The evening world., 1894-04-25
DAYS OF DANGER In RIO HARBOR.
PeiXoto Had Laid an Embargo There
on Passengers, but These
Eleven Broke II.
ALL POSE As MEMBERS OF THE CREW.
-Four were Ladies and Played stewardessss
on the Ship Dsloomyn-No Passenger
List, Hence Trouble Hero.

When the steamship Delcomyn reached
this port Saturday from Buenos Ayres
q customs officer boarded her and sa-
iuted Capt. Thomas r. Keen. For a
minute or two they walked about the
business. First the customs officer asked
for the passenger list
Haven't any," replied the captain.
Now, the customs officer thought that
quite queer, for in his quick survey OF
the ship he had noticed four well-gowned
women on board. II they weren't pas
sengers, what were they? 1t made the
Mckinley tariff man suspicious. He
asked Capt. Keen for the crew list. The
captain showed it. Entered there were
the names of four women as steward
esses. Besides. there seemed to be more
mems names on the crew list than 1t
seemed the ship needed.
The customs officer couldn't under
stand the situation. and forthwith re-
ported to Collector Kilbreth. A summons
was sent to Capt. Keen to appear at the
Custom House and explain. Yesterday
he went before the Collector and told
his story. a story that proves he Is a
right good captain, gallant and true, and
as worthy of song as Corcoran. X. c. B.
1t was Feb. 25 when the Delcomyn
lifted anchor and started on her long
journey northward from Buenos Ayres.
Some time before her sailing day three
ladies and Capt A. E. Goddard, of Chi
cago, United States Consular agent at
Ecuador. had applied to the Delcomyn's
agent for passage to New York City.
Both with an eye to business, and espe-
cially with a desire to oblige the
ladies, the agent was quite willing to
enter them as passengers. Difficulty.
however, lay In the way Of doing this.
This difficulty arose from the fact that
the ship would have to stop at Rio de
Janeiro. At that time Rio de Janeiro
was In the throes Of the revolution
against Peixoto, and one of the rules i'm
posed by those in charge Of the port Of
Rio de Janeiro was that no one should
be permitted toscome in or leave there on
any ship. In other words. there was an
embargo on passenger business at that
port.
The reason for this was that the Bra
lillian Government feared that either rev.
olutionists would succeed In getting into
the city or that some whom the authori-
ties intended to punish would escape.
These facts the agent knew; He felt
dard went on board they might be seized
when, they arrived at Rio and be de-
tanned there for long time as suspects
especially in view of the fact that fever
was raging at Rio. If the four passen-
gers should be compelled to stay in Rio
1t would be dangerous for them.
The agent explained the situation to
the captain. Then both put their heads
together and consulted. The result was
that the three ladies were told they could
DplcOmyn.
Consular Agent Goddard was counted IN
also.
So it came to pass, when the ship left
Buenos Ayres, that though she had no
passenger list, she had four passengers.
and they were cabin passengers at that.
Almost s soon as the Delcomyn got
out Of Buenos Ayres gale arose. The
ship more than once was swept with
burying waves. Still the three women
were happ,,. and they dreamed Of Man
Agent Goddard was happy, too, for he
is good Chicago man, and he wanted
very much to hurry up and get within
Not so was It with Capt. Keen. To be
sure. he and the agent at Buenos Ayres
had talked over ways and means Tor
protecting the women at Rio de Janeiro;
just what scheme he would adopt to
evade the Brazilian officers, who he
knew would search his vessel at Rio for
suspected reyolutionists. Therefore
Capt. Keen had to do a great deal OF
thinking and planning.
The days passed and soon the Del
comyn was near the harbor of Rio.
Then Capt. Keen had a scheme ready
and explained 1t to his four unsuspect-
ing passengers. This part of the story
can be told in the captains own words,
Just as he told 1t yesterday to Collector
Kilbreth. Here Is what he said:
II heard how the Brazilians were
treating passengers on ships, so / said
to the folks I had on board that II they
wanted to save themselves they would
have to go in as part of the crew. The
ladies' were willing to do anything, so l
told them to put on old dresses and get
themselves up as stewardesses and do
the work stewardess would naturally
do. They didn't have any time to
lose i'll getting ready before the Bra
lillian officers boarded us. That was on
March s. / told Capt. Goddard, who is
an old sailor, to pretend he was the
third mate. and / put 'em all on my
ships papers as part of the crew.
Then l was ready for the Brazil
othcers. They came aboard and searched
high and low, and did heap of ques-
tioning, but the three ladies were busy
working In the cabins cleaning up things,
and they saw Mr.. Goddard giving orders
70 some of the crew. and didn't suspect
anything wrong.
We had to stay at Rio twenty days.