Wichita eagle., 1889-01-30
STORY OF A SHIP.
Built with the Purpose Of Becom.
ing Confederate Cruiser.
What Changed the Plans of Her Owners
The Embryo Privateer Now Engaged
in the Novel Business of Car
rying Oil in Bulk.
philadelphia Times.1


The ship Andromeda, Captain Henry
Kron, cleared from this port recently,
bound for Geestermunde, Germany. This
fact is not likely to awaken an interest in
the mind of the average re ader, for arriv-
ais and departures, known and unknown,
''tramps'' and liners" are noted every
day. But the Andromeda has history,
almost romance At one time she was
a probable factor and instrument in the
hands of the Confederacy; she might have
become of National interest; now she car
ries kerosene to our German cousins-in-
trade, and carries it in bulk The novelty
may be some compensation for the loss OF
the romance.
In the early part of 1864 some English
men, having watched with evident salts
faction the numerous profitable captures OF
the Alabama, conceived the thought that
there was room for one more such craft on
the water. They laid the keel of what was
to be larger and in every way better
vessel, and hurried her forward to compile
ton.
They did good work end made a stanch
ship, while they no doubt looked forward
with intense satisfaction to the time when,
sailing under a commission from the Con-
federate Government, she should make
war against the Yankee merchant marine
and bring gold and silver galore to the
pockets of her enterprising owners The
ship was launched, christened in the usual
way, Der machinery made ready for plac-
ing and every thing was being rushed for
ward with all possible haste, when news
came that the kearsage had followed the
Alabama into Cherbourg and that battle
was probable. Probability became fact
on Sunday, June 10, and the Alabamas
sun went down not in sea of glory, but
stem first and full of holes.
1t is said that Admiral Semmes sought
conference with the owners of the new
ship. 1t is not doubted that he was able to
present excellent credentials and to give
numerous instances of past success as in
dicative of future possibilities, but the news
from Cherbourg had dampened the En-
glishmen's ardor and SemmeS was not
welcomed with any excessive degree OF cor
diality. The owners would not replace the
Alabama with their new ship. They would
wait awhile. Confederate bonds were los
ing their golden hue and cotton's crown
was getting very shaky. With their usual
caution they considered guinea In the
pocket worth several on the waT-troubied
and Kearsage-infestedw waters. and so, IN
railroad parlance, they Size tracked the
the one-time intended ally of the Confeoer-
acy. Their decision was wisely made. The
march through Georgia made eventful the
closing months of 1864, while april, 1865.
found Grant at Appomattox, and the North
was up and the South was down. No in
depreciation of International law could
make of second Alabama any thing else
than pirate, so the owners OF the new
ship stopped her embryonic romance IN
the first chapter and changed her into a
freighter and tramp at that. The ma
chinery was sold and, as fuil-rigged ship,
with iron masts, she became the andre
media. For nineteen years she sailed
the ocean blue. Then she changed hands
and now halls from Gestermunde, on the
river Weser, fifty odd miles from Bremen.
The Andromeda is not an ordinary ship.
With net tonnage at ISL, she has
length over all of 300 fest, beam, 3s15 feet
depth of hold, 26 feet and depth at water
line 231s feet. She is of composite
build. with iron frame and wooden sides
and planking. a small upright boiler and
engine, placed Immediately forward OF the
mAinmast, provide power for the pumps
used in loading and discharging the car
go. The Andromeda carries nothing but
oil, and that. as before stated is carried IN
bulk Prior to her first TIP. IN January OF
this year. bulk transportation had been
considered impracsicable BY the oil trade
There are yet some minor difficulties TO
overcome, but the experiment, for 1t was
such, is in the main success The hold OF
the Andromeda is fitted mp with seventy
two tanks, arranged in six series OF twelve
each. each series or group having one
overflow or expansion tank with the
proper connections The storage tanks are
filed flush with the top. Any pressure On
the tank caused by expansion OF the Oil
through rise in the temperature opens .
check-valve in the pipe leading to the over
flow tank and allows q sufficient volume
of the oil 70 escape. Then IN surn, II the
storage tank loses any oil through erape-
ration-aithough that is scarcely possible
or through leakage or contraction from