall bring baby with me. Of course I could know he will amuse you. He not leave him and, besldes, I is o cunning!” She was going to bring the baby with her! Cousin Agatha was going to bring the baby! And Heartsease hadn’'t known it, to tell him what to do! He hs to his fect with a wild idea of going back to little Heartsease for directions. Then he sank back on his seat again, for the city clock was clanging half past 8. Too late “You have had bad news, sir?” orooned. the little meek s kind voice again. O, yes, certainly, confounded bad news! Cousin going to bring—that js—er—I will bid you good . I—will get out here.” N6 need of imposing cousin Agatha’s baby on everybody Ise, but, confound it, the litfle meek man didn't look as by would throw him into a panic. He probably nty of 'em at home. And they hadn’t known— and he hadn't—that there was any baby in Agatha’s quarter of the world. But of course might have imagined it—well, there was notning for it now but to accept the inevitable—and the baby. One ady, two to start, three to—go! express was just steaming into the great station s of Al,\'apFrm'ul at being pulled up. Crowds of were eddying toward the long chain of cars, to tly met and jostled by the incoming throng. Cabmen were shouting with hoarse persistence and bag- gage was being methodically maltreated. Confusion was rampant. Prof. Pomeroy Pettingill Lee, with great presence of waited r the entrance of the ladies’ room for atha and the baby. They would have to go gh that door and out through the oXpnsne one— could not escape him. He felt a wild Impulse to all the women as they approached with: ‘“Are you cousin Agatha’—or you?—or you?” Fortune favored him, for in all the steady stream of weary women filtering through the door Te were only two babies and one of those iny affair {n ebony. The other one was, of d Prof. Pomeroy Pettingill Lee, past the babyiess women the mind course, “Here g setting his teeth and brushing with a stified groan, and fortifying himself with memory of little Heartsease. The white baby's mother was the items on his fingers mentally—*didn (or did cousin Agatha wear 'em?) and “smiled.” To be sure, it was a very faint, tired smile that, it was evident enough, s beneflf. But a smile’s a smile, and this one served to identify cousin Agatha. The little woman sank down on a seat near the door, and proceeded to rearrange the baby, whose soiled little clothes were in a tumble. The professor, waiting to reinforce his courage, heard her crooning to it in the fashion mothers have—‘There, there, It shall be all smoothy-smooth again, vet it shall! Mothér will drive away all the ugly wrinklés—so.” The baby crowed appreciatively. The little pink, creased face swayed, and wriggled into its bonnet. “Let me take the baby,’ the professor sald, plunging 1 of ceremony. car up.” wear glasses" h o'cloc “There’s just time to_catc The weary little mother looked up at the towering bulk * of the big, strange man, with a gasp of meek astonish- ment. He was clutching at that baby—he had him In his arms! Land of mercy! But his eyes were honest and % man's misery anywhere? But the door opened and the little woman came slowly, painfully toward him Pom!” and her volce had reproachful echoes in it. Walt till she knew the worst 1 In the dusk of the little hall the baby escaped instant notice. here a minute or two ago.” coming to see us?” cutting, but he did not heed bundle at arm’s length. ing by her, holding out a i bl T've got her baby—it's all The saints be thanked!” “Let me pass, little woman. The Professor Struggled Across the Floor and Placed the Baby in Her Lap. kind. “*Are you Tom?"’ she stammered, eagerly, searching the resolute, martyr-like face for possible points of resem- blance to her idea of ‘ordelia’s husband.” ‘*‘She said he'd meet us at the depot. ‘“‘Certainly, certainly,” assented the big man briskly, thinking cousin Agathd familiar with pet names. No one but Heartsease called him Pom—he did not notice the changed consonant. But what did It matter? It was the baby that mattered, and the baby was adjusting himself to the broad shoulder and crowing like a young bantam. His grimy little fists were pommeling the DProfessor's l‘h#—)(‘kbfln(‘s with impartial thumps—the baby was quite at home. ‘‘Here she goes! Your ba fake it in my other hand. a bit lively And they were presebtly crossing the great room and making excellent headway toward the 4 o'clock