The Portland daily press., 1878-05-01
BY TELEGRAPH.
RUSSIAN PRIVATEERy.
A German Steamer at Mt. Desert
Loaded with Russian Sailors
Evidently for Manning Privateers.

SOUTH WEST HARBoR, April 30,-About
o'clock Sunday forenoon the steamer Cimbria
of Hamburg, one of the New York and Ham,
burg line of steamers, arrived at South West
Harbor, Mount Desert. According to Captain
Badenhausens statement, she is chartered by
an agent of the Russian government She
proceeded to Port Baltic in Rassa and there
took on board 600 men, mostly Firms, as steer.
age passengers, and 63 men as cabin passen-
gers. She sailed from Port Baltic April 18th,
and passed around the north of Scotland.
Capt Badenhausen was under the orders of
one of his cabin passengers, and when off Cape
Sable, as he shaped his course for Cape Cod, he
was directed to lay the course for Southwest
Harbor. He has no cargo. only ship stores.
He is now waiting for orders. He processes
utter ignorance of the destination of the vessel
or men. No person has been ashore except
Capt Badenhausen and the gentleman in
charge. The latter has the bearing OF naval
officer and is Russian. The collector of the
port has not yet boarded the ship, and no other
person has been allowed on board. The ship is
full of men and keeps steam up continually.
ELLSWORTH. April 30.-The passengers on
the steamer Cimbria, at Southwest Harbor,
prove to bs a regularly organized ships COM
pany of 60 officers aud 600 seamen of the Rus
sian imperial navy, under command of Count
Grifenbsrg. On their arrival a long despatch
in cypher was sent to Admiral Lassonskay ct
St. Petersburg, and the officers seem to be
awaiting a reply. The ship has large amount
of stores on board, including coal fer ten days
steaming. No arms nor ammunition are visi-
L A. Al. L
there are any on board. The officers and crew
of the steamer number ITO and are all Germans.
Capt. Badenhausen was taken out of another
steamer and appointed to the Cimbra. Three
days after he reached Hamburg and she took
in stores and passengers as rapidly as possible.
Capt. Badenhausen bas asked for bill of
health from this port. The Russian officers are
very reticent about the objectof their visit and
even profess to be ignorant of their destination
or purpose of their being sent here.
Among the officers is Russian nobleman of
high rank who was with the Grand Duke on
his visit to this country. None of the officers
| have yet been on shore except the captain and
purser of the ship, and the paymaster of
| the Russian corps. The collector boarded the
ship and found the papers all right correspond.
| ing to the captains statement A formal entry
will be made today and list of passengers
| furnished as soon as it can be made out.
They observe no special secrecy but permitted
the press agent to freely 60 about the vessel
They think they may remain here some days as
the officers are inquiring about game and fish
on Mount Desert. The ship came in without
local pilot and is making no inquiry for a
pilot. The steamer is not disabled.
NEW YORK, May 1.-The Sun says: Captain
Franzen (of the Hamburg line) of the Suevia, a
sister ship of the Cimbra, says:
| I'VE left Hamburg two days before the Cim-
| bria. She had been chartered to unknown par.
ties and it was said she was about to clear fol
Halifax to embark part of the Canadian con.
tingent to the British army. When we arrived
at Havre, howeyer,w we learned that the Cimbria
had already gone to Baltic ports for Russian
| Sailors"
The first officer of the Pammerania, another
steamer OF the same line, says: "There is no
doubt of the transfer of the Cimbra to Rus.
sian agents The fact that she had been char
| tered by the Russian government was matter
OF common report when we sailed"
Representatives of the Providence Tool Co..
Manchester Arms Co.. Schuyler, Hartley s.
| Graham, and Remington & Sons, are unani.
NOUS in stating that there are neither arms mol
ammunition being made in this country for the
Russian government.
Ihe English residents OF New York gathered
| in noteworthy numbers at their CUSTOMARY re-
sorts tonight discussing the possible bearings
| of the Cimbria's arrival. The general belief
was that any attempt at fitting out privateeri
in American ports would be prevented by the
State Department, but against this it was ar.
gued that self-interest as we'll as desire to 'pay
England back" for her action in the civil wal
| would make the United States wink at the de-
struction of British commerce.
The following is the clause in the treaty o.
Washington touching the matter of privateer
| ing:
"The United States and Great Britain have obi
| gated themselves to use due obligations to prevent
the fitting out, arming or equpping within the il
jurisdiction Of any vessel which they have reasonable
ground to believe is intended cruise or carry or
war against power with which they are at peace p
A gentleman in Washington extensively en-
gagged 10 shipping is authority for the state
ment that Russian agents have been privatel,
making inquiries as to what supplies of ships
etc.. could be furnished that government SHOULD
they be needed.