The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-07-03

Nanlmo from Alaska yesterday confirm
ing q previous report that twenty.five
scaling schooners, flying the British flag.
together with the British schooner
Coquillon, chartered to act as a tender
to sealing fleet. had all been gathered
in by Captain Hooper, of United States
Revenue steamer Corwin. for viola
ton of the United States revenue laws.
Colonist special says:
'TheBritish steamer Coouillon, ofVau-
couver, b. c., McClellin master, arrived
in Sitka Juno Goth in charge of Lieut.
Quinn and Assistant Engineer Brother
ton, and was turned over to the United
States collector of customs for viola
ton Of the revenue laws. CoouiIlon
was seized by CAPTAIN Hooper at Port
Etches, Prince William Sound, on June
22, for having blank manifests on board
showing neither cargo nor passengers.
and for entering and towing vessels out
OF tho ports Of Alaska ana bringing
stores, and to receiving seal skins from
the British sealing fleet within the ju-
risdiction of the United States without
ntry or permit.
Her operation were observed by
Lieutenant j. b. Quinn, of Corwin, who.
disguised in citizen's clothing, had been
out to Port Etches for the purpose of
watching the movements of schooners
and steamers. Tho Coquillon is single
screw propeller Of l,6O0 tons burden
carrying twelve men and five passengers
and had on board nearly 5000 seal
skins, valued ut $4,000 besides all
stores for the fleot. She is cleared by
the Union Steamship COMPANY. OF
Vancouver, and was chartered by the
British Columbia Sealer's Association, of
Victoria. The twenty-five British
schooners were boarded in Port Etches
and after being given reasonable time
FOR weather and repairs, they were
ordered out of the harbor.
Tho seizure of the Coquillon leaves
all British sealing heets in North
ern waters without supplies. The
Coquillon is discharging all the seal
skins which she received from the Eng
lish sealers and also discharging all
the stocks which she WAS going to put
ON board the sealers whom she was
taken in charge. The twenty-five
schooners and British steamer were in
the port of Etches when Corwin came
into the harbor and gatheEd them in.
About all the sealers in Alaskan waters
had been boarded by Corwin or other
United States warships, forming the
patrol. The Mohican, Ranger, Pinta,
Hasler and Corwin are all in Sitka. The
news was great surprise here. 1t is
thought that Capt. Hooper's action was
to cut off the schooners from their
source OF supplies, thus starving them
homo. This will not work with MANY
OF them as they are QUILTED for a
whole season, but a few may be COM
PEELED to return.
Tho seizure itself does not appear to
be as serious as at first might be sup
posed. Captain j. s. Cox, president of
the Sealers' Association, says the Ques-
ton at issue is not affected at all The
only wrong doing charged against the
steamer is for going too close to Alaskan
soil to transfer supplies consigned to
the sealers. Or course She had no man
Hest, not expecting to get to any port;
nor did she enter Port Etches, as there
are no officials of any government To-
Gated there. She left the port with a
complete store list, however, and com
piled strictly with other forms.
"As there could be no charge against
her OF attempting to defraud tho reve-
nue laws by smuggling goods into
Alaska for sale, tho boat would not be-
liable TO contiscation or more serious
penalty upon tho combined charges than
fines of perhaps 81, 400 Tho sealskins
and tho othor cargo could not be-
touched, she not being responsible for
tho miSdoing OF the schooners. AS for
tho schooners, it was evident that had
they transferred their catch it would be-
moro like 30 0GO than 900. a meeting
OF the association may possibly DO hold
during the day TO give attention to tho
latest developments OF the situation"