The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1883-10-25

do you think you could do it if |
objectedl No, siri One word from
me and you would not remain one
minute on this quarter. deck; but /
submit, knowing that ] will receive
Justice from the hands of the depart
ment which / represent" Turning to
the officers he said: Gentlemen, let
us prepare to leave the ship" and
they went below.
At the time | was standing along
side of Lieut.. Selden, and was perfect
ly astonished at what | heard, and 4
turning to Selden, said:
"What does this mean!"
Il do not know" he replied; /
"some of Victor Smiths new arrange
ments."
All discipline was at an end. The
old crew did not know what to make
of it for awhile, but soon learned how
things stood and became very insn-
lent To those whnm the collector had
brought ON board to replace them, III
terfering with them OH every occasion.
There was only one sailor among
them, and he was sent la the
wheel. 1t was then saw the
meaning of so many passengers.
The collector called them together and
told them to 30 the hest they could Ia
work the vessel into Esquimalt Gail
ing on me, he asked If | would not
take charge of them and assist him, as
he was afraid there would be trouble
with the old crew before they got to
anchor. replied that had paid my
passage t. Victoria and it Was none uf
my fight, and | would have nothing to
do with it. About this time some of
the old crew got some liquor some
where and became terribly noisy, in
terfering with the new men. Lieut..
Selden called to me, saying:
"Tom, if Won are n friend of mine
you will help me out of this scrape. |
don't know any of these men, or what
they can do. wish you to organize
them, and send some into the fire
room, and some to pass along wood;
and for Gods sake don't have any
trouble with the old crew; don't mind
what they say, so long as they keep
their hands off, for fear, if there is
blow struck, there will be blood split
before we get to Esquimalt.
| told him for his sake | would do
my best. / soon got them in working
order, the old crew continually inter
fering, calling all kinds of vile names.
We paid no attention To them, bnt
kept on with the work. We soon got
into Esquimalt, where the officers and
crew were landed, and then steamed
around to the mouth of Victoria har-
Dor and anchored for the night, all
going on shore except Lieutenant Sell
don, Thos. Winship, the engineer, and
three others besides myself to guard
the vessel.
We steamed back to Port Angeles
the next day, feeling very glad We had
got the old SubricL back again all
right, as few besides myself knew the
dangerous position she was IN the nigh;
we lay outside Victoria harbor with
only five men on board; for at that
time there was regular organized
crew in Victoria of fifty men, with al
the officers and engineers complete, To
capture the ShubricL and make Con.
federate cruiser of her, for which al
that time she was adapted, being swift
and well-armed with four broadsid,
and two long pivot guns, besides eighty
tons Of coal and twenty cords of wood
and not a vessel on the coast to cope
with her. They intended to burn al
the mills ON the Sound, after securing
all the coin, and go ON voyage O
destruction among our coasting yes
|. sells, but thanks to the vigilance of Mr.
Allen Francis, our consul at Victoria
u then and now, also Lieut.. James Sci
den, now captain and on waitin
e orders at Seattle, the Confederate
n never made the attempt on this side q
the Straits. | after ward learned ths
had we laid one night longer at the
l. mouth Of Victoria harbor, they woul,
d have taken her, the result of whIc
10 would have been very disastrous t
the milling interests of our rising ter
- ritory.