Complex sentence: The captain of a passing steam ship reported a suspicious vessel when he reached Washington, and authorities pursued the "Pearl" down the river and seized it as it was docked in a creek, waiting for a storm to pass.
Split into simpler sentences: The captain of a passing steam ship reported a suspicious vessel when he reached Washington. Authorities pursued the "Pearl" down river and seized it as it was docked in a creek, waiting for a storm to pass.