The Portland daily press., 1889-01-14
THE NOVELTY A HAYTIAN GUNB0AT.
To Cruise for Blockade Runners In
stead Of MackereI,
According TO the story Of one Of Her
Mysterious Crew.
Amateur Sailors with Gold Bowed
Eye CIassesland Frock Coats.

NEwYoRK, janis small black steamer
arrived at the dock of the Merritt wrecking
Company at Staten Island on Thursday night
about IL o'clock, The name had been care
fully painted out at her stern. and the signs
on the sides Of the pilot-house had also been
removed There was no mark about her to
Indicate who she was OF where she came
from. The steamer was $50 feet long, 20
feet beam and II feet deep and Of 1877 tons
burden. She was cliDper-built and had long
slender spars, Her hull was painted black,
aud 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 a thirty
five foot steam launch standing on her main
deck on the starboard side. There was also
a spare propeller lying aft on her decks. On
her house were two metallic life-bOats brand
ed Roman" besides two dories.
The captain went ashore and returned at
7 o'clock last night He brought with him a
crew Of II men and hustled them aboad.
Five Of them did not like the looks Of things
and left the vessel A short man who had
not before been visible then came on deck.
He proved to be Geo. Bowman, the super
cargo. To reporter he said: This steamer
was 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 Domingo, where she will
be used as gunboat. Her name has been
changed to Mercedes. She was overhauled
in Boston, where she has been lying for the
last month. Her machinery was thoroughly
overhauled, and she can now steam twelve
knots an hour"
The reporter next saw the captain, who
gave his name as Terry. When asked IL the
boat had been engaged as blockade-runner,
he laughed and replied, What nonsense"
but finally pointed TO the deck and said.
Isn't that splendid place for pivot gun? ?
Look at those low bulwarks. Wouldn't she
have long reachl l wonder whether she
would stand the shock from the discharge Of
gun?"
The reporter then started to go down into
the forecastle, but the captain hastily de-
tained him with a heavy hand upon his
shoulder. "You had better not go down
there, he said. Just confne your move
ments to the deck here"
The reporter then asked him what he had
down there that he did not want to be seen.
He replied, Il don't know as there Is any
thing down there except, maybe, some stores
and hundred and fifty tons Of coal.
The reporter next asked him If he intend
ed sailing from this port under the American
flag. He replied mo, we will sail under the
Dominican flag. but we have not got 1t aboard
yet. 1t will be sent aboard later.
The reporter next asked him why such a
heavy steam launch was not placed trim"
on the deck, and limited that possibly there
might be some guns slowed away
somewhere that would counteract the weight
OF the launch on the starboard side. 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 will
try TO get out Of the harbor tonight"
The crew was a motley-looking crowd.
None of them were seamen, and a few Of
them wore Prince Albert frock coats. One
had on g0ld-rimmed spectacles. They were
a pale-faced lot, and did not know the differ
ence between the stem and the stern OF the
vessel. They declared that they had only
been employed to take the vessel down TO
her destination, and they hoped they would
not be seasick on the way The agreement
was TO send them back by the first returning
steamer as passengers.
THE Novelty was built at Kennebunkport
In 1885, is $50 feet long. 27 feet beam, and
II 1-3 feet deep with light draught. Her
tonnage Is 291A gross and her engines are
new and of 800 horse power. She was built
by Portland parties for the mackerel fishery,
but did not prove profitable and has since
been used In the porgy tishery.J