The Portland daily press., 1895-05-30

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Port Norris Nj, May ss. The battle
between the Delaware Bay oystermen and
the riparian owners was continued this
morning. The fire was continuous
throughout the day. Bullets cut the sails
of the vessels, splintered the woodwork
and splashed in the water about them,
but the dredgers kept at work while
section of their fleet kept continually
manoeuvring and returning The fire from
shore.
1t is not known yet whether there
have been any casualties, as the fleet
has not returned, but the oyster villages
have been wildly excited all day. The
dredgers that remained at home and
their friends, were busy getting their
arms in order, for tomorrow we'll orga-
nized attempt will be made to capture
the riparian forts, and the men know
that there is critical work before them
That the owners will make most desr
perate defense is evident from the manner
in which they conducted the fight today.
Their numbers must have been increased
for their shooting was rapid and contin-
uous. At almost regular intervals, above
the sharp crack of repeating rifles, sound
ed the boom of the howitzer, mounted
on the land fort. The marksmen who
worked it had improved since yesterday
and many of the shots told.
The men ashore are far better armed
than the dredgers the majority of whom
have firearms of an obsolete pattern,
muzzle-loading muskets and pistols and
shotguns that are hardly effective at ex-
tended range. So it is that in the assault
planned for tomorrow the men will rely
| upon their strength of numbers to car
ry the stronghold and kill-for that is
what they will do in their present tenn
| per-the men who yesterday shot down
Capt. James Hilton and wounded two
| of the crew of the Armstrong Hilton,
who is in a Philadelphia hospital, will
| have to have his leg amputated, and the
doctors are still of the opinion that he
| cannot survive.
The scene of the conflict is about 300
Harry Candy, who have several hundred
thousand dollars invested in the beds,
are the leaders of the riparian owners.
The baymen hope to capture them before
the law has done So That the baysnen
will administer their own law no one
hereabouts has the slightest doubt There
has been some uncertainty as to who
were behind the forts during yesterday
engagement One thing, however, is
settled in the minds of the oystermen-
Oliver and Frank Candy We're, if no one
else.
Two local fishermen declared this
morning that after the shooting of Capt.
Hilton and the retreat Of the oystermen
he saw the Gandys with rifles in the
hands wading across the marshes. War
rants have been issued for their arrest.
A feet of 81 vessels sailed to the beds at
daybreak this morning All of them
were we'll armed and carried extra crews,
more eager to fight than to work And
they did both, for the dredgers had well
arranged their plan before sailing
They, had no sooner appeared at the dis
puted grounds than the land forces let
loose their batteries.
/ While one portion of the fleet went to
work dredging the other engaged the
riparians The oystermen gunners kept
themselves well under cover, for the men
ashore were good marksmen, as one of
the crew of The Volunteer discovered
when he lncautiously exposed himsellf to
shut his defiance and had his hat shot
off,
1t was hot work, and the busy, deep
toned howitzer caused the dredgers the
greatest concern. A shot from it below
the water line would have been serious.
Ihey knew this from ugly gaps that had
been torn in the bulwarks of several of
the schooners The dredgers, however,
did not lose their heads, and after the
first division had done its fighting sec
ond swung into action, and the first re-
tired among those at work dredging.
The scheme worked well and was di-
rected at different times by. Capt. Rlsly
of the Emily Smith; Capt. Adams of the
Ackerly; Capt. Laws of the, Volunteer;
Capt Kirk, temporarily in charge of the
Armstrong; Capt Sneed of the Ward B.
Smith, Capt Nobbs of the Cottingham,
and Capt. Wrinkle of the Elizabeth, all Of
whom were under fire in yesterdays en-
gagement
< secret meeting of over so oyster CAP
tains was. held at Maurice River yester-
day, and plan was devised to Capture
the riparian fort Wednesday morning
at daybreak two squads of heavily armed
men, forty in each squad, will start from
a given point for the scene of the battle
The intention is to completely surround
the fort by.water and land and at a sis-
nal to boats a score of yawls full of men
will attempt TO make a landing under
cover of a heavy fire. Then combined
attack will be made In case tb;s ilGu IL
successful it is probable the riparians aria
will die fighting