Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (July 9, 1911)
I THE SUNDAY OREGONI AN, rORTLAXP, JULY 9, 1911. ' N Nothing in the World'. Record of Naval Achievement More Sensational I Than the Daring Attempti Made by Captured Merchantmen to E.cape From pleaded Ports How an Uid bea uog vuiwiucu , 7 j 7 u-i --'- ' i. . t t nrr:i. V. Rlrwlcade at Mobile Charleston, . . now i-ieui. hw , 7 T ir iJ The Exciting Race of the Harriet Lane to Reach Neutral Groiind Captain Down' Failure to Save the Iniquity-HoW theRob Roy Ran Out of Galveston Harbor. it S ? if Am K -LA' f: Hi!? - mi 'TK i JW ng&ffi ' hii '.ft vi;-vUV 'll-F '-ln-i.--rf Y ' , t? -V RECENT Inrentliratlon of . Oorfr. mnt rtrordii ho that ther ere 111 Confdr rl. In clujlpf irmm. riiionr and all othf r typr of bl nkaile runnfn, cp tnrej di;rln Use rivtl War anJ 5&S de- troyet rithrr Intentionally vt acil lrntnlly. whllo tryloic to v1e t!ie MokatlnK uaron of the I'nfon. TM trrpt-ntioua um of $1I.00.000 la the et:rratl valu of the prlaa prop erty iiiursl dirrins thla blorkaae of the Southern prt Airordlnic to iti'l'l- rn naval anthorlt:e. It wa-i the block ade that ftnaliy won tb ftvtl War. Without Its ujprt for the Army, in cuttlnf off auppllea rom tha Confed erary, the Soum could not have been def-med. - ' Thin cordon of warshlpa. ronatantly rlro;'.lr. the 3000 mllea of aea and nf of the Southerri atatra. wm the f rrMtat chain of era police that bad err been t aa guard over a be le.tiruerel country. A Its antaa-onlet In ronnlna and couraa-e were the gal lant old ahlpmaatera who, known aa the blockade runner, matched their kill aa aeamen avatnat the mlht of the areat navy to brine the deaperately needr war munition, clothtnar. medi cal auppHea and fHl for the be leeruered Confederal y. Theee aupplle mere bought largely In Curnpe by apeclal sgpnta of the" Fouthern Covemmeot and then aent to rarloua porta byawtft aalllna; and eteam ' rraft The flrat eehtlal waa the (peed on which they depended to outrun any Vnlen Tesael that Intercepted Utem on tbelr way to the prohibited porta of entry. The aaillns craft, about which tfta greater romance hovem. were forced to rlepend upon their ability to lie close, to the surface of tee water, to keep out of sight of watchful crule tn at aea and to slip past the cordon, ptretctied at the mouth of a river 'or harbor to the nlaht. So skillful ana Ingenious were their captain that In li irantbe) 17 blockade runners altpped through the lines along the Atlantic porta. Old Sea Dog Outwl t Squadron. Fifty years ago the 17th .of next No. vrntr a etranee ship lay aloncalde a w.harf In the harbor of Calcutta. India, mm the maat fluttered an unknown flag. A horde of coolies swarmed over her aide, with loads of gunny sacks on their backs, which were being placed In the bold. Under the blue skies of the Oriental port the vessel cleared and ailed out of the harbor, disappearing la the Indian Ocean. It was Just before noon on a March day four month later when a lookout with the South Atlantic squadron. crulslnc the waters oft tie roast of Charleston. S. C. stood with h! glass to his eyes, scanning the horizon. "What's tltlsT be exclalmeiV He stood for a- few minutes g.lig steadfastly t the object tossing on the "Tirana eaUT asked an officer.' "About three miles at aea." replied the lookout, "and headed directly for t,"e entrance of the harbor." -What are her colors?" "She doesn't seem to have any." ha replied. Immediately signals passed from the fUohln to the guardsblp of the squad ron: "Stand for the chip and examine her papers." The strange ves.el Tame head on. apparently unconcerned over the ap pearance of the fleet of warshtpa. Aa he approached ahe waa atopped by a boatload el men from the warships. vSn shuffled aboard. "What's the name of this vessel?" demanded one of the men. 'Emily St. Pierre." answered the cap Ia n gruffly. -Where did you clear from?" -r-xlcutta. air. four montha ago." Tills port's under blockade." said the boatsman. "We'll have to hold you for a Drlse court. The old sra dog waa livid with rage. I . - : 'll' After braving the perf.s and hardships of the lone; voyaice half way around the world, he was now to lone 111 rich, cargo, with Its tremendous profits, but three miles from Its destination. A prise crew from tbe blockading; soua'lron etrode the deck a the cap tured vessel -waa held In the harbor. Captain Wilson, his cook ami his stew ard were permitted to remain on board. The vessel weighed anchor undor Its new crew and three days later It was sailing off Cape llatteras, headed for the court of adjudication at Pyladei- phls. Lurln the morning Csptain viliaon waa rareleeely sauntering the deck. You've had a fine wind, said the old mariner. s 'Yea. and I hope It holds." rejoined Acting Master tone. of the prtxe crew. The two seamen conversed for a few minutes