The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-02-05
Rscane Of the Rebel Steamer Tropics

From a private letter the PhiadeI-
phia inquirer takes the following items
of news. from Charleston Harbor. The
Tropic was formerly called the Hunt
ress.
= y r. r.
On Sunday January 18th, the watch
officer of the United States steamer
Quaker City reported a large fire burn
inc seward. The Captain Immediate
" hurried upon deck, and decided
that it was a large vessel on fire.
Without delay he weighed anchor
and steamed out, for it was blowing
very fresh. 1t was not until 5 o'clock
that they were near enough to dlscov-
er it was a large side-wheel steamer,
completely enveloped in flames, a
sight magnificent to behold. Upon
this evidence Of at least some having
managed to leave the vessel, 1t was
decided to remain steaming around in
hopes ofsaving human life, and Just az
dawn was making, a noise was heard
astern, which proved to be Z Of the
boats containing sixteen persons, who
would soon have found a watery grave,
as the boat was nearly full Of water,
and the occupants nearly frozen.
The men had only the clothes in
which they stood, but two passengers
who managed to save a couple of va
Uses. On their reaching the deck,im-
agine the surprise ofUncle Sans ser
wants to find these sufferers belonged
to the rebel steamer Tropic, formerly
the Huntress, of the New York and
Charleston line, which they stole at
the commencement of the rebellion
She had succeeded in running past
some one of our ~blockaders on that
dark and drizzly night, with a cargo
OF 323 bales of upland cotton, three
bales of Sea Island, and three barrels
of turpentine, with six barrels ofrosin
She would have been a rich prize, but
at all events, the rebels have been de-
prived of the proceeds for stores and
ammunition. They reported another
boat with fourteen persons. Steam
ing around until daybreak, the second
boat was deserted and the sufferers
rescued.
The mass of the crew were English
and Irish. One of the two passengers
was an Englishman named j. M. Yer
non, of London. Just before reaching
the ship, he vas seer to throw over
board a quantity of "yellow covered
documents" A boat was Immediate
lylowerd, which succeeded in seCur>
ing them. They proved to be cons
tracts entered into by the Secretary
Of War, Secretary Of the Navy and the
Postmaster General, with the said
Vernon, for furnishing the so called
Confederate Government with stores
accoutrements, &c. Said Vernon was
very indignant threatning to report
this matter to Lord Lyons, admitting,
at the same time, that be was an
agent of the Confederate Governs
ment.
The other passenger was named
Steers,is a Presbyterian by birth, but
has resided South for many years.
He said that he had two sons in Nc
Clelian's sarmy. He was a large own
er of stock in the Tropic, being the
owner of sixteen shares, besides a cot
ton plantation in Georgia and a farm
near Richmond. In addition to this
he owned a portion of the cotton in
the steamer. The chief mate of the
vessel, a man named Glass, they say,
undoubtedly, was suffocated by the
dense smoke, as he came on board
much Intoxicated.
Commander Fraley, of the Quaker
City seems to be particularly expert in
capturing rebel documents; he was the
fortunate officer who captured SO re-
Gently Major Sanders and his budget.