New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-06
WARSHIPS ORDERED OUT.
,,,rrsu FLEET TO BE SENT TO THE
SCENE OF THE SEIZURE IN BElIRlNG SEA.
THE CAPTAIN OF THE BLACK DIAMOND TELLS
HIS sToRY-HE WASN'T GOING 10 LEI
ONE YANKEE CAPTURE HIM.


,r,nrinc0 Man. Aug. Sit was learned last
-, tom a British Columbia Official. who was
asSinc through this city, that the entire Pacific
a.. AZ the British Navy. with the eXeeptlan Of
80 torpdo boats, steamed out OF hsqulmhU
ua,hor three days ago, bound for the scene oil the
.. n".. soiguye on Behring Sea- This was the re-
sr,, of much telegraphic Communication between
s"i' ,s,,;ral in eommand of the feet and the Ca
dian and Imperial Governments. The fleet that
-, north consists of seven warships and tor
,odo hoats. Five additional warships are shortly
sr.oOtod AZ Escuimalt TO reir force the fleet. Or
a.. have been left that of these is to straight
~ orocced north while the others will remain
=, that nont The Admral's orders are not
known
Ottawa Ont, Aug 5-The Minister of Customs.
.bo is Acting Minister of Marine. has received
telecrarhc reports from Victoria. b. c., detailing
tho escauc Of the Black Diamond when under
seizure by the United States revenue cutter Rush
Tho Government, as we'll as the British Admlr'ti,
1erridge has sent to tie Imperial authorizes
n cable dispatch describing all the facts relating
70 the seizure and the Admiral has received ~
styuctions. under which he is reported TO nave
dispatched a squadron to the North Paclhc con-
sisting of five men-of-war and four torpedo poats'
The Government has not yet received any rePoIU
regarding the escape OF the Black Diamond. III Is
likely no Official cognizance Of the affair will be
taken. The seizure is regarded in official Circles
as genuine one. The escape OF the schooner Is
not regarded as likely to comphcate mat.erS'
Officials here express themselves as Ignorant Oh tc
alleged departure of British war vessels lor
Behring Sea.
The reports received from Victoria state thaU 'ne
Black Diamond carried a light armanitian armameiny;
Of small weapons, and this with the ANN - - ..I
we're seized by the Rush. Several other bilV,'" u,
sealers are armed and expect brush WIFI 'H'
United States vessels.
Captajn Thomas. of the Black Diamond, reports
that ne sighted the revenue cutter hush OIL "Ui9
IL. five miles away. He was catching se'lS "'
the time and was over seventy miles Oh siioi1
He immediately made sail intending to elude 'ne
80 nnd ovoid any no,sible trouble. The Rush
inside Of an hour ovcrhauled the Black Diamond.
Then Lieutenant Tuttle, three other officers ana
,,yo bootloads of sailors came aboard ana begah
r,al,irg an examination Of the Black Dlamonds
hold Cantoin Thomas demanded an explanation,
uhep Lieutenant Tuttle informed him that his
vessel was under seizure for the illegal catchhg
of seals, and demanded the Black DIAMOND
papers Captain Thomas Indignantly repudla~u
,bn CHARGE that he was acting lille egally, and re-
fused 10 give up his papers. Lieutenant 1utlle
argued. demanded and threatened, ana hhaily,
after three distinct and emphatic refusi4s
on Captain Thomass part, ordered MS
seamen TO break open the cabin lockers
and find what the Captain refused TO
give up The papers were Ioun"' "n"
Lieutenant Tuttlc took possession OF them, re-
fusing Captain ThomaSs repeated demands 10
,cturn them. An American sailor named John
Hawkins was rnen left ,board by tn commander
of the Rush who informed Captain Thomas that
be and his mate were under arrest, that the
schooner was TO be taken TO SitSa that the crew
we're not 10 be detained, and that the vessel was
10 be delivered over to the United States Col
ector of the port of Sit<a, who would take what
,yer further action should be thought necessary
pv the American authorities. Written lnstruc-
nons to that effect were given to Hawkins, ana
nftcr a thorough search OF the vessel Lieutenant
futile, with his officers and men, departed ana
shortly aftcrward the Rush steamed OH to""tu
some olhe, vessels in sight.
Captain Thomas said nothing to Hawkins Dut'
putting IN the port headed toward the Alaskan
shore Four DAYS later the Rush was passed by
the Black Diamond but did not hail her. The
schooner was headed in the proper direction ana
there was no necessity for speaking TO each other
But the next day the Black Diamond reached the
IIarbor of OunalaslIa, and went inside in the
hone of finding there an English man-Ot-war. The
Mace was deserted however, so Captain Thomas
turned his vessel about and headed straight Tor
Victoria where he arrived as described above
Captain Thomas said he wasn't going TO let any
one Yankee sailor take him captive into Sltla, and
Seaman Hawkins appears to have had very
little 10 say about the matter after the
Rush departed Hawkins, as soon as he
saw that Captain Thomas didn't intend to sail the
schooner into Sit<a, seems to have made some
sCru of protest but that all |
When he came ashore he proceeded 10
the American consulate where he made state
ment of what had happened since the Rush had
parted company with him. His history OF the |
affair has been telegraphed to the authorities at
Washington
The utmost satisfaction is expressed on the
Pacific Coast at the escape of the Black Diamond,
particularly among the seaers and the owners OF
sealing vessels, and Captain Thomas is being made
hon OF for his conduct in the matter
The papers here silent about the Black Dla-
mond escape but on all sides the good luck OF the
crew in getting back to Victoria gives satisfaction