about their respective experi ences and then Captain Wilson request ed Stone to go below and point out to Mm the present position of hla ship on the map In the cabin. The map lay on the Captain's bunk. As done was lean ing over It. to point out position, he heard a sliirht noise behind him. Be fore he could straighten up. he felt the weight of Wilson upon his back and his arms gripping about hla neck. In front of him stood the cook and steward with revolvers thrust Into the face of the startled officer. ' In almost an Instant manaclea clamped hla wriata, the cabin door alammed and the key creaked in the lock. Captain Wilson walked to the deck and. stepping briskly toward the mem bers of the prize crew, he said, -lap-tain Stone- wants a coll of rigging that la down In the hold." The sailors walked to the hatchway and descended. Just as the laat man'a head disappeared from view the covera crashed over the hatches and thy were also prisoners. Captain Wilson, with two helpers, had recaptured his ship and Ita valuable cargo. Seven weeka later, the Federal Sec retary of tbe Navy ws atartled to re ceive report from i.lverpooL Eng land. It was signed by Stone. For 31 days of stormy sailing he had been held prisoner, but had been released am soon as the Emily St. Pierre reached Liver pool. The mysterious disappearance of tbe missing vessel and prise crew fot which the Navy had been looking along the Atlantic roast and had given up aa "lost at sea." waa solved. How Iteut. Maffltt Ran Blockade. In the Fall of 18(1. as Lieutenant JohnF. Maffltt. In command of the blockade runner Florida, was vteamlng bout the Oulf of Mexico,, touching at several ports for water and supplies, one of the crew became sick wltb yel low fever. The fearful disease soon carried him off. but not before two others were stricken. In a few days kll but two or three of the crew were helpless. Suffering with the plague, Lieutenant Maffltt lay In hla berth and directed his ship until the des perate crew determined to make for a Confederate naval hospital. The near est port was Mobile, but the blockad ing squadron was resselessly cruising about the harbor mouth, with Its great guns shotted for the blockade runners. Maffltt. half crazed with fever, de termined to attempt the next to rm ooaslble to run the blockade at Mo bile. It waa during the forenooa of the 4th of September, and the guardshlp of the squadron Immediately ran up a aerlea of flags conveying the signal of a blockade runner approaching. The fleet prepared for action. . Tbe Florida, the Conftderate flag flying from her peak. l)ld a course that would pass directly between tna ships of the aqoadron. toward a narrow ahoal at the mouth of the harbor. The distance between the hostile ships rap-Id-! y grew less. Suddenly a flash ot light leaped from the side of the guard ship, followed by a huge cloud of pow der araoka. A few momenta later the dull boom of her cannon sounded over 1 i ! v V... '-I ;'' . ; . .1 v , . ... f i 1 ' . v" A 1 . r -J- v t . iJ- " -a5' ' I , ..." V ' -v v . L v t - I i - - - 5toy2rvio ?rFo 7- the water to the Confederates land force In Fort MorKan at the harbor's entrance. Despite the signal to "heave to. Maffltt urged his little steamer against the formidable fleet or warsnips. fow the outlines on the Florida s deck be came distinct. Two men stood at the wheel and one stood near the mlzzen rlasrlng. They were the only remaining i occupants of the veseel's deck. As the Federal squadron openeo. lire upon the runner, the water about the needing steamer wae lashed Into foam. The bombardment continued, but the Florida plunged ahead until It had come abreast of the belching cannon. The defenders at Fort Morgan caught Its meaning end turned Its guns upon the Federal fleet In an attempt to draw a part ot the fire from the daring ship. Like a greyhound, the steamer sped past the slow-moving fleet and Into the entrance of the narnor. saie oui somewhat battered. One 11-Inch shell had torn through, the stern post and through the berth deck, decapitating one of the sick eeamen and wounding several others, finally lodging In the forward timbers of ,the vessel. Such a salvo of cheers. ' cannon sa luiea and ahrlektnar steam whistles as welcomed the gallant Florida had never been heard In those waters Derore. Four montha later, the Florida, having been refitted and manned by a new crew, again darted through the cordon of Federal warships into the black ness of a gulf storm and eweaped safely to aea and led an exciting life In pur suit and capture throughout the war. Itnce to Gain the Neutral Line. None of the old blockade runners had a more exciting career than the Harriet Lane. This speedy boat was built during President Buchanan'a ad ministration and was named after hie niece. The Harriet Lane first saw serv ice as a revenue cutter