New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-07-04
THE FISHERIES SEIZURES.
AMERICAN sCHOoNERs CAPTURED.
THREE PORTLAND FISHING VESSELS SEIZED Al
sHELBURNs. NOVA SCOTIA.


OF three American fishing at sheburne This
came IKEA hundercap after tho recent changes in tho
Ottawa Instruction. TRIBUNE correspondent visited
the UDitedstaes Consul General Mr. Phelan. and inquired
aboutthe truth OF the ropors He said sheburne
miles from Halifax by stage and 1t was dtcut to
get full Information about the matter.
But" he continued the reports Of seizures which
reach me are such that am loath to believe that
any responsible official could seize vessels OF friendly
nation By wholesale for any trivial offences ss
these alleged against these three Portland vessels There
does not appear to be substantial violation OF any
law In either the Dominion custom laws or even the old
statutes made when George I'LL was King. Take the
OF the City Pont put into sheburne for repairs
ard water. One boat sent ashore for water wo
or the boats crew natives aud residents OF tne
place. They embl aced the opportunity to visit their
families and remained homo all night These men,
it must be RENE mbered. not under naval
or even mercantile discipline. They ship on shares
and the captain has control them. But these
men undertook to visit their friends while the captain
mad gone mp tho harbor to report at the custom House
and make arrangements for getting repairs erected
whom he met by tho captain Of the cruiser ordered
back and his vessel taken possession OF by the Dominion
authorities How that tact possibly be construed
into violation OF the treaty OF 1918 puzzles shc
into port late the afternoon OF tho 3Oth and
was taken possession of before the captain could reach
the Custom House The charge against the vessel Is
that the men took clothing ashore. probably to
get washed at their homes As regards the other TWO
vessels have just received ths following JOINT dispatch
from the captains:
"'Our scbooners were seized to-day, charged with
seeking bait and not reporting at tho Custom House.
Have not purchased anything Was boarded And seized
eight miles from the Custom House,
"Ihs Dispatch was signed by John
Fraliok. master or the schooner G. b. Harrington,
and by B Jewett, master of the schooner George W.
Cushing snail undertake the 2OO-mile stage drive to
sheburue Immediately investigate the whole facts,
but cannot but believe that tho captains Will De re-
leased before reach there. cannot see how tho
Ottawa authorities can possibly sustain the reported
proceedings OF their officials in these cases"
IL Is singular coincidence that G. W. Cushing. OF
Portland owns shares in OF tn three vessels seized
Sheburue. II is thought there that they Will all
heavy fines for violating the customs laws and that
the charges OF violating the treaty OF 1918 Will uOt DC
enforced Dispatches from Cans0 say reports from tho
Nova scotia mackcre fleet off Prince Eward Island coast
stale that twenty-five American soners arc fishing
within mile of the shore and that whole macScre
fishing ground unprotected by adam cruisers The
Portland schooner Henry Mlard put Clars Harbor
at shelburne yesterday to ship men and seeking bait
She was given twenty four hours notice outside
the three-mie limit Tie three schooners at shcburne
appear to have captured without having been sup
Piled with the official warning given twenty hours
grace
sHgLBuRNE, y. g., July observation-disclosures is q
town OF B. 900 population the coast Of Nova
Scotia One hundred years ago ts population numbered
$4,000 and II founded be the great rival OF Hall
fax II fortified and It's MAGNIFICENT harbor was
frequently crowded with from dozen to score of men,
oi-war. This during the wars OF l776 ana )sl2
The seizure Of American fishing vessels here today
has created greater excitement than that
has taken place during the last half century, Amer
lean vessels going the Grand Banks second trips
find shelburne OF the most convenient ports OF call
for bait Ice and in the harbor. known as
| tatr Tha
cruiser Terror had lying in shelbourns harbor
for week apparently dong nothing. but meanwhile
Commander Gngley has be'n qietly obtaining inf0r'
| nation OF the arrangements made by bait people at
Cunning Cove for surreputonsly supplying Americans
with who to into port after dark. Yeser
day seized the Portland schooner City Point To-day
hc captured other Portland vessels the C. B. Harring
ton and the George W. Cushing The three prizos are
lying side by side and anchored In the old naval
anchorage grounds Of the harbor The decks OF each
are patrood with guards from the cruiser Terror. who
are armed with cutlasses and rovovers This presents
a scene not witnessed here since the days OF the cap
tured American privateers in 1912.