car up. Prof. Pomeroy Pettingill Lee was conscious of feeling a modest degree of pride at his own handiness, with the crumpled, squirming little budget on his arm—it was easy enough, if you shut your eyes and plunged in. How proud Heartsease would be! In his min ve he saw her pale little face lighting up approvingly, and in his mind's ear Heartsease was saying: ‘“‘Splendid, Pom! You're doing it like a hero!" Poor little Heartsease, in his mind’s eye he could not see the wistfulness in her face that crept in always at the sight of little children—and in the ‘‘dear boy's’” arms! “ousin Agatha's baby plunged wildly and was caught with a neat trick that presented itself for the emergency out of the mists of old baseball days. The danger was over for that time. Julius Caesar, did all babies have the Vitus dance, or was it an affliction monopolized by cousin Agatha's baby? How often did the fits come on? Would there be time to get to the car before the next one? A group of the professor’'s students looked up in undis- guised amazement as the little procession swept by them, nn)t‘i one of them collapsed weakly. into the arms of the others. “Hold me! S8ave me!” he gasped. “The old chap's picked up somebody’s Kid in an absent-minded fit and is making off with it!" Half way down the long station the baby’'s mother made a discovery that fllled her with dismay. “Land ot mercy, I've left my little hnndhfl?." she cried, but in the din the professor did not hear. *I must have left it right where I was sitting—I'll hurry back—it's got the baby’s best bonnet in it. I won’t be gone more'n a minute!” And the crowd swallowed up. her rusty little figure. On the corner, outside the station, the car was starting and the professor and cousin Agatha’s baby hailed it wildly. , ma'am—that's right. I can Now, then, we'll have to step perspiring, anxious face. tending it, her nose in palp By all that w Where was cous| bim landed and then T'fl set gatha. e’ll find her betwes a B she’s landed, I'll safl for l’El‘):‘n‘;;‘(?! T AL on a scientific expe where."” A little later he “lande volces—the little woman cut, unknown tone: high notes. “Hush, baby, hush,” Heartsease had company!—was “Hurry up!” shouted the conductor, crossly, his fingers twitching on the rope. The professor stood aside for Cousin Agatha to enter, and then followed the stout, unwieldy aisle, unsuspecting and serene. going on finely—the saints send a pro: enterprise! He s ; with an air of off-hand ease that tallled oddly with his He got out his watch and jack. nife for playthings, opening the knife avsently and ex- handle foremost, with a Slight courteous in- clination toward the small grasping fists. dropped to the floor and Cousin Agatha’s baby’s life was aved. The car jolted on block after block, making stops and jerking intd motion a Pomeroy Pettingill 1 ttled himself and readj in. It was well “up” scorn. mighty—she wasn't Agatha? looked out on atha. And cousin e slumber on his arms! A_cold perspiratfon broke out all ove Wait—he must reflct. ool Heartseas i He must be cool. the town crier on through the hall 1o female down the T'll r, everything was ending to the ted the baby Fortunately it before Prof. uddenly realized that it was in. cousin Agatha! He searched the car with the platforms. Agatha's baby : He had left s mother behind—shades of mighty Ca What would he poor little woman, the poor little I""1 get "em to send me dition to Africa—the north pole—any- * cousin Agatha's baby. rd Heartsease's room he heard . low and sweet, and brisk. clear- -and ‘a little gurgling voice keyed the clear-cut voice said chidingly. there no letup safe. “You got what? #Cousin Agath m “‘Pomeroy Pettin Don’t move. them out. fully, propitiatory bolaly. intent. there, ‘woman! of him, too—hoper-may-die if Now iy moist hands. it got there, “Cousin Agatha's got Agatha’s baby 2’ mumbled the sin ving suddenl ar! any other white baby but this. No- A wild desire to ralse the window and drop the baby out She had this one when I spoke to her—" selzed him—another wild idea of rushing back to the Y0, Pom, wait—do wait! - Y 8 station surged with kindred tmpulses through his brain. You didn't speak to her—you spoke took the hack up. Heartsease rocked her: o) Would she ever trust him again? tempt to unwind the tangle. i :\”,1}E g]m m)fur it,”” groaned h houghts. “I've got ed up at the lboming figure sternly. l]) \;, it rlu‘ouul the baby, anyhow.” The little flushed, “Which w did it come, Pom—the train? Soeping face appealed to ‘him and not in vain. “I'll get from the west cousin “I—-it came from the eas When Strid- of fate. to a “0, Pom, she's come—she took a carriage and just got “Who's come? Not cousin Agatha? Tell me quickl” ““Yes, of course—cousin Agatha. The gentle, reproachful vols ll‘%fi hard to be stern and . 