The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-03-16

m" "I/
FRANK R. STOCKTON.
In the spring of certain year, not far
from the close of the Nineteenth century,
when the political relations between the
United States and Great Britain became
90 strained that careful observers on
both sides of the Atlantic were forced to
the belief that serious break in these
relations might be looked for at any
time, the fishing schooner Eliza Drum
sailed from port in Maine for the banks
Of Newfoundland.
It was in this year that new system
Of protection for American fishing YES
sells had been adopted in Washington.
Every fleet of these vessels was accom-
panied by one or more United States
cruisers, which remained on the fishing
grounds, not only for the purpose of
warning unwary American craft who
might approach too near the three mile
limit, but also to overlook the action of
the British naval vessels on the coast,
and to interfere, at least by protest, with
such seizures of American fishing boats
as might appear to be unjust. In the
opinion of all persons of sober judgment
there was nothing in the condition of
affairs at this time SO dangerous to the
peace of the two countries as the pres
ence of these American cruisers in the
fishing waters.
The Eliza Drum was late in her arri-
val on the fishing grounds, and having,
under orders from Washington, reported
to the commander of the Lennehaha,
the United States vessel in charge at
that place, her captain and crew went
vigorously to work to make up for lost
time. They worked so vigorously and
with eyes SO single to the catching Of
fish, that on the morning of the day
after their arrival they were hauling up
cod at point which, according to the
nationality of the calculator, might be
two and three-quarters or three and one
quarter miles from the Canadian coast
In consequence of this inattention to
the apparent extent of the marine mile
the Eliza Drum, little before noon,
was overhauled and seized by the Brit
ish cruiser Dog Star. A few miles
away the Lennehaha had perceived the
dangerous position of the Eliza Drum,
and had started toward her to warn her
to take less doubtful position. But
before she arrived the capture had taken
place. When he reached the spot where
the Eliza Drum had been fishing the
commander of the Lennehaha made an
observation of the distance from the
shore, and calculated it to be more than
three miles. When he sent an officer
in boat to the Dog Star to state the re-
suit of his computations the captain of
the British vessel replied that he was
satisfied the distance was less than three
miles, and hat he was now about to
take the Eliza Drum into port.
On receiving this information, the
commander of the Lennehaha steamed
closer to the Dog Star and informed her
captain by means of aspeaking trumpet,
that if he took the Eliza Drum into a
Canadian port, he would first have to
sail over his ship. Tothis the captain of
the Dog Star replied that he did not in
the least object to sail over the Lenne-
haha, and proceeded to put prize crew
on board the fishing vessel.
At this juncture the captain of the
Eliza Drum ran up large American
flag; in five minutes afterward the cap
tain of the prize crew hauled it down; in
less than ten minutes after this the Len
nehaha and the Dog Star were blazing at
each other with their bow guns. The
spark had been struck.
The contest was not a long one. The
Dog Star was of much greater tonnage
and heavier armament than her antago-
mist, and early in the afternoon she
steamed for st. Johns, taking with her
as prizes both the Eliza Drum and the
Lennehaha.
All that night, at every point in the
United States which was reached by
telegraph, there burned a smothered fire;
and the next morning, when the regular
and extra editions Of the newspapers
were poured out upon the land, the fire
burst into roaring blaze. From lakes
to gulf, from ocean to ocean, on mount
ain and plain, in city and prairie, 1t
reared and blazed. Parties, sections,
politics were all forgotten. Every Ameri-
can formed part of an electric system;
the same fire flashed into every soul. No
matter what might be thought on the
morrow, or in the coming days which
might bring better understanding, this
day the unreasoning fire blazed and
reared.
With morning newspapers in their
hands men rushed from the breakfast
tables into the streets to meet their fell
low men. What was it that they
should do?
Detailed accounts of the affair came
rapidly, but there was nothing in them
TO quiet the national indignation. The
American flag had been hauled down by