New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-12
DID THE HAYTIAN CONSUL BUY HER?
MYSTERIOUS STEAMER AND QUEER CREW

A MYSTERIOUS STEAMER AND QUEER CREW
THE NOVELTY CHANGES HER NAME.
small black steamer arrived at the dock OF the
Merritt Wreckng Company at Staten Island on Thurs
day night about IL o'clock The name had been care
fully painted out at her stern, and the signs on the
sides Of the pilothous had also been removed There
was no mark about her to Indicate who she was or
where she from The steamer was $50 feet long,
20 cet beam and 1s feet deep and Of 1877 tons burden
She was oiipper-built and had long slender spars.
Her hull was painted black, and all the woodwork
about her was newly painted dark color. Her
matches had been removed and her deck had been built
flush with heavy planking There was thirty-dve-
foot steamrlaunch standing her main deck on tho
starboard side. There also spare propeller lying
aft her decks On her house were two metallic
llfc-boats branded Roman besides two dories.
The captain went ashore and returned at O'Clock
last night. lie brought with him crew CT twelve
men and hustled them aboard. Five Of them did not
like the looks of things and left the vessel The
others went down below and stayed there. short
man who had not before been visible then came on
deck He proved to be George Bowman, the sup n
cargo. To reporter no SAID This steamer 'Sss
formerly the fishing steamer Novelty. sold her to
the Haytian Consul Of New-York City. She is now
bound for Samana on the south side OF Santo Do
mingo, where she will be used as gunboat. Her
name has been changed to Mercedes. She was over
hauled in Boston, where she has been lying for the
last month Her machinery was thoroughly over
hauled. and shecan steam twelve knots an hour
The reporter next saw the captain, who gave his
name as Terry. When asked II the boat had been
engaged blockade runner, he laughed and replied
what nonsenseu but finally pointed to the deck and
said, "Isnt that splendid place for pivot gunf
Look at those low bulwarhs. Wouldn't she have .
long reachi wonder whether she would stand the
shock from the discharge of gunq"
The reporter then started to go down into the
forecaste but the captain hastily detained him with
a heavy hand upon his shoulder. You had better
not 20 down there,s no said. "Just confne your
movements to the deck here"
The reporter then asked him what he had down
there that he did not want to be seen He replied.
II don't know as there Is anything down there ex-
cept, maybe, some stores and hundred and nifty
tons of coal
Tho reporter next asked him II he intendeI sailing
from this port under tho American flag He replied
",So, we win sail under the Dominican flag, but we
have not got t aboard yet. 1t VIII be sent aboard
later.
Tho reporter next asked him why such a heavy
steam lauch was not placed trim' the deck, and
bintod that possibly there might be some guns slowed
away somewhere that would counieract the weight
of The launch on the stsrooard sidc. The captain
laughed at this and said Nonsense We have no guns
aboard. When we get out to sea we Will trim her
fast enough We viii try to get out OF the harbor
to-nlghtr
The crew was a motlcyiooking crowd. Mono OF
them were seamen, and few Of them wore Prince
Albert frock coats. One had on gold rimmed spec
taclcs They were pale-faced lot, and did not
know tho difference between the stem ard the stern
Of the vessel They declared that they had only
been employed to take the vessel down to b. fe7u-
nations and they hoped they would not 'E
on tho way. Tho agreement was TO send th' p back
by the first returning steamer as passengers. The
entire crew consisted of the captain, two mates, a
chief engineer and two assistants, the supercargo
and crew Of twenty men
The Novelty or, she is now called, the Mercedes
was built at Portland Me-, five years ago under In
spection for James Joyce, a we'll known Eastern hsf-
erman She was the largest mackerel fishing steamer
IN the service and Is considered stanch, seaw0rthy
boat Her register was changed from the Novelty to
fhe Mercedes in the Custom House nero yesterday
She also cleared for Samana.