The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-19
Story Of Fight With Poachers
Told BY Capt. Barrett
HIS RELIABILITY voucneo FOR.
Government OAlcials Are Inclined 70
Discredit the Report
Capt. uevissa aa Mare IaIanA savs eAe
AehSesa's MseAasssy Was Anply
RreseetsA Hren Fssslbss Is1sry BY
1euAd sAot-Saa Hsa.eiseo Opa>ae~.

Po1r IowssRSD. July la-lSpecialE
The Mohican incident in Ber,ne sea Was
gwen ont last night a. published in the
fosr-IsrEiiIeENcER today BY Capt G. z.
Barrett. agent Of the North American
Commercial Company as Kyack island,
Alaska The recenue cutter Richard
Rush arrived at Kyack from Berins sea
just before the steamer Crescent City
came along from Unalaska en- route 10
Sitka. The officers OF the Rush stated
that the Mohican vas not badly injured
but that Capt. Nicoll Ludlow, commander
Of the American forces in Bcrins
sea. was much cha grined over the
incident The officers Of the
other war vessels were much amused over
the idea that poachins steamer carrying
the Hawaiian flag should have 90 easily
bested the hagship Of the United States
squadron.
Capt Barrett said that he brought down
and fiied at Nanaimo an official telegram
for the government, giving particulars Of
the incident
Barrett positively confirmed the report
sent out last night, and is regarded by the
officers Of the Pacific Coast Steamship
Company a. reliable person.
WAsHiSsroS CRY, July Traditional
details OF the tiring on the Mohican have
not yet convinced the navy department
omctais that the story 10 correct The ut
most the department. will admit as reason
ably probable 10 that il the Alexandra did
escape from the Mohican IL was solely on
account OF the fog Or superior speed. and
not owing TO the disabiement Of the Mohi-
cans machinery by shot. Indeed. 1t il
said that owing to the location Of her ma
chInery we'll below the water line il would
scarcely b possible for 20 small . shot to
reach IL There was . good deal Of specu-
lstion at the navy Departments ~ to what
fate may b In store for the Alexandria il
the story is true. Some of the officers
high in rank thought she might be classed
- pirate and treated accordingly, but
cooler heads held that - her original Of.
tense 10 not one recognised by intsrna-
tional law, vnd ~ she 10 under Hawaiian
registry. she could not be taken upon the
high seas. II she appears at San Francisco
Il il . question whether she could be ssissd
except upon the evidence Of which there
appears to b none. that she had violatsd
the sealing laws.
II incorrect b the receipt of telegram this
morning from Capt. Hooper. Of the rsve-
nue cutter Rush. dated July IL. saying
that by command Of Commander Ludlow.
OF the Mohican. he had seised the seaisrs St.
Paul and Alexander. but making no men,
tion Of she disabling Of the Mohican. 1t
10 believed that he would not have omit
ted to mention 20 important IN event.
VALLEJO. Cal.. July l6-An Associated
Press correspondent interviewed Capt.
Howison. commandant Of the Mare Island
navy yard. In regard to the dispatches
from Port Townsend stating that the No
hican had been fired upon by the scaling
steamer Alexandria. Capt. Howisoa said
he could not lead himself to believe that
the reports were true. He called attsn-
tion to the fact that the kilograms are con-
aicting. In that one says that the engage
ment took place on Nay Is. while another
gives the date ~ June Is Continuing,
Capt. Howison said:
On May 25 the Mohican was @ Port Townsend
waiting for hnal orders to proceed 70 sitka and
on June Is. she wsa, % far - the dispatches
from Capt Ludlow tuiofm ~, q 6itks, waiting
for further orders from the department which
were transmitted 70 Capt Ludlow 1t sitkA The
atory Of . shot from the Aiexandsia's smooth
bore gun penetrating the side Of the Mohican
and disabling her engines 10 % ridiculously
absurd that Ne here have enjoyed .
hearty laugh and feel - though IL
rank fake" A. you will compsshend. 70 dis
able the Mohican's engines, Il vou.d b necss-
sary to pass through fully twelve inches OF solid
white oak and then through her coal bunkers
into the sagins room. There might have been
an exchange Of shots bstwsen tho two ships.
but IL seems impossible on the dates mentioned.
Taking Il ios granted that shots were ex-
changed, Il 10 seemingly impossibls fos the
Mohican's Gunnsfs 70 have vasted their ausmu-
milton and not HE the Alexandria while q u
true that the Mohican's magazines wcrs flooded
on her voyage from Honolulu to Port Towns.
end, the ships ammupitiOn, outside Of her
cannistsss and some powder, wss mot damaged,
- oil the ammunilion on ths ship. slowed in
magazines. 10 kept In copper casss. sealed 90 -
ing the charges useless. when tho Mohiean LEFT
Port Townsend hes magazine were filled and
the ship was ready for any emergency which
she might encounter.
SAN FRAScrsco. July lathe steam
schooner Alexandria, which disabled the
warship Mohican In Bering sea, sailed
from San Francisco last April under the
Haw allan flag, ostensibly on hunting and
fishing voyage IN the North Pacific ocean.
The peculiarity Of her outfit was that she
carried over sixty men, many Of them ex-
pert seal hunters, and that she had over
forty Winchester rifles and several small
cannons. She also carried supplies for cur
ing and packing sealskins Her captain, Dan
Mclean. 10 notorious for having con-
Quoted several raids on the seal rookeries
on the Japan coast. and one Of his vessels
was seized by the Russians after = lively
fight. The men selected BY him we're
known In San Francisco - men Who
would enjoy . fight Although the j.
pan coast wss given - h o. destination it
was thought the Alexandria contemplated
raids on the Russian or Bering ssa rocker
les. and the American patrolline Nses
we're warned TO look out for her.
News Of the disabling Of the wsrship
Mohicsn by the sesisr Alexandra. in Ber.
ing sea. Il questioned by sealing men here.
Donald Ross. OF Ross a Hewlett. the firm
that fitted out the Alexandria, said:
II The Mohicaa vss Hrsd into. is VS. By some
other vssssa than ths Aisxsndrla On Jane 1
tie Aie1sDdria vas tn Hskodsts, japan. while
the battle with the Nohicau 10 said 70 have oe-
enfrsd On Nay "a The Aiexandfia sailsd from
hsss Ia April and hsd no esnnoa on board
From hsfs she vent 60 Hon0iuiu snd thence 70
the Japan -. where she has bssu ever sfucs.
Ross clains thss 10 10 probable that the Nohiean
mistook kuessaa gnnboas for . poschss, sad
when shs nssd sesoss hss bow. COS she's In ~
t1Yn.