8 f‘t’oln the baby—here it is. T arry it in. I've got to face it out, and the Lord help m SOrr) i ant voice cheered ill Lee, you stand stock still where you it isn't my baby. Mine Now tell me everything—whisper it.” She hovered weakly between him and the door. Tt ek~ shrill little voice within kept on insistendy and helped ), yes,—was that it? The professor deposited the drowsy baby care- on the floor and laid his watch on top of it with Then he faced “l didn’'t mean to run away v}'“h it. I thought she wWas But the little chap is safe enough. nt arms and get it over with. ering into its little puckered face and fingering It was a baby, anyhow, however the baby?—this rofessor stupldly. “her’s was the black one. t T guess I can count two! You've got it all mixed up. Cousin Agatha waited and waited for you and then she Now, walt, let me think—" 2If back and forth in a wild at- Suddenly she stopped and )’ stammered the professor, getting a mental view of the puffing train into focus. hair rose in anguish—he hadn’t thought of that before. “And_cousin Agatha’s train came from the west,” the voice of Heartsease was saying In his ears, Iike the voice For a minute they gazed in each other's faces in horri- fied silence. Then they laughed. Cousin Agmtha's baby, to on the other side of the partition, laughed too. The professor came to himself first, and picked up the disregarded baby stolidly, arranging the with a certain proprietary concern. “T'll carry. lh)!s nne‘ll)lagk ath—his mother, cql‘llmghfigl’\llthlhlnk so!” cried Heartsease. heart will break.” ed down t! m?;fxg(’xm&gg? little Fleartsease with a ‘mintmum of cour- ay as Did you forget she w tront door as it least. He was push- at_all. Anyway, tress of mind. anxiously. his heart gave thing!"” into her lap. to find—" displeasure. the wondering mured the woman, sharpl it was the ol Che other pas selves. The He hov th; ““Cert lost article will pass it to fully. going to cry Drop i any plac shouldered it away. content. 0, Al “Poor little c needle Lee, wisely. chance!” They tried everyt citedly. Her ¢ fes “1'd ad\“ortis the w eagerly. Inh was sure it ws on the eve of “Why,” she “Of ail thing: do. He halled a car and established himself and the as- tonished baby In it. In a corner olépoflla sat a little woman in evident dis- to be searching for The: professor's gaze lighted upon her, and “Land!” she cried. “T—ah—that 1s diminis infant meekly und “Well, 1 have, b; little woman edged further into her corn and regarded the poor professor d 1o be expecting another attack at any breathed freely when he and his unwelcome lit and then went to the ticket ag “Isn’t there a place ave been lost, un nly, certairn £ are kept until called for by the owner. If “Mighty Caesar, man, kind of property on 't The tiny The next plan w perate hope of ru all the mothers. But the mothers who met them and passed them a Jostled them were all the wrong motbers. a little woman, were in e “What would g, rlear-cut, distinct tones rea s! ./ ho sald, solemnly. <1 L ething wi reak! éd Ten “His mother's he hallway with a resolute tread that “%oodhy, Pom,” she quavered ult‘g; him, “and don't give him fo the wrong mother again! “Hoper-may-dle,” came back trl)nHlogg‘(—)rn:;’IlLuglose% upon Prof. Pomeroy Pettmngill Lee aintly to her from the baby. Outside in the cool air the baby woke up and wafled in distinct rebellion to existing circumstances. “There—the-re!"” crooned the professor wildly, tossing the Httle bundle of clothes up and down tll the baby in verydaabtlonishmenl fltnyve\l crying and eyed roun jue eyes. the profensor"; distress of mind, and I5ur5.'led S{mpalhaflc little remarks intended for comfort. He did nof him out of Instinctively he seemed to appreciate cry again To take a car and go back to the station was the pro- fessor's first thought, roier owner mi ack. He had a dim idea that the baby's t be there waiting for him to bring it e would go there—it was something to he was agitated and uneasy, and seemed something, fumbling about her an exultant leap. It was cousin