The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-08-22
eLockApe RuNNlNo.
How the steamer Lee Threw . Union
Cruiser or Her Track.

Cruiser or Her Track.
During the civil war Nassau was the
chief depot OF supplies for the Confeder-
acy. Bloclxade-runners piled between
it and the ports OF Charleston and Will
mington, carrying out cotton, and bring
Ing back cargoes of general merchan-
disc Captain Wilkinson, in his 'sNarra-
tive of Blockade-Runner," relates
many adventures which befell him on
such trips. He was in command of the
steamer Lee, and on the 18th of August,
1868, sailed from Wilmington to Nassau.
We passed safely through the block
aiding fleet of the New Inlet Bar, re-
ceiving no damage from the few shots
fired at US, and gaiped an offing of thir-
ty miles before daylight BY this time
our supply of English coal was exhaust
ed, and we were obliged to commence
4 upon North Carolina coal of very infer
1 Tor quality, which made terrible smoke.
This was little after daylight. Very
soon afterward the vigilant lookout at
the masthead called out: sail ho!''
and in reply TO the Where away?" from
the deck, sang out. fright astern, sir,
and in chase"
The morning was very clear. On GO
ing to the masthead Icould just discern
/ the royal of the chaser; and before
came down. say in half an hour, her top
gallant showed above the horizon
4 1t was evident that our pursuer would
/ be alongside of as by midday at the
Z rate we were going. Tho first orders were
/ to throw overheard the deck-load of cot
/ ton and to make more steam The sec
/ ond of these orders proved to be more
easily given than executed; the chief
I engineer reported that it was impossi-
/ Bile to make steam with such wretched
4 fuel, filed with slate and dirt
/ A moderate breeze from the north and
east was blowing, and every stitch OF
] canvass on board the square-rigged
steamer in our wake was drawing. The
advantage could only be neutralized
either by bringing the Lee gradually
head to the wind or edging away to
bring the wind aft.
The former course would be running
4 toward land. beside incurring the addi-
4 tional risk of being intercepted and
captured by some of the inshore cruisers
/ began to edge away, therefore, and in
two or three hours enjoyed the satisfac-
I tion of seeing our pursner clew up and
Z furl his sails. The breeze was still fresh,
/ but we were now running away from It
and the cruiser was going literally as
+ fast as the wind, so Z 1t the sails were
rather hindrance than a help But
4 the cruiser was still gaining upon US.
A happy inspiration occurred to me
when the case seemed hopeless. and
sent for the chief engineer.
Mr.. s, let US try cotton saturated
with spirits of turpentine."
There were on board. as part of the
deek-load, thirty or forty barrels of spir-
its. In few moments a bale of cotton
was ripped open, barrel tapped. and
buckets full of the saturated material
were passed down into the fire-room.
/ The result exceeded our expectations.
/ The chief engineer, an excitable little
Frenchman, soon made his appearance
on the bridge, his eyes sparkling with
triumph, and reported a full head Of
steam. was curious to see the effect
upon our speed, and directed him to
wait moment till the log was hove.
i I threw it myself-nine and half
knots.
'.Let her go. now" / said Five min
tutes afterward I hove the log again
thirteen and a quarter.
We now began to hold our own, and
even to gain little upon the chaser:
but she was fearfnlly near, and began
TO havs visions OF another residence at
! Fort Warren. 1 wonder if the officers of
the cruiser could have screwed another
turn of speed out of her If they had
known that the Lee had on board, in ad-
dition TO her cargo of cotton, a large
amount of gold shipped by the Confed-
crate Government
There was slight change in our rela-
tive positions till about six o'clock in
the afternoon, when the chief engineer
reported that the burnt cotton had
choked the f1ues, and that the steam was
running down.
'sOnly keep her going till dark I re-
piled, land we will give our pursuer the
slip yet"
A heavy bank was lying along the
horizon to the south and east, and saw
q possible means of escape. At sunset
the chaser was about four miles astern
and gaining on us.
| l stationed an officer on each wheel
house, with glasses, directing them to
let me know the instant they lost sight
of the chaser in the growing darkness.
At the same time I ordered the engi-
neer to make as black a smoke as possi-
bic, and to be in readiness to cut it off
by closing the dampers instantly, when
ordered.
The twilight was soon succeeded by
4 darkness. Both officers called out az
/ the same moment, I'VE have lost sight
of her, while dense volume of smoke
was streaming far in our wake.
''Close the hampers" called out, and
at the same moment ordered the helm
'shard starboard.''
Our course was altered eight points,
the cruiser was thrown off the track,
and two days later we arrived safely at
Bermuda.
The Rapiditv of Tboupbt.