and she was noted for her great fteetness. At tnu outbreak of the war she flew the Stars and Stripes as a Oovernment vessel. While with the West Oul squadron off the coast of Texas, her career as a vesrel of the Union wae suddenly ter minated. It was New Tear's day In 1863. The Harriet Lane was lying close to -shore on that eventful day when the Confed erates made their famous recapture of the Texan seaport of Galveston, and at the-clos of the battle the Federal cruiser was In possession of the Con feftcracy. Tour tnonthe Ister the converted ves sel lay In. the shelter of' a nook of Galveston harbor. The April nighU was dark and the ship was without light. Sounds of the crews on watch could be heard across the water, where the Federal blockade was anchored, and the ship lights could be seen twinkling like miniature stars In the horizon. On board the Harriet Lane there was hushed activity. Shadowy forme hast ened about the deck. A low voice whis pered from the bridge: "All ready?" "Yes. sir," came the muffled reply. "Cast off. then" vii the order simul taneously with a faint Jingling of a bell In the engine-room. The wfer hnnt the steamer bifftn to churn as the blockade runner moved siowiy trora the ancnorsge tower? tne lights of the foe's fleet, closely hugging the shore, where the background of ' .. -r - "e'iS- .f ' y PMp m t,$ L r-A " " ' ' e-5aan-Ss-assee-'M"'WMW jzrzz j-r-J-r rvjzz: trees would not throw the outlines of the moving vessel Into relief. The steamer drew closer to the fleet, until she was abreast of the first ship of the squadron. The minutes were ladened with Intense strain. The second ship was passed the third the fourth, aud the Harriet Lane seemed fated to es cape unseen. As the blockade runner i passed the fleet, and was breasting me awelllna- waves of the gulf, the hearts of the orew grew lighter. suddenly, a commotion occur ui board the nearest ship of the Federal fleet, a atearh whistle sounded the signal that told of en escaping runner. Officers were calling out to the sailors,. who were hurrying aooui tno oecaa. getting the ship under way. a. cannon boomed, the signal to "haul to." but the runner kept her course. Again the cannon boomed and a shell sped after the fleeing ship. The Federal vessel gained headway and soon Im mense fan-shaped waves were curving off her cut-water. The chase had begun. The crews or hnth ateamera lahnrad with might and main, the one to outdistance the pur suer, while the other strove to over take the runner, but the ship which had once heen the nrlde of the United States Navy kept ahead of her pur suer and taunted tne orricers 01 me Union. It was the great sea race of the Civil War. All through the Gulf of Mexico the chase continued, neither side gain ing on the other. The distance sepa rating the vessels was too great for rr.l-ll. .annnn fi mnA th stem chase wae silent. The three-mile neu trality Una was at tbe entrance to hi- Lane sped across the safety mark like a greyhound, the Federal ship Just as swiftly following. A thunder of cheers greeted the gallant biocxade runner as she drew near to an anchorage In the harbor. As It echoed across the wster the Union aallora clutched their fists In keen disappointment And an ger, for It had been their boast that the ship captured from the United Ststes service a few months before would soon be back In their toils. Now she was In the neutral port. So keen was the rivalry over the erst while cruiser that she lay In the harbor of Havana, the special ward jof the watching Federal Naval officers, until the close of the war. Then she was sold to the Government and waa con verted Into a sailing vessel for the merchant marine service and renamed the Elliot Richie. For many years she coursed along the scenes of her excit ing race with the Federal blockading chip and became famous among; the mariners of the Southern states. Brave old Captain David McLusky. one of the prime movers of the busi ness of blockade running, was owner of a small but trim little schooner which he ran from ports In Mexico to the Brazos r.lver, in Texas, which was verv hAhlv of Induetrv for the land ing of contraband cargoes which later were taken across tne Darren country of Eastern Texas to the neighboring Cor federate states. It was on one of theee voyages Christmas day In 1863 that a Federal cruiser overhauled his little schooner and made her a prlxe. The officers, looking upon the captured vessel, de cided that It would be easier to tow It behind their larger vessel than to leave Xr. . -rr-; V' '. ' . ':ll 1 IIS.. i 7 v , i t . ff I .a n xlt f 17 i S - f . " i ) I I ( :r'Hffe-v- . ' erv L:: i;,1 ? bill 1 y s' rlj;r a prize crew to bring it Into port. Two Federal sailors were placed upon the schooner and the procession headed for the mouth of the Brazos River, where anchors were dropped a darkness