Agatha looking for the baby. The baby's mother was still “‘cousin Agatha” to the professor's dazed, uncertain mind. “She's little and anxious, thing—by all that's mighty, I've run agalnst ‘he_thought in inexpressible relief. across to the ilttle woman's corner and dropped the baby for some- er the first He staggered and she's lookin “Here it is, ma’am,” he sald eagerly. “I was just going The little woman recoiled in evident amazement and “Take 1t away, quick!” holding out baby to him. 5 I thought you had lost something,” mur- shed professor, tucking the wriggling r his arm az t 'taint a baby 've lost my best pocket handkerch nn Sophy gave me Christmas.” ers were smiling broadly among th fully. moment, r distr * muttered Prof. Pomeroy Pettingill ‘I reckon we’re in for it, little chay kly about the re wher -"* he began. We have a room where me- The professor applied the rumpled baby to the small square opening. “I guess it'll squeeze through—it's limp,” he sald cheer- We don’t keep that k at once, sir. Er— rp or you'll drop it.” no, there was no danger. There wa he top of the earth to drop it into. with a muffled g nestled against his c tenderness I-it's professor's heart-strings to vibrating gentry. hap!” he found himself thinking. s to parade the Streets, i rng upon the right mother am ght to come toward it lik ned Prof. Pomeroy Petti s mighty, I'll give her a fair By all that Once he spic nest conversation with a taller t consultation. ou do? I'm at my wit's end. I have the small woman was saying, rather ex. ched the pro- in e r's ear intact. the tall woman said, promptly. “That's v I found mine. By all that was might— e professor hurried up to them e of the little woman's face ha atha. Besides, wasn't she just for the baby ‘here is no it, ma’am,” he stuttered hastily, I've been looking for you ever ce I—ah—ran away with it accidentaily. I assure you, a'am He w as pressing the baby upon her, regardiess of the fact that the small red face w in inverse ratio to mother or it. The bewildered little woman stared at tihv back of the baby's head. ped ied the taller lady. Then they both laughed. The professor's crestfallen, despalring face was too much for them. “Give it back,” wrong one agajn. mot to find i No, you can't lift it. Tparn see what made The 0o “But really,” the little woman wish vou'd tell didn’t think_ so, little I took care c‘umhn}nt on him to converse a littie with Cousin Agatt I'd rather fac s mouth.” Certainly, certainly—what had he been thinking of? The “But Pom—O. Pomeroy Pettingill Lee—but she's got it “If T found her T baby had fallen ep and the immediate danger of now, this minute. Of course, she's got it!" over to her,” another fit was over—he might look away safely for a “Got what?" thundered the professor, regardless of cau- But help was oment. on. expected. Th Er—it’s very pleasant weather,” he ventured cheer- “The baby. Cousin Agatha’s got the baby. O, where did in the frenz tully, | S you get this one? What have you done?” 1t's raining.”” snapped the stout lady beside him, tilting She sat down on the floor beside the sofled, tumbled isn't There w to somebody else. Did it come with per Prof Pom His explanations he where ¥ “0, Pom everything. Hi little clothes opped at “You spoke o all ri eroy leaped a gap there . anxiou Her voice and the upward inflection asked en come right in, dear bo: T've seen all of cousin Agatha’s he said with a groan. T've hit on the I've been hunting all over everywhers er. I'm not certain now it ever d ir rtain!” little woman cried heartily. Her sweet, m unconscious “But you L) at home in its cradle. I d g, ma'am.” I was going to advertise for a you t interposed the other lady curiously, “I us_how % -ou came by the baby." the professor sal n Tl do so agi continuing his hopeless hunt, from one tired arm to the / into all the sdttle women's ‘and shouldn’t ddre to hand the little mused. “It's mighty risky busines It came from the quarter least met two of his college boys and ped them at ha if you would The other vou come along with me. I know 1, and his voice was music in Prof. station, you know. I saw her when n't there. Hi! didn’t she rave, along that she called they were going to the station to d. He was hurrying the professor along. ke the little kid. Yo look all used up. t, professor—don’t you worry. Here here you are, professor. Here's the kid's nd the right mother came together ctory results, .ce never