The record-union., 1891-08-14

ofthis coal. / told him he was dead right.
l felt that prompt action was required
lmperatlyely. Our men-of-war were on
the alert. They had been looking for the
Shenandoah for some time, and she had
proved veritable will-o' they wisp, Her
commander was shrewd and calculating.
Like Matfitt, he had been an officer in the
United States Navy, and he knew how to
elude pursuit. He was bent on doing
even more damage than the Alabama
had done, and he could do it in less than
halt the time. Here was an opportunity
to either overhaul or thwart him and pre-
vent the destructive blow at our COM
merce in the Pacific. There were ru-
mors that he had already reached Mel
bourne and recruited a full crew. If so,
he had entered the Pacific Ocean at the
Australian gate and was already far away
on his errand of destruction. A few
thought that he was after the steamships
plying between San Francisco and Pana-
ma. The fact that the coal was shipped
to the Marquesas might indicate this.
But L took no stock in it, nor did Hooper.
Tho shipping to Marquesas might have
been ruse. 1t was intended for steam
ship. somewhere, and not an American
steamship. The Panama steamers were
too swift for the Shenandoah, and the
risk too great. Besides, they carried
rifled cannon, and could put into Mexi-
can or Guatamalan ports at any time.
The whalers were utterly defenseless,
and there was no risk. Infinitely more
damage could be done with greater ease
and in much shorter time.
1T must have been o'clock in the
afternoon when sHooper came into my
office. We talked over the matter fifteen
or twenty minutes. / was so impressed
with the gravity of the situation that [
wired the information to the department
at Washington, giving full details. told
them what | apprehended and reminded
| them that Commodore Poor was in the
! harbOr with the man -otwar Saranac.
/ added that / would ascertain whether he
was prepared 10 sail at once upon the re-
ceipt Of orders, and cut off the Shenan-
doah. II was a long dispatch, and quite
an expensive one, but / thought the cir
| cumstances demanded it. I think that
! the rates by overland telegraph at that
! time were 81 so for ten words. 1t did not
! occur to me that 1 was unWarrantably
! eXtraVagant.
After sending the dispatch put for
the barge Office. The Saranac was an
chored fully mile and half away, near
/ Goat Island. The sun had set and it was
growing dark. 1t was quite cold. There
was strong wind and the bay was boist-
erous. We pulled for the Saranac. She
| had her lights out when 1 clambered up
! her side. No one challenged me. y
man whom ! took to be the officer Of the
! deck came forward. | asked for the
commander OF the vessel. He replied
! that Commodore Poor was the cOmiuan-
der. | said that ] desired to see him.
The officer replied that he was at dinner
! in his cabin and could not be seen.
told him that | was the Collector of the
Port and that my business was urgent.
~ must see him. / said. SHOW me
| the way to his cabin and ! will take the
responsibility of disturbing him.
"'Well, you'll have to take the respon-
sibility,' he answered, for its against the
CommOGoYe's orders
eff you will not conduct me to tho
cabin [ said, point out the way
with a look, as if he thought I was
about to enter lions den, he pointed tC
the gangway. | descended at once.
knocked at the door and heard the words
Come in uttered in hoarse tone. Upon
entering the cabin l found a darkroom
| pleXioned man was seated alone at the
table. He was rather stout and Of medi-
um hight. / never saw him before and
! have never seen him since. His eye
brows were shaggy and his manner was
forbidding. There was bottle of wine
at his elbow, and he was evidently enjoy
ing his meal. His stare made me feel al
most like a villainous intruder. He
waited for me to speak. did not keep
him waiting.
81 believe I have the honor of address
! ing Commodore Poor ! said.
He bowed his head. | told him who I
was and why | was there. His manner
! changed and he became intensely inter
ested. l took a seat near him and en-
tered into details. He quickly knew all
| that / knew of the situation and all that l
| had done. His eyes sparkled as l asked
| him when he would be ready to sail if he
received orders. He expressed no opin-
ion, but said that his vessel was coaled, in
perfect trim and ready TO hoist anchor al
once. He felt abundantly able 10 take
care of the Shenandoah, and evidently
lOnged for the opportunity to do so. AL
! he wanted was the orders TO sail. 1t was
all over in ten minutes. There was nc
! superhuouS talk and no ceremony. There
was no moon, the bay was rough, and
wanted to get back TO the city. l bade
him good night and went on deck. The
officer was at his post. He seemed sur
/ priSed at my unceremOniOus visit. AS
| descended to the boat | heard him say;
| That's a damned strange fellow. won
der what he's up to-
I'VE started for the city. The wind
was more furious and there were show
ers of spray. l was wet to the skin when
/ | landed at the barge Office. | went di-
rect to the telegraph office and informed
the Treasury Department that Commo-
dore Poor was ready to sail at a moments
notice.
81 spent the evening at the Pacific
| Club. There was the usual talk over the
war. Sherman had finished his march
to the sea, and was making his way
! through the Carolinas. Expectation was
| bUoyant. My thoughts, however, were
on the Pacific, and my anxiety intense.
! No one knew my apprehensiOns. | left
the club at midnight. ] was 50 eager for
/ information from Washington that
could not sleep. l went to my office early
in the morning. Mr.. Hooper was among
the first callers. II He was astonished when
| told him that no reply to my dispatch
| had been received. l again wired the de-
! partment, asking what ] was to do or
| what was TO be done. There was another
! period of anxiety. AT length, late III the
/ afternoon, the reply came. i tore open
! the envelope in bre2thless haste. Yes,
/ it was from Washington, and character
! istic Washington dispatch. II ended my
| anxiety, and nearly ended me. 1t in
/ formed me that the Government knew of
! the whereabouts Of every pound of coal
( on the Pacific Ocean, and told me that /
must not spend SO much money in telo-
! graphing.
at dumfounded me and horrificd
! Hooper. This dispatch killed all efforts
| TO save the whaling fleet. Ialways fancied
/ that it emaDated from the War Depart
! ment. II could not have been dictated
! ny tIiS hStCittftl VI llIc treasury. JOOK
malignant satisfaction afterward in tele-
graphing the information / received as to
/ the depTedations of the Shenandoah
| Within four months she burned twenty
six whaling ships, valued, cargoes and
! all, at over s., 100000. Their sailors were
sent TO San Francisco in an utterly desti-
/ tute condition, half starved and half
! clothed. II the Government had paid
heed to my warning the destruction of
/ this property might have been prevented,
and Commodore Poor and the Saranac
| have won as much fame as Commodore
/ Winslow and the Kearsarge"
The old mans eNos blazed as he ended