Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-10-22
uuckissr SHIP AeLoAr.
No Danger Ever Troubles Thi. Nautica
Mascot

!
No Danger Ever Troubles This Nautica
Mascot
There is vessel now lying AT Sar
Francisco that attracts great deal O
attention by her queer rig and old fash
ioned appearance She is the British
four nlasted bark Ompu. belonging "a
/ Melbourne The old craft has quite a
history and was formerly n steamer.
She was built IN 1853 IN England. and
is 7S9 tons During tlls. civil war she
was used as blockade runner and
made number Of trips to Charleston,
escaping capture more than once from
the Federal war vessels
The last trip she iuade was a re
markable one. She passed the gun
boats that were blOckading the harbor
and then orders were given by the iag
ship TO keep a sharp lookout for her
when she attempted tu leave. and to
catch her at all hazards The days
went by until six weeks had passed,
and the officers were beginning to
think that the steamer had given them
the slip and made away without their
knowing il. when one night rockets
were seen from the cruisers rs If some
one was signaling on shore.
A bright lookout was kept for the |
slippery blockade runner. and iust be |
fore daylight she was Stpn well in shore, /
passing out She was loaded to the |
guards with cotton. ard had several
hundred bales piled on deck Half a
dozen steamers started after her at
once. and it seemed Us If she would be
caught at last But she managed TO
reach open water without coming in
range OF the guns OF the warships, and
In a few hours had distanced all but
one Of her pursuers
This was one of the new gunboats a
screw steamer of great speed; and as
the two few through the water the
American captain had the satisfaction
If noting that slowly but surely he was
,verhauling the heavily laden block
der. The captain of the British .
teamer also perceived that the gun .
,oat was gaining on him and he knew !
bat il was only question of time, :
Mess something turned up to prevent =
, when the American would be on his :,
-ay to New York with the cotton !.
Gamer in tow
He looked at his deckload which was :.
orth thousands of dollars in Liver ;.
Dol could he land it there. and then .
'oked at the American, which was :
owly crawling up on him, until every :,
Iinute he expected to SEE the puff OF :
noke from her bow gun He decided :;
lat the deckload must GO But there !,
as great danger Of crippling the :,
Gamer should he drop the big bales :,
yer the side. as one of them might be -
lught in the propeller. and then ship -
nd cargo would go to New York with :,
II a doubt
In order TO prevent this, a long stage -
as rugged over the stern and the bales ),
lied out on it before they were dropped -
to the sea The plan worked first N
aSs-in fact, better than the bold En- :
iShmen had dared to hope. Bale :.
ter bale was dropped overheard, and :,
ON a long line of them iioated on the :.
ater right in the road Of the Ameri-
IN steamer, and no attention was paid
them by the officers of the gunboat
ltil a crash was heard and in few
conds her engines stopped. The cap b,
in went down in the engine room to n
arm what was the matter. and a short fs
veStigation showed that the gunboat II
rs helplessly crippled b
One of the bales had been caught by h.
lie propeller and its contents wound n
'Ound the shaft in second. and TO n,
ieir chagrin the rich prize slipped 9,
trough their fingers when they were n,
Early alongside After the war the NJ
meo went to Australia, and for a =,
lmber of years ran froIn Melbournr 9,
New Zealand. and was then turned n
TO sailing vessel. She is regarded il
the luckieSt ship aioat, as we'll as
lie of the fastest as, in spite of her pl
leeT rig, very few can outSail her. - a,
stroit Free Press q,