The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-10-21
NOT a SCRATCH GOT SHE.
The Good Ship PhiIadeIphia's Experience
in Venezuela.


NEW YORK, Oct. fS-The steamship
Philadelphia of the Red d line arrived
from South American ports Sunday
evening at Brooklyn This is the vessel
that had quite an experience with Vene-
zuelan gunboats. The ships of this line
carry the United States mails. A re
porter boarded the Philadelphia shortly
after she arrived at her dock, but her
commander. Captain John II. Cham
bers, and TIE two mates were off. The
reporter, however, saw Quartermaster
Benjamin ngemanson and Engineer Ed
ward ROebling and between them got
the story of their trip.
eve left New York, . they said. ION
Sept. %, and struck Cugacoa on the
2Sth, about II O'clock. We had a cargo
on board for the different ports. We
had some passengers also. While lying
at Curacao Captain Chambers learned
that Port Isabella, our next stop was
blockaded. He telegraphed to the Kear-
sarge, lying at Laguara. to see US safe
into Port Isabella. We left Curacao
about II o'clock that night. The fol-
lowing morning we sighted the Kear-
sarge, She steamed up between the
Pamatara and us. The Kearsarge then
came alongside of us, and her COM
mander told our captain to regulate his
speed by the Kearsarge and he would
see us in.
1--WE steamed about fifteen miles with
the Kearsarge alongside of Us. The Vene-
zuelan gunboat did not bother us. The
Kearsarge frightened her.
I'VE dropped anchor off Port Isabella,
and the Kearsarge did only the same
We were only about $50 yards apart.
Then we followed from the custom
house at Port Isabella and went into
dock to discharge cargo and put off.
The same night we left for LaTuayra.
We got there all right and after four
days started back again to Port Isabella.
We had another cargo. The day before
we left Laguayra the Venezuelan
gunbodfs Pamatara. Cantonese and
Others received orders that if we at
tempted TO enter Port Isabella 10 sink
Us. That did not scare lis much. We
had an Armstrong rapid-tiring twelve
Founder on board that would sink the
gunb0ats. Then. most of our crew of
ffty-fOur are men of the naval reserve,
who can handle vessel well. Why, if
they had shown real fight, we would
have rammed them. When we heard
they proposed coming for us we imIne-
diately started all our boilers and got up
all the steam we could and ran ont for
Port Isabella.
ten miles from us When they caught
sight of us they came out of shore. We
steamed more in shore ana being the
swifter we ran clean away from them
and out Of range of their guns When
we got near Port Isabella the Kearsarge
came out and met us and took Us into
the harbOr as before We lay in all that
day till late i'll the evening when we
started for Curacao again, the kear-
sarge seeing us out.
AT Curacao we remained couple OF
days and then went back 70 LaguayTa
again, missing Port Isabella. We were
at Laguayra about three hours this time
for the mails, and from there We came
straight on to New York, bringing cnf-
fee. hides and some passengers. When
We We're at Lasuayra those three hours
a detail of about dozen of our marines
came on board. They came III a steam
lannch from our 1nan-of-war. the CHI
cago. There were other marines around
our boats To be put on board if needed.
When we got cut of LGguayTa the ma
rines left our ship and went back 10 the
Chicago. We LIT there Il week ago to-
day"