The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-26
STRANGE TALE OF THE SEA.
Pirates said to Have Sacked n Dutch
Vessel in the Mediterranean.


From the New York Tribune.
washington. May "a stirring tale OF
the sea. that reads like a romance OF
stevenson or Pyle, comes to the state de-
partment in a dispatch from Richard I.
sprague. acting United States consul at
Gibraltar, under date Of May >
According to the account furnished TO
the department by Mr.. sprague. the steam
tug Hercules, on the afternoon of April
30. towed into Gibraltar bay the Dutch
brigantine Anna, which had been flying
signals of distres or Europa Point The
experiences of the Anna, according to the
story told by one of her Grew. recall the
worst days of piracy. On March 10 she
set sail from Bari a port In the Adriatic.
with a cargo of oil, and on Sunday, April,
26 became becalmed about seven miles
from shore, near Alhucemas bay, I'm the
Riff country, between Melilla and Ceuta.
She was manned by a captain a mate
three seamen and a cook. About > or )
o'clock that afternoon a boat approached
from shore, manned by seven or eight
Noors They were savage-looking fell
lows, stripped naked to the waist, with
heads shaved clean of hair except a long
tuft on top. Breechloading rifles and long
knives were their arms. When within
hailing distance the Moors called in Span
ish to the brigantine to lower sail This
order not being obeyed, they began firing
on the vessel. As the boat came along
side. the crew armed themselves with
hatchets and crOw-bars, and one of the
Riifians, who attempted to board, was
struck down by the mate with blow
from a crow-bar. A volley was returned,
and the mate fell Selling his revolver,
the only firearm on board, Capt. Nelvis
began to use it on the pirates, but he had
fired one shot only when he was wounded
in the hand. Meanwhile the wounded
mate had proceeded aft, where he was
fred on again and fell. -Four bullets had
entered his body. Then the captain was
permanently disabled by a shot wound in
the stomach
About this time several other boats put
out from shore, and resistance was out Of
the question. Leaping on board, the pi-
rates began their work of plumber. The
ships boat was lowered, and bedding,
cooking utensils, compasses, side lights,
spare sails, portion of the cargo, all the
provisions except salt meat. and many
other things. even the cabin door, were
loaded into this and the boats of the pi-
rates and taken TO land Several trips
were made the boats coming and going the
whole afternoon. To complete the work
the pirates took even the shoes from the
feet of the crew and the clothes from
tnelT DdCkS.
When night came the buccaneers left the
ship, and, a light breeze spFinging up, the
sailors endeavored to steer for the Span
ish coast. although without compass or
lights. They sailed all that night and the
next day, using an old cotton shirt in day
light and burning oakum after dark as
signals of distress, but, although several
vessels passed within sight, no attention
was paid to the distressed brigantine.
At o'clock the next morning Capt. Vel
Wis died, and after many hardships the
Anna was sighted about p. m, on April
30 by the Hercules, and brought into the
harbor. The mate, W. Smith. who had
been badly wounded in both thighs, in the
abdomen and the right hand, was taken
10 the Colonial hospital in a critical condi7
ton.
The Anna hailed from Old Pekela. in
Holland, where captain and mate lived.
The consul for the Netherlands at Gil
braltar is investigating the outrage.