came. The Southern Captain and his crew were still on the vessel, rrcpsraui was being made on the warship to cele brate Christmas according to the cus toms of the Navy. The two guards of the schooner, when they heard the sounds of revelry, became disgruntled. Captain McLusky carelessly sauntered up to them. "So thie Is Christmas!" he musea re flectively. "I have got some splendid apple brandy, which I had hopea to sample at a Jollification on shore to night, but this confounded capture nao spoiled that and now I suppose It will be taicen rrom me. He paused and watched the effect iinnn hla rnmnlnlnni. TheV looked at him with Interest and waited for him to speak again. "We may as well De irienaiy, no lit he walked awav. "I think Christmas Is a time that people should .11 k . f.Un,' mn while thev are hav ing their Jollification on the steamer we will nave our nine juicuira ham r'Ama awav down. bOVS. and WO will drink a Merry Christmas and peace and good will toward men." The guards hesitated. Tney were un nH.n in wntrh the shirt and they knew the stern penalty for disobedi ence. Still, tbe schooner wse swinging by a towllno aooul ou yaraa irom iuo an4 it fteemeri imnossible that anything should happen. They took an other long look about the river mouth and at the lights ot the gunrjoat. Ail seemed to be well. The sounds of revelry had become louder and the men pictured their officers and crew In the steamer feasting. They turned and went below. Captain McLusky was a Jolly com panion. As be laid the brandy, cigars and tobacco before them ne toia rol licking stories of life on tlfe Gulf. The drink cheered the guards and soon the smoke was wreathing about their heads until the cabin waa enveloped in a blue cloud. McLusky kept them in an uproar with tales of his experi ences. This rising: carelessly he ex claimed: "Oh. this Is Christmas night! I ought to give my poor men a little; fhey have had nothing since we left port." , . Opening another bottle of brandy he poured a part of Its contents into an empty bottle and carefully setting the remainder within easy reach of his guards, ascended to the deck. The captured men were sitting about the schooner listening to the revelry from the warships. "Boys." exclaimed McLusky as he approached them, "this is our chance to get away!" . He passed from man to man and gave bis orders and then, descending the eompanlonway leading to the cabin, he again seated himself with the guards and entertained them still further with his stories and brandy. It was midnight when the captains guests began to weary and soon after ward they were asleep on the floor, but the sounds of revelry still sounded on the gunboat. The shrewd captain waited untlL toward morning-, silence settled over the warship. Then McLusky and his crew swept w Via' ijvfnnfTJPrri? - over the deck of their schooner 'like ; phantoms in the night. The cutlasses of the sleeping men were taken and hidden. Just as the towllne waa slipped a squall of rain whipped across the river mouth. The crew struggled desperately and raised a sail in the storm. The wind caught the canvas and swept the little schooner straight toward the winding river unseen. Not a shot had been fired, and the boat was not missed for some time. It was about daylight when the scnooner tied up to the river bank, and the captain threw himself upon the cabin sofa. The Federal guards were still in their Christmas night Btupor, on the floor. Shortly after day break, ono of the guards woke. See ing the sunlight streaming through the cabin window, he thumped his com rade and roused him. . nnnn rierk. nuick! ' he cried to the sleepy men, as they staggered to their feet and raced for the eompan lonway. The sight of the tree-clad river bank startled him. "What's this!" he exclaimed, nearly failing backward Into the cabin. "What's the matter?" innocently in quired the captain. v "What's the matter!" echoed the guard. "We have got into Hades or some other port!" The captain broke into laughter at the sight of the ludicrous expression upon the sailor's face and began to banter him. A moment later, he discovered, to his dismay, how they had been tricked. How Captain Tried to Save Iniquity. A few days after Captain McLusky had successfully saved his schooner, another famous blockade runner. Cap tain Downs, nearly succeeded In saving his 22-ton schooner Iniquity, from the Union blockading ships. The blockade runner had left the Brazos River dur ing 'a dark night without being seen by the Federal boats, and the crew were rejoicing at their good luck. But during the afternoon, when the vessel was about 70 miles at sea, a roving cruiser loomed in the distance, beaded dlrectlv for the little boat. The United States flag streamed out behind the cruiser, and the crew of the schooner groaned in despair. But Captain Downs was equal