remembered what or how he g0t home. His memory nd began again at the fron Y little Heartsease met him. % 00T in 1 c voice answered her. with relief. and see coustn Agatha's “Never!” he cried grimly, baby I want to."” 4 the threshold. AS THEY TOOK IT IN THE COUNTRY. *Them Spaniards is terrible.” “What's new?"” #Why, this paper says thet one blew up & speakin’ tube in ther city.” TERR HE steamer San Franclsco, own- ed by the Pacific Mall Steamship Company, and newly built by ‘Willlam H. Aspinwall at a costof $350,000, left New York on De- cember 21, 1853, for San Francisco, by way of the Straits of Magellan. She had on board Companies A, B, D, G, H, I, K and L of the Third Regi- ment of United States Artillery. These companies with the non-commissioned staff and regimental band, constituted a force of over 500 men. Colonel Wil- llam Gates was the commander, and Lieutenant-Colonel John M. Washing- ton the second in authority. With the passengers and crew added the steamer carried out about 800 persons, though the exact number has never been as- certained. The vessel safled at an inopportune time. For a month the shipping on the Atlantic side had suffered most severe- 1y by hurricanes and storms of unusual violence, and there had been no moder- ation. The marine reports in New York record that at the end of Decem- ber about sixty vessels had gone ashore in the neighborhood of Cape Cod and the adjacent coast. The Boston clipper Staffordshire struck on Seal Island on the morning of the 31st, and 177 human beings met a watery grave. The San Francisco sailed at a time to encounter the full shock of the storms, and two days after she left New York the fury of the el-ments gave presage of the awful disaster that was to fol- low. On the night of the 234 the vessel suddenly encountered a gale, and at 11 o'clock the scene on deck was terrific. The sea was a complete mass of foam, boflin~ and swelling like a caldron. The steamer broached to twice and be- came unmanageable. The whole crew strenuously but valnly endeavored to take in the sails, but they were blown to ribbons. The foremast was twisted like a sapling, though it was large BLE EXPERIENCE of the First by Sea to California in egough for the mainmast of a 1000-ton ship. A passenger in describing the scene afterward wrote: “The fury of the tem- pest was such that I could not stand before it a moment; but I seized the fron brace connecting the king bolts and I surveyed the scene for an instant. Then I threw myself on my hands and knees and made for the nearest hatch to get below. I reached the main deck. Here a scene of confusion indescrib- able and confounding presented itself. The livestock, of which there was con- siderable, had escaped from their pens on the same deck, and soldiers, bul- locks, calves, plgs, sheep and poultry were all mingled together.” The steamer’s guards had been car- ried away sometime previously, and the sea washed over the deck with every roll of the ship. The lights were ex- tinguished, and during the night the darkness was almost total. It was on this terrible night that an accident oc- curred to the machinery that rendered the engine useless; the vessel was en- tirely at the mercy of the wind and the waves. As the chief officer reported: “Theship s now makingconsiderable water. Steam pumps kept running and hand pumps manned, but the water is gaining. The troops are organized in bailing gangs to pass up water through the engine- room.” 2 At 9 o'clock on the morning of the 24th a heavy sea struck the vessel amidship, which stripped the starboard paddle box and carried away both smokestacks and all the upper saloon and staved in all the quarterdeck. At that one fell swoop nearly 150 hu- man beings were swept into eternity. The majority were private soldiers. One company lost all but ten of its mem- bers. Four officers went with them— Colonel Washington, gvho had distin- guished himself in the war with Mexico at Buena Vista and on other hard- fought fields; Major George Taylor and his wife; Captain H. B. Field and Lieu- tenant R. H. Smith. The sea was covered with drowning men. The roar of the tempest smothered the “bubbling cry of strong swimmers (in their agony.” In a few moments they sank to rise no more. Two only U. & Troops oent 80d. succeeded in regaining the steamer. Up to this time the water in the ves- | sel had been kept under control, but| this sea ralsed it so much that the | soldiers