The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-17
Adams, Bear and a Patrol
Defend the ROOkeries.
WORK OF THE FLEET ENDED.
Alarming Diminution OF Seal Life in
tho North Pacific Due to Peiagic
Hunting Of Gravid Females.


long as each ones coal supply lasted, and
when it was gone to come back TO Dutch
harbor, re-coal and start out again in
search OF sealers in the forbidden waters.
In consequence of these orders the month
OF September has been the busiest one Of
the entire season for the cruisers, as it was
spent almost entirely at sea. All of the
vessels have now returned to port and re-
port that not sail has been seen from the
boundary line to the coast of Alaska in
any part of Bering sea. with the exception
OF whalers and cod fishermen. These were
OF course boarded and in no case has any
sealer been seen by them. The weather,
which has been beautiful nearly all sum-
mer, suddenly changed the first week in
September and a succession of violent
gales has rendered cruising work Of ex-
ceeding hardship. and if a hundred sealers
were in the sea there has not been a single
day when sealing from small boats could
have been prosecuted. Under these cir
cumstances Commander Evans on the 10Th
inst. issued orders to the commanders of
the Ranger and Rush to sail for San Fran
cisco on the LIST of October and the York
town will leave at the same time. This
leaves the Adams and Bear still in Boring
rookeries on st. Paul and St. George
islands until the seals have all gone south,
which will probably not be before Deem
Der 1. The Mohican and Corwin went to
Sitka to attend the prosecution of the
seized vessels by the United States district
court. with instructions that if no addi-
tional orders reached them. they were to
proceed home rs soon as their duty is COM
pieted at Sitka
Several rumors have reached the author-
ties here that certain parties intended to
folloWthe example of Capts. Riderbjelki
and Hansen, who raided the seal islands
last November. by making a raid this year.
But without stopping to consider the
moral lesson afforded by the fact that
both Of these gentlemen are now, or have
been until recently, undergoing punish
ment for their crime IN the Jail at Sitka, it
may be of interest toknow that the au-
thorities this year have taken extraordi-
nary precautions to prevent a repetition OF
last years work by marauders. The
Bears complement of men has been in
creased by the addition of every man that
could be spared from the Rush, leaving
only a sufficient number on board that
vessel to work her to San Francisco, and
the Adams has almost five times as many
men on board rs were left to guard the
islands last year. Besides this large
quantity of magazine guns and ammuni-
ton has been put on shore at the islands
and this year the rookeries will be guarded
from shore day and night by an armed
patrol under a commissioned officer of the
government. This has never been done
before but last years experience taught
the government that the entire coast of
the islands could not be properly guarded
by vessel. as it Is possible for
small sailing vessel to run in
without lights under cover of the dark
| ness, make q landing and kill seals with
out being detected by the cruiser, which
| must naturally keep farther off shore than
| the small vessels. By patroling the
| rookeries with guard on shore, however
| 1t will be simply impossible for landing
| to be made unseen. Still another pre-
| caution has been taken by arranging a
| system of signals with rockets. by which
the patrol at any part of the islands eau
signal the central station when any vessel
| is seen, and to call for help in case of
necessity. OF course, ali these precautions
| could, and should have been made years
| ago to prevent the poachers from landing
| on the islands. but for some unaccount-
| able reason the government has neglected
| to do so until now. 1t is perfectly safe to
| predict, however, that if anybody attempts
to land on the seal islands this year they
will get hurt.
The Melpomene, the last Of the English
fleet cent UP to guard the sea. left I'm
alaska on August Goth for EsQuimalt.
| Her last cruise was made TO the westward
as far as the Russian copper islands.
where Mr.. McCann, the British commits
sioner. sent up TO take notes on seal life,
was landed and spent few days iavesti-
| eating the subject here. The annual
| catch, made under government super
| vision in the two islands was 80 900 skins.
| and they are now on their way 10 San
| Francisco on the bark Majestic Among
| The important items OF news brought over
| by the Melpomene. was the report Of the
eizure by the Russians of three British
and two American seaers, found
| taking seals too near the Copper islands.
| The names Of the vessels were Carlotta
| Cox and Vancouver Belle, OF V!ctorIa.
| Maria Of Maitland, \. :. c. q. White and
Io,ie Olsen, OF san Francisco. The OH
| GERS OF the seized vessels were sent under
| guard. ii is believed, 10 Nlallvostock for
| trial, and The crews were all placed on
| board tAe American ship Majestic and
| gwen transportation to san Francesca.
The Rosie Olsen was condemned and sold
a. the islands. and was purchased by Thu,
Russian coulpany's agent To he used as =
trader. The other vessels will probably
! h. conveyed u N.JG.yostock When the
Ne,pomenc eft Copper ISLAND ali Of the
/ RUSSIAN cruisers We're absent hunting seal
/ eTS. and. a. The natives reported seeing
! many ~ the vicinity OF the islands. j. -
| noJ ~ 81 unlikely that several other cau-
| ta-ss Vi.l rc made. II - now believed
+ i~at tie Oscar and Hattie which was
se.zei ~ the Mahlean while living a.
+ an har il an Qntrcquen:ei har5o. OF Attn
! island. tAe most westerly one OF the
/ Airut.an cGouD, never INTENDED To come
| iuto ,Ae American side Of Ber,nr sea. bu,
! hal been chase, by a Russian cruiser aai
! rau lnto the hArror to esCaue from bi.
/ Vursue-. ana It Was simply q piece Of hal
j lut> taa, brought the Mexican along Isl
Iu t,He ~ seize her for being WITHIN the
( ~a.e-s az Eeg.uE sea with sealing ee,,f.,-
+ geu- Oh board. However, ~ the seA.....s-
. WI as t-.ei before the British Ca.u.nst,
ceurts ami ;Ac-c : no very strc.,-. .v,-
I uruce 80 convict her o. even the .aten,.
. a. violate the moGus y.v,11:, Il = .,.,,
. probable thAt her punishment g.I. ba v.-,,
/ severe,
NYN that the sealing season u r,,,,;
G. over Tor this year the readers 80 -.
! lo~g-IHrEllleENeE Rs Ray re interested in
learning something OF tac ,.r{st.l,
tie rooAerjos after tae period TO-. re,.~.-,..i
A.aluE ~ he-IuE sea. From So