to the emer gency. He rushed down into tbe cabin and almost immediately appeared with two suits of United States naval uni form. ..... "Here, put these on. quick! he ex claimed, calling to one of his men. At the Same time he pulled off his own clothes and donned the second suit, the uniform of a warrant officer. "Take the wheel, and hold yom course." the captain ordered. Turning to the remainder of the crew, he commanded: "Get below, and keep quiet." The cruiser rapidly drew near, and soon was alongside the slow-going schooner. "Ship ahoy!" hailed tlje cruiser. "What vessel Is that? Where are you '""captain Downs calmly walked to the rail and shouted: "It is the schooner Iniquity, two days out from the Brazos River with a cargo of cotton. She is now a prize to the UnJted States steamer Penobscot and we are bound for the fleet at Gal veston." " " ' - ' , . "Where is the Penobscot?" came back; the query over the water. "She must be about 30 miles to the westward." called out the mariner. Then he added, as the cruisers off cer still eyed the schooner with suspicion. "There were two larger schooners left the Brazos River the same night as this one, and she Is away to look after thT?e cruiser steamed up and passed on. Captain Downs turned from the rail and made a wry face at the wheel man, who was chuckling at the narrow Bute"a suspicion had lurked in the minds of some of the Federal officer, and when their knowledge of the op erations of the .Penobscot was com pared 'with the schooner captain's statement, they began to have lively doubts of the accuracy of the story. Slowly the nose oi me cruiser bwuuj, out of her course, and finally the ship turned about and came back. The steamer' ranged alongside, and the schooner was ordered to heave to. The daring blockade runner knew that his strategy had failed. A boat dropped from the steam vessel's side, and ma rines and officers Jumped in, to be rowed to the Iniquity, where the ship's papers soon proved that she was a blockade runner. A prize crew es corted the prize into New Orleans where the admiralty court condemned It; but the shrewd Downs was soon set free. How the Bob Roy Out of Galveston. The Hob Roy met with an exciting experience while attempting to pass the stringent blockade of Galveston in 1884. It was a Spring night and the new moon was obscured by banks of racing clouds. A southerly gale blew in from the Gulf, and the weather was thick and threatened rain. Captain Watson, of the Rob Roy, ordered his crew to prepare to run the blockade that night. About 7 o'clock the order was given to reef sails and weigh anchor. A stiff breeze carried the little center board schooner across the bay toward the Swash channel. In the fore of the vessel stood . a sailor, with a boathook in hand, sounding the depth of the channel while the Rob Roy movSd for ward. The channel was narrow and the water but little deeper than the vessel drew. Beyond the channel the waves were piling upon the shore with a terrifying roar. In the offing could be seen the faint lights of the fleet, while at the very exit of the channel was stationed a gunboat on the look out for such an attempt. All lights were out on the schooner, a precautionary custom of all block ade runners; silence settled over the boat, except the creak of the yards and the cracking of the canvaa. Cap tain Watson depended upon the roar of the gale and the breakers to hide the noise of his ship. The Rob Roy was onlv 50 yards from the mouth of the channel when the black clouds in the west lifted for a moment, and a bright shaft of moonlight rested upon the schooner, making the scene as clear aa daylight. t 1 "The devil's in the moon for mis chief!" ejaculated the mate. Scarcely had the words left his lips when a flash of light appeared for an instant and was closely followed by the whistling of a cannon ball speeding across the bows of the runner. A second shot followed. Just as the little schooner, the wheelman having lost his bearings, plunged into the bank. "Captured at - last!" exclaimed Cap tain Watson, gruffly. The gunboat had ceased firing when the vessel went, aground, and a large tender boat was seen dropping over its side, filled with 12 men and offi cers. The Federals rowed toward the mouth of the channel, and hailed the stranded schooner: "Schooner, ahoy!" Is your Jib to windward?" "Yes." "Then come on ahead a little." "We can't," answered tbe captain. "We are hard and fast aground." The rowboat approached from the windward side, but when near the ves sel -the officer changed his mind, and attempted to cross the bow of the schooner to reach the lee. As the men unshipped their oars one of them grasped the bow of the schooner with a boathook. At the moment when the Federals were directly in front of tha schooner the rising tide carried her fre (Concluded on Page 8.)