almost gave up in despalr, :md{ it was only with the greatest exertion that the ship was kept afloat. But in | the succeeding days the worst leaks were stopped and the decks patched up with pleces of sail In the effort to save the ship. For a time there was a prospect of setting the machinery in working order | and of reaching port. A temporary | steering apparatus was erected and an | attempt made to get the ship under control, but after one or two revolu- tions of the wheel it was pronounced | hopeless and the most that could be ac- | complished was to keep the pumps | working. Then death was encountered in a n~w form. A very large portion of the ship’s steerage had been filled with cargo, military stores and provisions, and it had been expected that the sol- | diers would sleep in the berths on | deck. When the storms were encoun- tered this arrangement was impracti- cable and they were driven below into | confined and unhealthy quarters. While | the vessel was abundantly provisioned | it was almost impossible to prepare it | by cooking; to add to the distress near- | ly all of the medicines were washed | overboard or destroyed. A disease broke | out in the form of Asiatic cholera, com- | mencing with diarrhoea and terminat- | ing in death in a few hours. For sev- eral days the mortality averaged ten | a day and men, women and children | fell indiscriminately. The losses on tha | San Francisco and on the rescuing ves- | sels by deaths from disease are esti- mated at about one hundred. On the 28th the bark Kilby of Boston was spoken. Her captain signaled that he would stand by the distressed steamer, but it was not until the even- ing of the following day that the storm 80 moderated that transfers could be made of the passengers. The Kilby took on 108 persons that evening, and intended to resume the work of rescue the next morning, but during the night the vessels were .separated and after a fruitless search for two days for the steamer the bark sailed for port. Much of the cargo of the Kilby was thrown overboard to make room for the pas- sengers. She was not provisioned for S0 great a number and there was great suffering and many deaths before the port was reached. Had it not been that a portion of her cargo consisted of corn and that rain fell in abundance many more of those she rescued would have perished. As it was the mortal ity from the cholera was frightful. On the 31st the San Francisco en- countered a renewal of the storm, and all available hands were employed in throwing overboard the coal and other heavy portions of her cargo, and in working at the pumps. During the night distress guns were fired. At 9 o'clock the next morning the ship Three Bells of Glasgow was spoken and she lald to with the steamer until the 3d, when she was able to ef« fect a transfer of more of the people. | She rescued 230—all that it was possi- ble to be accommodated. At 8 o'clock the following morning another sail was sighted and the colors of the San Francisco were hoisted un- fon down. The stranger shortened sail and proved to be the ship Antarctie, bound for Liverpool. She took off 225 persons—all that remained—and the San Francisco was abandoned to the fate that she must have met a few hours afterward. The news of this disaster was a shock to the nation, though it is now of al- most forgotten history. Congress im- mediately directed the President to pro- cure valuable gold medals with suita- ble inscriptions, to be presented to the captains of the three vessels that had aided the shipwrecked soldiers and pas- sengers of the fated San Francisco, as a testimonial of national gratitude for their gallant conduct and for a ser- vice to humanity that they had per- formed at the risk of their lives and at a sacrifice of their property. Congress also immediately appropri- ated £100,000 to be distributed as the President might deem proper to the of- ficers and crews of the vessels. -——— French army discipline does not countenance any monkey shines, as an engineer stationed near Toulouse re- cently learned to his sorrow. The offi- cer in question became convinced that one of his men had stolen, and as the soldier would not confess the lieutenant ordered him to be shot. The victim ‘was put through all the forms of a mil- itary execution, save that the firing platoon used blank cartridges. The lieutenant has been court-martialed and sentenced to an imprisonment of two months.