Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-30
ATTACK OF PIRATES
On An American Steamer Down
Among the Bahama Islands. \
GROUNDED ON AN UNKNOWN ROCK,
The Vessel Is 0verrun by An Immense
Swarm Of the Natives.
SAVED By A BRITISH OFFICIALS ACT

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH, I
NEWPORT NEWS, Aug. 29.-The steam.
ship Ell Dorado, of the Morgan line, has arr
rived here after an experience such as few
American steamships ever had. Not only
did she have the misfortune to strike rock
not down on the charts, but when, in conse-
quence that she had been grounded, she was
attacked by pirates, and at one time more
than 1000 of them were swarming over her
rail and upon her deck That she is now
here with most of her cargo saved is due tn
the tact and pluck of her commander, Can
tain Byrne.
The Ell Dorado belongs to the Morgan
line, and for years has been running be-
tween New York and New Orleans as a
cargo boat She left New York Saturday.
was pleasant and the voyage down the coast
without incident. On the eve of August 4
Matanilla Bank was passed, and as she was
driving along the south pinnacle of the
rocks called Hen and Chickens, at 1:35
o'clock at night, the crew suddenly felt
heavy jar as of collision. The ship ca
reened and the Captain, who was on the
bridge, ordered the wheel hard a-port and
called for soundings.
STRUCK A ROCK
The first cast of the lead gave nine faith
oms 1t was found the vessel had struck
rock hitherto unreported. Lively streams
were rapidly filling the forward half of the
ship. Thereat the captain headed the YES.
sci to the southeast, and at 1 o'clock on the
morning of August beached her on a soft
sand bottom in 30 feet of water about ten
and one-half miles south of Great Isaac
Lighthouse. At daylight Chief Officer
Boyd was sent off in ships cutter to this
lighthouse in search of aid.
On the way there he ran across little
Bahama schooner, such as the natives use
in the sponge and turtle fisheries, and re-
turned with it to the ship, where bargain
was soon made by which the schooner was
to carry an officer to Key West, where he
could notify the owners and secure the as
sistance needed to save the ship. Mr.
Boyd arrived at Key West and found the
revenue cutter McLane, Captain E. Chay-l
lor, to whom the situation was explained.
Captain Chayfor knew of the disposition of
the natives of the Bahama group, and
agreed to return with Boyd to protect the
Eldorado
DESCENT OF THE PIRATES.
Captain Byrne decided to send all his
crew, save the chief officer and two seamen,
ts Newport by the revenue cutter, and ac-
cordingly this was done. This gave the
pirates their opportunity. As the news of
a wreck spread from island to island the
natives with one accord got into their ves-
sells and sailed for the Great Isaac's light
house, until on Monday at daylight73 could
be counted within two miles.
Two and three small boats came from each
schooner, with four to six men in each boat,
and then, almost as by preconcerted sig
nal, the widespread host closed in on the
stranded steamer The water on all sides of
the ship was literally covered by the COM
pact mass of small boats. AS the Eldorado
was heeled over to starboard until her rail
was in reach of 8 small boat alongside, it
was an easy matter for the natives to climb
over the rail All were armed with knives,
and some had their weapons drawn.
HowLED AT THE CAPTAIN.
Captain Byrne met them at the rail and
ordered them away. They simply howled
at him. Instead of any leaving the rest f01-
lowed, running over the intervening boats
and climbing the rail as the first had done,
till there were between ], 400 and !, 800 half
wild negroes packed on the decks of the
Eldorado.
''You are no longer her captain" they
said over and over again. "Shes wreck,
and in British waters. Get out of this
''Hatl down that fag," said one, pointing
to the American ensign. But Captain Byrne
did not haul it down. 81 wish you would
not ask what did, said the captain to-day;
'.just say that the flag was not lowered"
There was no driving the pirates away, so
Captain Byrne got into boat, leaving a
man to hold the ship, fguratively speaking
that is, so that it could not be said that
she was abandoned altogether-and rowed
to small settlement on Bimini Island.
Here an Englishman named Captain Light
bourne lived and acted as customs official.
At Captain Byrne's request, he went to the
El Dorado and read the riot act to the
pirates. The presence of customs official
of their own nation was sufficient. The
pirates did not dare to do anything after
his arrival, although before he had come
nothing would satisfy them but the COM
plete abandonment of the ship as good
wreck.