The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-21
WE'RE POISONED TWICE.

while there my workmen and myself
were poisoned twice. Once poison was
put In our coffee; another time in our
food. We were all very sick, but took an
antidote and recovered, though all Of US
were very weak for several days. After
that experience, we changed the place
from where we got our provisions.
The torpedo when completed was five
feet long thirty-two inches In diameter,
and was to contain $50 pounds of dynamite
and no pounds of wet gun-cotton. IL was
made TO be towed by long wire line.
Both line and torpedo would move under
water, and so be out of sight should there
be any lookouts from the rebel ships.
The launch was TO steam good distance
from the man-of-war, in a circle around
1t, paying out the wire cable as she went
When on the other side Of the doomed
vessel, we were to draw on the wire and
bring the torpedo up against the side of
her hull. We were TO explode the tor
pedo by buffer harp hooks, or, as we
called 1t, a trigger
Late in the afternoon of Sept 90,
was informed that a launch had been ar
ranged for, and that it awaited me at the
port. We steamed away to the Bay of
Botoforgo. The torpedo was to be car
ried over land that night, but when we
approached the pier at Botoforgo we were
fired upon. The mistake was found out
and we were allowed to keep TO the
launch. The torpedo arrived about 10
o'clock at night and was put aboard the
launch. We passed under the forts of
Lage and Santa Cruz, or to the bay that
lies between Nictheroy and Santa Cruz,
called Pria Grande. Here we dropped
anchor.
FOUND A DEFECT.
"After daylight on the morning CT Sept
"a, our first work was TO put the torpedo
into the water TO. ascertain its specific
gravity. We found IL to be what we had
estimated, but we discovered, when we
hoisted it back into the launch, that there
was a leak which we had considera Die
trouble in stopping. About II O'Clock the
following day, while we were at work, we
heard the report Of rife, and ball
dropped near US. Two men Zone in sol
dier's uniform) came out of the bushes
and beckoned me 10 come ashore. met
them They told me they had come from
the governor Of Nictheroy and wanted to
know who / was. Imade evasive answers
but they said they knew what / was
about. These men, now feel certain,
were from Admiral Mello, but they let
me return TO the launch. About 2 O'Clock
the same day we were fired upon
again from the same point whence
had come the first shot in the
forenoon, and two soldiers came down TO
the edge OF the water ana Slgnaled for
me TO come ashore. / went, and was told
that there was danger in remaining there
and must leave at once and said IL was
the order Of the governor of Nictheroy.
After returning TO the launch they began
firing upon US, so pulled up anchor and
ran for Santa Cruz, but after nightfall |
returned to my same anchorage.
CAPTURE AS A PIRATE.
"About 3 o'clock that afternoon, Sept.
20, / had just torn OF the cover of some
dynamite and was preparing 10 load the
torpedo when launch from the English
man-ofwar Sirius came up and demanded
10 see the captain and his Uapers. / told
him ! was the captain and had no papers.
He then demanded by what authority |
few the English colors. replied, by the
same right that hundreds were doing IL
daily In that harbOr, as well as ashore,
ThereupOn he took command Of my launch
and brought me aboard the Sirius. After
ward / was sent aboard the Charleston
and there remained in custody for two
months. While aboard the Sirius Capt.
Lang informed me that / had been guilty
of piracy and asked me why j had flown
the English flag instead of the American,
and he also asked me whether | would
rather be tried in England or America.
My reply was that at no time in my career
had involved my country in complica-