The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-21
DID SIZE TAKE ARMS TO MELLOS
A Yacht Sails My>t-riou-iy from sHvannah
and - :rong suspicious Spring w.

A Yacht sails My,t-riou-,y from Savannah
and - ronG Suspicions Spring Up.
SAVANNAH. Jan 2o-It 1. the belief here that
shipments Of arms have been made from this
port to Admiral Mello. For several days sto-
ries have been anoat regarding the mysteri-
Gus movements OF the steam yacht Natalie.
| which arrived here last week and sailed away
some time during Sunday night OF this week.
The Natalie is q trim. black boat. and attracted
considerable attention. Her Captain was
reticent about her. All that could be had
from him was that she belonged to some man
up North" and was awaiting his arrival here.
on last Saturday morning there arrived from
New York on tho City Of Augusta. more than
forty strongly constructed boxes consigned
to a man unknown here Some OF these boxes
were large. five feet square or more and 9TH
The freight was paid early that day: ON
Saturday night after darkness set In three
trsys and truck were emPi0ysdh to S SaTr9
tOe sSs H East BrSad srses sha
Some Of III" boxes" said he this so morning g,s
pounds. took. thirteen boxes in all to
the wharf myself; The other drivers carted
| probably three times as many more. L don't
down 70 the wharf they were covered care;
told that the vessel would not leave until
Monday night or Tuesday. During that night
Nataiie Some tins on Sunday night the yacht
| got up steam and left Before that consider
able supplies OF coal and food had been taken
Rumor has 1t that the boxes contained arms.
or rf for a Central american country for use OF
rebels. The Melo story has received the
create eredsnse or ,h5ee esgUe %no
board the, yacht. have told friends that the
| contents looked like the parts OF Calling or
| other guns and that they were stored away
50 as 70 occupy less space than the boxes
Ing to ship them out OF thu country, 1t is
nah as a port where this could be done with
out exciting suspicion. No other explanation
nearly, a hall hundred boxes Of this character
j. made here. While tho Natalie was here
ossT. snd
equally in the dark as to her destination.
hBsiOTe md1lsh fEn IL sss sho last
OF the mysterious boxes shipped on the Natalie
They sC al s%s intended
employed and tbs forty or Nifty boxes
w wharf disecty opposits the Custom HOUSE.
Barge oflee. where the larger boxes were
S getRsr by a mechanic Who had been brought
down from the North and placed on 6oart the
This wharf is on, Hutchinson's island in
front o. the city, And as there are DO people
living In the Vicinity WORK couli Do carrier on
| at nigh without fear OF detection; In addition
| to the Hotchkiss guns several other small
field pieces Of the best make were put together
Forty cases OF the finest pattern OF rifles,
each said to have contained 100 rifles, were
stored on the yacht. The negroes were liber-
ally rewarded as were several whites with
whom the commander had boon forced to
The boxes in which the cannon were stored
remained on the island. They were of peculiar
max and aroused the first suspicion. They
disappeared last night. and are supposed 10
have been destroyed by some emIssary OF the
When the Natalie arrived here she had in her
crew OF ten men one american lie was dir
to speak English. The Captain gave his name
as Nelson. but 1t was learned 70 night that his
real name Is Salina- Investi CATION at the Office
OF the steam sh p com any shows that the arms
were shipped to New York from fhlladelphia
They were sent down as low class OF mer-
AS soon as the Natalie reached port men
were put to work oyeThaullnG her snPines and
boilers and getting them In good condition.
Capt. saliua was evidently well supplied with
lie put in coal aud provisions for about a
two weeks run. The armsweTe consigned 10
Ernest Merrill or Merritt and were sigasd for
by a stranger apparently not connected with
Cant. saiina is said to have told man here
that the Natalio's destination was Honduras
and that the arms were intended log Ieyolu-
given out this statement To throw the HuthuTi-
ties who age beginning 10 investigate the
case, oil the tracH.
Information as TO the course taken 10y the
Natalie. with the intention 81 communicating
with the depart msut at Washington ut once.
The only steam yacht Natalie with an
American register was built at AorwaIk Ia
| 1875. and in 1875 was owned by Theodore +.
blanchard Of Newark. and belonged to the
| Newark Yacht Club. Her gross measurement