Evening journal., 1894-02-22
NAVAL FIGHT NEAR HOME
Maryland and Virginia Oyster
men Fight Near Tangiers.
oAPTAIEs:EsCAPED IN YAwL BOATS

But the Crews Were Captured and Are
Now Held as Prisoners In Accomac
County. Where the Vessels Are Also
HeId-FulIv Three Times as Many
Dredge Boats In Maryland.
Details of rhe fight between the
Virginia Oyster Navy and the dTedgers
from Maryland, on Monday night, in
Tangler Sound, show that the engage
ment was very desperate one, says the
Baltimore Evening News Of Yesterday.
The Marylanders, comprising some
twenty boats, were on Woman's marsh,
scraping for oysters, when Captain Reed.
Of one of the Virginia police sloops,
appeared He ordered the trespassers
off, but they de6ed him. He then fred
four shots at them from a small cannon
The dredgers then stopped fishing, and
all together replied to the cannon shots
with 80 hot a fire from rifles that the
/ police-boat withdrew without making
any further demonstration.
During the conflict the firing was very
rapid One boat is said to have had
| l 900 cartridges on board and after the
engagement there were only FIVE left.
| One boat was struck several times by
i
were shot away and hole was made in
her side After Captain Reed retreated
the police boat Chesapeake entered the
engagement and put the dredgers to
fight.
A large number of boats sailed for
Whites Cove, but OF their way. two of
them, the schooners W. Z. Price and the
G. w. Stevenson, ran aground and were
captured. These boats, when taken.
we're at least four miles within the
Maryland line.
These boats are both from Cris6eld
Md. The captains of both escaped in
Yawls, but the crews were captured and
are now held as prisoners in AccomRC
county, where the vessels are also held.
The steamer Pocomoke, at Baltimore
reports that when she passed tn,
scene Of conflict the police boat was firms
her cannon at the dredgers, while the
latter we're answering with rifles. Thl
steamer was not close enough to see wha'
damage was done to either side.
This battle took place on Monday Th,
FIRST battle was on Saturday and thl
police-bost was forced to retire for
fresh supply of ammunition, but returne,
to the attack Monday. The flashes from
the cannon and rides could be seen from
Crisfeld at night.
Yesterday was a dull one around tn
oyster wharf on Light street. and thI
captains spent their time discussing thl
present war existing between the Vir
ginia police boat and the Maryland oyster
men.
Captain Dobson, who halls from Girls
field, said: There are ia Virginia onl,
about / 200 dredge boats and scrapers
while in Maryland we have fully 1000
Each state having about the same amour
, Of water, IL is but natural that there ar
more oysters in Virginia waters than 4
Maryland. Besides the quantity, the Viz
ginia oysters having more time to grol
are much larger and better favored
days work in the Maryland waters /
about so bushels, while in Virginia 20
or 300 can be caught in the same lengtl
Of time
''The dividing line, where the troubl
now exists. is this: The Tsngier Scum
/, empties into the Pocomoke river and tn
line runs from Horse Hammock to Fo.
Island.
IAN above this line belongs to Virgins
Up to this line we have q perfect righ
TO dredge, and any one with any knowl
edge Of sailing a boat knows that with
strong ebb tide making out, it is i'm
possible to go about without crossin
the line and it is then that the police
boats begin to fire. The Maryland boat
that are engaged in this trouble nearl
all come from Crisfeld The captain
have plenty Of rifles and ammunition o
, board. and will fight this thing out {
I the end. 1t is seldom in these battle
between the police.boats and th
. dredgers that the former are not drive
i off