The record-union., 1893-07-19
Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.

that the nlted States steamer NJ ohican
was fired on and disabled by poaching
sealer in Alaskan waters on June 10Th.
One reason for this is the receipt OF tel
egram this morning from Captain Hooper
Of the revenue cutter Rush, dated the 18th,
saying that by command of Commander
Ludlow Of the Mohican he had seized the
sealers st. Paul and Alexander, but max
ing no mention of the disabling of the
Mohican. 1t is not believed he would
have omitted to mention so important an
event.
The utmost the department will admit
as reasonably probable is that if the Al
eXandria did escape from the Mohican it
was solely on account OF the fog or supe-
rior speed, and not owing to the disable
ment of the NIohican's machinery by a
shot. Indeed, it is said that owing to the
location OF the machinery well below the
water line it would scarcely be possible
for so small a shot to reach it.
There was good deal of speculation at
the Navy Department as to what fate
may be III store for the Alexandria if the
story is true. Some officers, high in
rank, thought she might be classed as a
pirate, and treated accordingly, but
cooler heads held that as her original
oflense was not recognized by interna-
tional law, and she was under Hawaiian
registry, she could not be taken upon the
high seas. If she appears at San Fran
cisco it is a question whether she could
be seized except upon evidence (of which
there is none that she had violated the
sealing laws.
THE STORY DOUBTED AT MARE ISLAND.
VALLEJO, July 18.-An Associated
Press correspondent interviewed Captain
HowisOn, Commandment of the Mare
Island Navy-yard, in regard to the dis
patches from Port Townsend stating that
the Mohican had been fired upon by the
sealing steamer Alexandria. Captain
Howison said he could not lead himself
to believe the reports were true, and he
called attention to the fact that the tele-
grams are conflicting, in that one SAYS
the engagement took place May 18th,
while another gives the date as June 18th.
"On May 25th,' said Captain Howison.
the Mohican was at Port Townsend
awaiting final orders to proceed to Sitka.
On June 18th, the Mohican, so far
as the dispatches from Captain Lud-
low inform MS, was at Sitka await
ing further orders from the DEPART
ment, which were transmitted to
Captain Ludlow at Sitka. The story of a
shot from the Alexandria's smooth-bore
penetrating the side of the Mohican and
disabling her engines is so ridiculously
absurd that we here have enjoyed a
hearty laugh, and felt as though 1t is what
you newspaper people call rank fake
AS you will comprehend, to disable the
Mohican's engines it would be necessary
to pass through fully twelve inches of
white oak, and then through the coal
bunkers into the engine room.
There might have been an exchange of
shots between the two ships, but it seems
impossible on the date mentioned. TAX
ing 1t for granted that shots were ex-
changed, it is seemingly impossible for
the Mohican's gunners to have wasted
their ammunition and not hit the Alex
andria. While it is true the Mohican's
magazines were flooded on her yovape
from Honolulu to Port Townsend, the
ships ammunition, outside of a few can
listers and some powder, was not damaged.
as all ammunition on the ship was slowed
in the magazines. 1t is kept in copper
cases, sealed SO as to prevent moisture
entering and rendering the charges use
less. When the Mohican left Port Town
send the magazines were filled and the
ship made ready for any emergency
which she might encounter"
BELIEVED TO BE A HOAX.
SEATTLE (Wash.), July 18.-The story
about the United States ship Mohican
being fired into and disabled by the
steam sealer Alexandria is now believed
to be a hoax. The story was told by G.
Il. Barrett Of Kick Island, who came
down on the City Of Topeka, but the
officers of the boat know nothing of the
occurrence. Judge Truett of the United
States Court of Alaska, and f. B. Hatch.
ex-Collector of Customs, who arrived on
the Queen, which left two days after the
Topeka. say they had not heard of any
such affair, and mail boat from the
north had arrived in Sitka several DAYS
before they left. There were no other
passengers except Barrett on either
steamer, and none Of the officers of either
knew anything to corroborate the story
THE SCHOONER ALEXANDER.
SAN Francisco, July 1S.-The schooner
Alexander, which was seized in Behrinp
Sea by the revenue cutter Rush, is owned
by Liebes ~ Co., the San Francisco fur
riers. The schooner St. Paul is owned
Up north. Liebes d Co. are among the
leading stock bolders of the North Amer
lean Navigation Company, which bought
the contract for killing seals in Behring
sea from the United States. and handles
the output from the rookeries.
The fact that one of their schooners was
seized for poaching is regarded as pecu-
liar.
Owing to the mistake in the dispatch
from Port Townsend last night, in which
the seized vessels were referred to as
steamers, it was thought at first that the
steamer Alexandria, which fired on the
Mohicau, had been seized by the Rush.
BARRETT REITERATEs HIS STORY. sESS
PoRT TOWNSEND (Wash.), July 49,
Captain George c. Barrett, agent OF the
North American Commercial Company
at Kiock Island, who arrived from
Alaska on the City of Topeka last night
and brought the report that the steamer
Alexandria had fired upon and disabled