The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-24
RUNNING THE BLOCKADE.
GOOD WARTIME STORIES BY Al
OLD {. =. :. COMMANDER.

to Ia ze Great Rtsks-sOme Very
Close CaIIs-Great BrItain's Use
fuIness 20 the south.
From the Galveston Daily News
A reporter spent an evening last week
with Commander John c.. Brain. who
graduated from the naval academy and
rendered distinguished service in the con-
federate states navy.
Blockade running" said he sis a sci
ence. II is attended with great risks and
dangers, but when properly studied it
may be operated with absolute success
and comparative safety. I hear it said
in these times that blOckades cannot be
run now on account Of the search light,
but 1 can run a blockade now. ] would
get a search light. too. While it is true
that the number of vessels in a fleet is
known to each in the Gordon. the loca-
ton and position of each at all times is
not known, and for that reason the uncer-
tainty that would surround the identity
of a blockade runner carrying a search
light would give her an advantage. and
an opportunity to reach a point of safe
ty before she was discovered.
Enormous profits were made during the
late war by blockade running by both
private parties and corporations. The
only ports of the confederacy for rum
ming the blockade were Galveston, Tex,
Mobile, Ala. Charleston, 5. c., and VIII
raington, n c. The latter was the prin>
cipai port, for the reason that it was
more accessible, 1T having two channels
leading into the pOrt-the new and old
inlets. The old inlet, being the southern
entrance. was guarded by Fort CasWeu
and Fort Fisher. The new inlet from
tie north was guarded only by Fort
Fisher and small battery on land. Both
of these inlets lead into Cape Fear river,
on which is situated the city of Whining
ton. twelve miles from its mouth. On
the coast on each side OF the inlet hylng
( batteries of artillery, commanded by Col.
Lamp. c. s. A, were kept pdtrOlling the
shores a night time to protect any block
AIDE runner that might have TO be run
ashore 10 keep her from falling into the
hands OF the enemy. These batteries did
valuable services.
Notwithstanding the federal govern
menL DID all in its power to efectually
seal UP or blOcadc this port, il having at
one time nearly go vessels in the blockad-
ing squadron, in one night twelve yes
sels forced the blockade successfully and
entered the port. Fourteen attempted TO
effect entrance, but TWO were captured
The vessels were loaded with provisions,
medical stores, arms and munitions of war
for the confederate government.
The induCement for running the block
adc was the enormous value of cotton, it
being bought in the confederacy for %
and 80 cents pound in gold, or its equiv
alent, and sold outside for SlGO to $l.S0
per pound; consequently the profits We're
enormous, even if the risks were great.
Most of the blockade running was done
by corporations. Among the largest of
these engaged in the business was the
Bee Company of Charleston, S. c., who
owned the famous blOCade runner Cy-
rene. She ran the blocade thirty-two times
IN ana out of Charleston, =. &. When
Charleston was evacuated she was lying
al her wharf there and her owners burned
her rather than allow her to fan into the
hands of the enemy. The confederate
government owned several blockade run
ming vessels to replenish the supply store,
and also several states owned blockade
runners, among them Virginia and North
Carolina. To give an idea how quickly
these ships We're constructed, an order
could be given to a shipbuilder on the
Mersey or Clyde for ship cost
ing from 10000 to $4,000, $20O, 900 to $3.50 =
coo. These vessels were anchored in the
river ready for sea sixty days after the
/ contract was signed. These vessels We're
light draught requiring not over nine
feet of wafer, and had a speed of fifteen
to eighteen knots an hour After COM
pleuon the vessel was cleared from Liv-
erpool OF the Clyde for the port OF Mas
sau or St. George, Bermuda. When she
arrived in port her top hamper was taken
| down and the blockade running crew at
once shipped. The captain was paid the
enormous wages of 5000 in gold ana 5000
IN confederate money. The pilot was paid
5000 in gold and the chief engineer was
paid the same; the first assistant 5000;
second. third and fourth engineers, 50 900
each per voyage. one voyage per month
was made each being made ia the dark
of the moon. Seamen and hremen were
paid $500 a month 500 on signing ship
ping articles, the balance on return of the
ship to port. Officers were PAID OH return
Of the ship to port. The leadsman was
paid $500 a month. His services We're re-
quired only when the ship was coming in
or going out of port The signal officer
was paid the same.
The ship being fully prepared having
Fbeen painted a leaden color so as not to
be distinguished in the dark. and having
/ taken in her cargo, her inward cargo con-
SisunS of bacon, provisions, pig lead,
/ boiler iron, medical stores, and NUM-
| tons OF war; she at once cleared for Hal
| flax, Nova Scotia. All these blockade
| runners had English register and English
colors. Owing to her majesty proclG-
nation Of April, 1851, forbidding her sub
] jeCts to engage in assisting either side
during the late unpleasantness. these
/ ships, when they made the mistake Of
/ entering the port Of Wilmington, instead
/ Of Halifax. and running the blockade,
/ violated their registers, and consequent
/ " on the return voyage had to get out a
"Ali Che vessels, the property of the
| confederate government were registered
| as the property of Frazer, Trenholm &.
/ Co. Liverpool England, the commercial
| agents Of the confederate government in
! that country.
| ''The blockade runners were built with
/ a double set of boilers and prior to MAX
/ Ing the coast steam was got up on all
/ the boilers, so as to give the ship all the
/ steam she could carry. Every vessel had
/ steam bloW-Off cocks below the water
| line. 40 lights We're shown on the YES
]
| anthracite coal, which is comparatively
| smokeless, and cost from SIS TO $50 a ton.
| No dogs or rOOsters were allowed on
! board ship. officers and men while run
! ming the blockade were always in their
! stocking feet
I'm running a blockade the leadsman is
| stationed in the main chains, the signal
| officer generally amidshps with his sig
| nal boxes, the captain and pilot and two
| men at the wheel on the bridge and two
men aft at the wheel, so in case the bridge
| is shot away they can unShackle the
| chains and steer the ship from the stern.
! All lights are extinguished. The land
| was generally made by the ship six to
| ten miles to the southwark Of the old in
/ let at Wilmington and about the same
distance to the northward or new inlet.
! The blockade was generally run from a
| quarter to a half mile off the coast and
| sometimes nearer Military telegraph
! Offices were stationed at close intervals
! along the coast ten to fifteen miles to the
southern or old inlet and the same dis
lance TO the northern or new inlet. and
/ by the signal officer aboard the blockade
/ runner catching one of these teIegrap nh
| stations with his signals communication
was at once made with Fort Fisher and
/ Fort Caswell to the effect that such a
] 81 NTH fqi arad