The Portland daily press., 1891-09-01
MATTER FOR A YELLOW. COVERED NOVEL
An American Captains Experience
With Bahama Pirates.
His Stranded ship Invaded by a
Thousand of Them
After Striking Rock Of Which the
Mariners Were Ignorant.


Newport News. report the arrival there
Of the Morgan line steamer ElDorado. which
recently struck on an unknown rock off the
Bahamas. The Ell Dorado plies between
New York and New Orleans. She left New
York on Saturday. August /, with full car
60. The weather was pleasant, and the
voyage down the coast without incident. On
the evening of August Matanilla Bank was
passed. and heading southerly Capt. Byrne
eventually picked up Great Isaac's Light
As the ship was driving along six miles
southwest one-half west from the south pin
nacle of the rocks, called Hen and Chickens
at 11.2O o'clock at night the crew suddenly
felt heavy jar as of collision. The shiI
careened, and the captain, who was ON the
bridge, ordered the wheel hard a-port and
called for soundings. These showed that
the steamer had struck an isolated rock and
1t was found also that she was leaking.
Thereat the Captain headed the vessel to
southeast, and at o'clock on the morning OF
August beached her on soft sand bottom
In 80 feet of water, about 109 miles south Of
Great Isaac's lighthouse This light stands
on rock 20 feet high, and the lamp is 15C
feet above the sea. AT daylight Chief Offic-
er Boyd was sent off In ships cutter to this
lighthouse in search of aid. On the way
there he ran across little Bahama schoon-
er, such as the natives use In the sponge and
turtle fisheries, and returned with 1t to the
ship where bargain was soon made, by
which the schooner was to carry the officer
to Key West, where he could notify the own
ers and secure the assistance needed to save
the ship.
Mr.. Boyd at Key West made arrangements
for the assistance of a wrecking steamer.
The United States cutter McLane also went
to the scene and her commander, knowing
the character of the Bahama natives, put an
armed guard on board the stranded steamer,
number OF Bahama schOOners had also
gathered about and subsequent events
showed their crews to be little better than
pirates. The Ell Dorado having keeled over
In squall and being In bad position, all
the ships company, except the commander
the chief officer and two Seamen were sent to
Key West on the cutter.
On Sunday morning, August 16, the de-
parture OF the McLane gave the pirates their
opportunity. From the day when Chief
Officer Boyd had brought one as messenger
60 the ship up to that time the schooners of
the natives had been gathering in an ever
increasing feet. As the news of the wreck
spread from island to island the natives with
one accord got into their vessels and sailed
for the Great Isaac's Lighthouse region. Be-
ginning with one or two day at first, the
arrivals increased at last so rapidly that on
Sunday more than sixty schooners were an
chored around the FL Dorado, and at day
COuDJ6Q
seyenty-three within two miles of him.
The sight there among the schooners raised
the captains apprehensions very quickly.
Hitherto the natives bad been peaceable.
They had come about the ship from day to
day. had asked for jobs, and that was all.
But now there was an Omin0uS stir through
out the fleet on every side before the sun
was fairly above the horizon. He could see
the natives dropping their canoes over the
rails OF the little schooners, two and three
small boats from each schooner.
From four to six men got into each boat,
and then, almost as If by preconcerted sig
nal, the widespread host closed in on the
stranded steamer. At 7 o'clock the water on
all sides Of the ship was literally covered
out OF sight by the compact mass of small
boats. .Gunwale to gunwale, and bow to
stern. they were packed like saw logs in
Jam, all around the vessel. As was said, the
I'll DORADO heeled over to starboard until her
rail- was within reach of man in a small
boat alongside: As the first canoes got
along, the natives came climbing over the
rail. All were armed with knives. and some
had their weapons drawn.
Captain Byrne met them at the rail and Or
dered them away. They simply howled at
him. Instead Of any leaving, the rest fol-
boats and climbing the rail as the frs had
done. until there were between 1400 and 1900
half-wild negroes packed on the decks of the
El Dorado.
said over and over again. 'She's wreck
and in British water; get out of this your
self"
Haul down that fiag," said one. directly,
pointing TO the American ensign over the
taffrail. and 3 rush was made for the hal
lizards, but Captain Byrne got there ahead of
them, and the flag did not come down.
II wish you would not ask what did,"
said the captain today; ''just say that the
flag was not lowered"
He saved the flag, but there was no driving
by storm and were going to hold heI, they
said, so Captain Byrne got into boat, leav-
ing a man to hold the ship. fig
uratively speaking-that is, so that it
could not be said she twas abandoned
altogether-and rowed away to a small set.
tlement on Bimini Island. Here an English
man named Capt. Lightbourne lived and
acted as a customs official. At Capt. Byrne's
request he went to the Ell Dorado and read
the riot act to the pirates The presence of
a 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
complete abandonment of the ship as good
wreck.
The wrecking steamer then went to work
and the El Dorado was floated without
further difficulty. In letter to the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury, Capt Chaylor of the
revenue cutter McLane, says that the newly
discovered rock is about 200 feet long and
perhaps 80 feet wide, There is only about
l05 feet Of water on the pinnacle. By sound
ings made he found that twenty. five feet
away 1t is surrounded on all sides by deep
water. 1t will henceforth appear on the
charts.