Rock Island daily Argus., 1886-10-26
SMUGGLING BY THE NAVY
STARTLING STORY OF AN Ex-COR-
PORAL OF THE MARINE CORPS.

How the United States Ship Saratoga
Brought Valuable Cargo from the
Mediterranean Consigned to United
States OfIicials-Transferrin the Goods
to the Tallapoosa--A Trip to Halifax.
NEW York, Oct 26-A Washington spe
cial to The World says: Although the prom
inent officials in the navy department have
made light of the recent disclosures of SNUG
Cling by naval officers, as brought to light
by the seizures on the Saratoga, the rank and
file in the service know that these apologies
by certain officers of high rank are made
merely TO mislead the secretary of the navy
and the public and prevent unpleasant dis
closures. Seamen and marines who have
been on European voyages and think they
can talk without fear of detection view the
case very differently. An ex-corporal of the
marine corps, who resigned in 1882, and who
is now in business in this city, gave the re
porter the following chapter of smuggling in
the navy as It came under his own observa-
ton:
In 1880 | served on board the United
States ship Saratoga he said in sub
ordinate capacity while the vessel made n
European cruise for the purpose of instruct
ing Admiral Luce's babies in the art of
seamanship. The opinion generally ex-
pressed however, by the crew upon our ar
rival in the Mediterranean was that the
Saratoga was sent across to bring home a
cargo of goods belonging to high officials in
Washington. At the naval pay-statfon at
Villa Franco we took Oh board quite cargo
M met. az, gti nv ms
on the station and sent to Villa Franco for
storage, which were marked Secretary
Thompson Gloves, silks, laces, etc, Were
purchased in large quantities, packed in
sealed metal boxes and waterproof paper
In fact, purchases were made SO extensively
that we began TO think we Represented some
mercantile house rather than the United
States
Did these proceedings cause comment
among the crew" was asked
Sailors and marines" he replied, are
not i'll the habit of expressing their opinions
on board ship Whatever we thought We
kept to ourselves. Upon the return trip we
stopped at Funchal, where the ships launch
was lowered for the purpose OF assisting in
taking ON board our last cargo, viz. Wine.
The exact amount of wine slowed away here
/ anu unable to state, but have no hesitation
i'll saying it exceeded the quantity usually
purchased at one time PavmaSters' stores
were broken ont of the hold and piled around
the deck To make room for the cargo The
brig was given up for the time being and
converted into a wine store-room- In fact
every available place was used until the
herth-deck became ncomfortably crowded
Upon arriving in the United States
instead Of pulling into an important port
we anchored in Hampton roads and
were not troubled by visit from the
collector of customs. The first transfer Of
cargo made was to a lighthouse tender,
which came into the roads, and to it were
transferred the casks of wine, which were
marked 'Bahcock.' A few days later the
Tallapoosa came down from Washington to
Hampton roads AMI made it convenient to
come alongside the Saratoga after dark The
crew were at once Put to work rigging whips
and tackle TO aid in taking the cargo out of
the hold An estimate of the amount of
goods, consisting of wine, carpets, laces, silk
goods, etc, transferred to the Tallapoosa
may be formed from the fact that the time
occupied in unloading the vessel wns about
five hours. IN justice TO the officers at
tachel to the Saratoga it is proper to state
that their portion of the cargo was
reasonable one or two casks of
wine each to ship TO friends in distant parts
of the country, couple of dozen pairs of
gloves, and several bolts of silk The bulk of
the cargo however, was marked as CON
ligned to such humble citizens as Secretary
Thompson, Gen Sherman, Commodore En-
glish, and others of the same standing OF
course an improper use might have been
made Of their names by the real smuggIers 70
daunt prying customs officials Next wear.
while still on the Saratoga. | went to Hall
fax. There was purchased the same large
amount of bottled goods and We brought
back an equally valuable cargo"
This statement regarding the smuggling
propensitics of our prominent naval off
GERS can he vouched for, and is not the
spiteful Outpourings of disgruntled sailor
sand naval department official Sunday.
Another Trunk Line Reported.
PHILADELPHIA. Oct. "a special dis
patch from Easton. Pa, says: 1t is rumored
here that the Lehigh Valley railroad has
purchased the franchise of the defunct Penn
syIvania, Statington & New England rail
road, with view of completing it at an early
date The right of way runs from Stating
ton along the Blre mountain to Pen Argyll.
and Portland, Northumberland county, then
crosses the Delaware river at Portland. runs
through New Jersey TO Poukeepsie, N Y,
where n bridge is being built across the Hud-
son river, and thence through the New Eng.
land states When completed the road will
I've another trunk line between the east anc
the west ! reliable nlrtY at Pen ArrrI