The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-12-16
LucMEsT SHE AELoA1.
No Danger Ever Troubles This NautIe
lInscof-

Mascot
There is n vessel now lying at San
Francisco that attracts great deal Of
attention by her queer rig and old fash
ioned appearance She is the British
four nlasted bark Omeo. belonging to
Melbourne. The old craft has quite a
history and was formerly steamer.
She was built in 1858, in England. and
Is 7S9 tons. During the civil war she
was used as a blockade runner and
made a number OF trips to Charleston,
escaping capture more than once from
the Federal war vessels.
The last tap she made was a re-
markable one. She passed the gun
boats that We're blockading the harbor.
and then orders were given by the flag
ship to keep a sharp lookout for her
when she attempted 10 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 It. when one night rockets
were seen from the cruisers as if sone
one was signaling on shore
A bright lookout was kept for the
slippery blockade runner. aud Just be
fore daylight she was seen well in shore.
passing out She was loaded to the
guards with cotton. and had several
hundred bales piled on deck. Half a
dozen steamers started after her at
once, and it seemed as 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 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 fiew through the water the
American captain had the satisfaction
of noting that slowly but surely he was
overhauling the heavily laden block
ader. The captain of the British
steamer also perceived that the gun
boat was gaining ON him. and he knew
that it was only question of time,
unless something turned up to prevent
it. when the American would be on his
way TO New York with the cotton
steamer in tow.
He looked at his deckIoad, which was
worth thousands OF dollars in Liver
pool could lie land It there, and then
looked at the American. which was
slowly crawling up on him. until every
minute he expected to see the puff of
Inoke from her bow gun He decided
that the ,deckload must go. But there
was great danger of Gripping tue
steamer should he drop the big bales
over the side. as one of them might be
caught in the propeller, and then ship
and cargo would go to New York with
out doubt.
In order to prevent this. long stage
was rugged over the stern and the bales
rolled out on It before they were dropped
into the sea The plan worked first
class-in fact. better than the bold En-
glishmen had dared to hope. Bale
after bale was dropped overheard, and
soon long line of them Hoated on the
water right in the road of the Ameri-
can steamer. and no attention was paid
to them by the officers of the gunboat
until n crash was heard and in few
seconds her engines stopped. The cap
tain went down in the engine room to
learn what was the matter. and a short
investigation showed that the gunboat
was helplessly crippled
One of the bales had been caught by
the propeller and its contents wound
around the shaft in second, and to
their chagrin the rich prize slipped
through their fingers when they were
nearly alongside. After the war the
Omeo went to Australia. and for
number OF years ran from Melbourne
to New Zealand. and was then turned
into a sailing vessel. She is regarded
as the luckiest ship afioat, as well as
one of the fastest, as, in spite of her
queer rig, very few can outsail her.
Detroit Free Press