National Republican., 1885-09-26
K | N G s
THE SILVER SHIPS ARRIVE.
A STRANGE ADVENTURE RELATED BY
THE YANTIC's LOOKOUT.
The Signal "Sworn to Tear You" Scares
Some of the Crew-A Gale on Hat
teras-How the Bullion Will BE
Brought Through the City.

The lookout on the ship house at the navy
yard, who had been straining his ocular
powers for long time fruitlessly In trying
to sight the treasure ships Swatara and
Yantic, was rewarded yesterday afternoon,
as, with his spyglass, he discerned them
coming up the river. The news ran like
wildfire, and, by the time the Yantlc made
the dock, a self-appointed delegation, con-
sisting Of clerks whose work was done and
numberless others who liked to get a look
at million or two of dollars even minus
legal possession had appeared on the scene.
The United States steamship Swatara and
the Yantic had arrived The former vessel
contains So 200, 900 and the latter 81, 600, 900
in silver from the New Orleans subtreasury
for the Treasury Department. The Yantic
arrived at the wharf at 4:30 o'clock. Com
mander Frank Wildes, commanding, was
seen by reporter:
"A number of the crew are quite debillta-
ted,n he said, 'from the climate we have just
left, but altogether the health is very good.
The firsi four days out of New Orleans we
had very fine weather, but the last four
days the weather was very stormy indeed.
on Charleston we struck a cyclone which
was very severe. Up to that time the two
ships kept together, but a short distance
above Hatteras we got separated and the
Swatara arrived at the capes nine hours
ahead Of us. Coming up the river the
Swatara had pilot and led the way"
"Iiow Is tEe silver stored awayr
"The silver is packed in boxes about
twenty-three inches long, ten wide, and six
deep, each containing $4,000, so we have
about 800 OF these boxes on board, and the
Swatara has over 1000 boxes. On the
Yantic the silver is stored in the hold"
"Jack," said a reporter for The REPUB-
LIoAS to an old salt on the Yantic, show
many pirates did you meet on the home
ward cruise ~
"Only one" answered the tar, with a
hitch at his trousers. "I'll tell you about
it," he continued, as he took chew Of old
navy.
"You see we were off Hatteras four days
ago and II was blowing regular cyclone.
Lord bless my topsails but II blew! We
took in all sail, and ] thought We were
going to--hades you call It, We soon lost
sight Of the Swatara, and were driven on at
such q rate to the sou'east as i never saw
before. Bime bye, the following night, when
the weather had moderated little, we
sighted a ship to the leeward making for
| us. was on watch, and saw black flag
| lying, so bless my soul. l know 1t was a
pirate, as two Of our men deserted at New
| Orleans, and II was rumOred they had
done so 10 III out plfatlng expedition.
| ] called out from above and gave the alarm.
| 1t was moonlight but rather misty night,
and | couldn't see very plain. Everybody
laughed at the idea Of its being a pirate
but everybody was watchful, all the same
"1he ship kept nearing us until we
thought 1t best TO let her know what oul
guns were for, and we fired off one Of them
but of course not In her direction. She
answered by sounding one Of hers. We
hailed her and asked her name. Sworn tC
tear YOU was all the answer we could get
and It made everybody nervous, can tel
you We told her to keep of, and free
another gun. BY this time everybody in the
ship was on tip-toe Of expectation. Tht
men were ordered to the guns, and again W,
hailed the strange vessel, trying to keep
respectable distance.
"'Swon to tear yOu,' was all the answer
We got, and everybody's hair stood on end
and We determined they shouldn't tear u
without a struggle, and we determined t
give them desperate reception.
"'l wonder If that means Swatlra,
suggested some one.
"Our hair resumed its proper position
aud everybody smiled and remarked tina
they knew II all along.
$50 II proved, and soon we were in com
municatiOn with our sister ship. BY genera