| The schooner George W. Gushing Is fine vessel OF
sixty -one tons. II owned f. G.. Willard. Of Port
land The C. B. Harrington is schooner OF only TWEEN
| ty.one tons aud Is owned By A. Dwyer
| and W. 8. Jordan, OF the same place.
Captain ougley who lively specimen OF the Cana
dian cruiser skipper told THE TRIBuNEs correspondent
vessels day two and paroling the harbor nighs
on the lookout for them. The fishery agent at Sandy
point sent word that Americans were there LOOKING
for bait aud supplies. SO after dark rowed six or
eight miles the harbor to where those crafts were
| anchored. boarded the c. B. Harrington about III
| o'clock and found that two Of the crew were then
ashore The MASTER Captain FraIick, admitted that he
hal not reported at Custom House.so put an armed
guard on and ordered him 70 bring his vessel up
| alongside the Terror at daylight. Next rowed to
| where the George w. Cushing was anchored. IL was
eating pretty late then and my visit was genuine
surprise CAPTAIN Jewett frankly admitted that he had
been ashore during the dag and had not entered his
| ,h,p a, the Custom House. then placed guard
| on the Cushing with instructions that she shouiu
also move up aud anchor under cover OF the Terror
guns at daylight Both captains admitted to me tnat
they had attempted buy bat but failed to obtain any
| although they offered high price for It,"
| THE TRIBUNE correspondent then vi'ited the three
csptans Of the captured vessels. Cappan Fralick oil
the HARRINGTON said he put IN the haroor for oalt ana
ice He that he could obtain both In Canada
without any difficulty under the new instructions issueu
| in Ottawa Some OF his men went ashore ana Delore
they were able to get back his vessel was seized He
sys this season will bs disastrou. to American Usher
| men CAPTAIN Jrwett OF the George W. Gushing is
| veteran fisherman ffty-hve years OF age He made a
frank and manly statement OF the circumstances OF the
seizure sole object in coming into SheDnrnc WAS 70
obsIu halt and supplies He had been lying idle In
| Portland ten DAYS II useless to remain there
Idle. A few days ago 1t was announced that Vessels
voud be warned and given twenty -four hours TO leave
port before being seized. This widely published stare
| mani induced him to come here 10 obtain Dalt. he
ent but failed to get away Captain kcene OF
the city Point refused 10 make any sstemen ou' re- re-.
ferred TuE TRIBUNE correspondent TO ~ W. Wnlc Tue
United stales Consular Agent, who said tnat captain
NoKecne had Informed him that the CITY Point had eI
Portland Juno % and to Shelburne arriving nere
late on ibs afternoon OF June 30, anchored western sue
OF harbor. We were In want OF water. ssd captain
Teeue and as il was high Lide when We arrived anu
wished TO avoid any more delay than was necessary.
sent boat ashors to get sappes. Two oi my Gre W "
nved IN shelburne and they went ashore
in this boat hut did not return 10
Il and stayed ash re all night Those men were
.ppe by me al having come over there TOT
tho pnrpose After the water boat returned anu two
az nv crew were proceeding 10 ShclOurne Tor tue pur'
nose of repnrng to tho Custom House and TO employ
caulxsr to cauk the decks which we're Leaking, "nea
was me, by Capt ain Quigey IN the cutters poAt "ho
art,red ma TO 20 on board the vessel again weut
back with Captain Qdglcy aud told him the clrcnn-