, 1885-01-07
A BIooDIEsS BATTLE.
AN EXCITING cBAsE sv CANADIAN
REVENUE OFFICIALS.
A Lake wrcchtnx Tug Undertakes n job
In the Waters OF Her sf1estyss
Dominion-A Stern
Pursuit.


l5agiuau Bay correepondancel
Tho competition among the Lake wftcktng
tugs Is 50 keen that many pages might be
written concerning the devices TO which the
captains resort % got the better Of tho oppo-
sition- Mum Is the word regarding a wreck
until the job OF hauling her of is secured,
and even then, when information Of her
whereabouts is given the nsyspepsr reporter,
the chances are that the stranded vessel may
lie 100 miles from whore the Eentlemnnly
wfecksr says she struck the shors-
In the last gale on Lake Huron. tho
schooner Startling. bound down, was driven
ashore among the Gheyto Islands on the
Canadian coast Her owners made a bar
gain with the Grummond tug and wreokinK
Office in Detroit to haul her of, and the tug
Winslow. equipped with q submarine diver.
steam pumps, and a fun wrecking outfit, was
started for the scene OF the wreck. The day
after the Winslow left port all Of tho city
papers noticed the departure Of the tug.
"rhe Window" tho public was informed,
@has gone TO the Great Manitoulin island at
the head Of Lake Huron to rescue the
schooner Starring"
The Manitoulin island thus referred to Is
about seventy-ive or one hundred miles
north of the Gheytos. where tho wreck hap
pensd. But all Is fair In love, war and WRECK
Ing. Besides it occupies nearly n week OF a
Canadian customs officers time 10 find an
American tug with no more definite informa-
ton than that which was furnished tho
newspapers, among the innumerable small
bays, inlsts and other indentations around
the rugged coast OF the Great Manitoulin-
Meanwhile tho Winslow made her way
through the rough waters of Lake Huron
and the torturous channels of the Gheytos,
and went quietly to work on the Starting.
The camp equipage was disembnrked; sound
ings were made about the vessel; the sub
marine diver looked to his armor and the
huge hawsers were uncoiled in preparation
for the pull As a ~precaution against sur
prise a lookout was posted on the coast bluff
with Instructions TO give warning of the ap-
preach OF Canadian boats or any other craft
that did not show their colors
It appears from tho statement made by an
eyewitness, that the lookout, after care
fully sweeping the horizon with his glass, and
finding It extremely cold at that altitude, In
cautiously descended TO warm himself at the
galley fire, where be remained for some time,
discussing a basin Of hot soup furnished by
his friend, the cook. Suddenly he heard the
hurried tramp Of feet upon the deck above
him, and the stentorian roar OF Capt Mart
Swayne through his trumpet, heard high
above the gale:
'Rsel off them hot-water hosei Cast of the
ha,ysersl All hands to the labberd side to
repsl boardersl Every man to HIS cutlassl"
Rushing to the deck, the lookout saw a
boat containing her majesty's customs officer
and q crew of picked men bearing down the
inlet and the black smoke Of the tug Interna-
tional in the offing.
Throw a barrel OF pitch into the furnacef'
shouted Capt 5wayne, through his trumpet
"Stab the first man that crawls up the side
with a marIirg spfkel Get ready for q runi
Break open that barrel Of kerosene, aud II
we strike a shoal touch a match to it. Burn
the craft, but don't let her fall into the hands
Of a id Britisher. Yaw hipi"
The pitch burned savagely in the furnace,
and the steam began to hiss fiorcely through
the pipes as the small boat neared them
Back therei" exclaimed 5wayne, as the
mate trained the pivot gun On the boat, and
the crew made their c~utlasses CLEAN in the
sun Back there, or I'll blow you out Of
wnteri'
Her majesty's customs officer staid the
oars, and arising In his boat shouted over the
waters, Surrender in the name of the queeni
/ arrest you for violation of her majesty's
customs lava And he iourished a revolt
yer with unexampled energy.
AGo to hill" was the undauntcd reply Of
Capt Swayne. Ready about there. my
lads. Stand by that barrel Of kerosene with
the torch therei Throw another barrel OF
pitch into the furnacel Give her all the
steam she's gotl Yaw whoopI"
The Winslow fairly leapsd through the
water, and as she dashed by the boat the
cook threw d head Of Of cabbage with deadly
aim, and the missile, barely missing her
majssty's customs officer, burst into frag-
msnts ON the head OF the helmsmnn-
aPursue themi' commanded the officer.
Her majesty's officer had made a serious
mistake In trying to board tho Winslow
from q small boat Had he remained
aboard the International and sent the boat
In to alarm the Winslow he might
nave captured her in the ofang. As 1t stood,
there WA nobody on board the International
hsving authority to stop the flying tug; con-
sequentiy the latter could only play the role
of spectator until the small boat, with her
majesty's officers were picked up. Still it
it was miles to American waters and safety
for the Winslow, which crashed through the
waves and showed three-fourths Of her keel
at every jump.
Pursuit was made by the International as
soon as the boat was picked up. and, although
the Winslow was q speck in the wide waters,
the chase was steadily maintained until the
shores of Michigan doomed up in the cloud
draped horizon and the Winslow was diving
and plunging in her mad career of Saginaw
bay. She was safei