Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-01
RUNNING TIE BLOCKADE Wartime Stories By an Old C.
 s. A. Commander. SOME VERY CLOSE CALLS Enormous Profits That Tempted Men to Take Great Risks-Great Britain's Useful
 ness to the South.
 
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 Confederate states navy.
 Blockade running" said he. ''is sci ence. It is attended with great risks and dangers, but when properly studied It may be operated with absolute success and comparative safety. l hear it said in these times that blockades cannot be run now on account of the search light, but can run blockade now. l would get a search light, too. While 1t is true that the number of vessels in fleet IS known to each in the cordon, location 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 searcn light would give her an advantage, and an opportunity to reach point or safety 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 Confectionery Tor running the blockade were Galveston, Tex. Mobile, Ala, Charleston. S.. C., and Wilmington. N C. The latter was the principal 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 Caswell and Fort Fisher The new inlet from the north was guarded only by Fort Fisher and a small battery on land Both or these inlets lead into Cape Fear river, on which is situated the city of Wilmington, twelve miles from it's mouth. on the coast on each side of the inlet flylng batteries of artillery, commanded by I states V, were kept patrolllng the shores at nlght- time to protect any blockade runner that might have to be run ashore to keep her from falling into the hands. Of the enemy. These batteries did valuable services.
 Notwithstanding the federal govern ment did all in it's power to effectually seal up or blockade this port, 1t having at one time nearly 200 vessels in the blockaded squadron, in one night tWelve vessels forced the blockade successfully and entered the port. Fourteen attempt ed to effect entrance but two were cap tured These vessels were loaded with provisions, medical stores. arms and mu- nitions of war for the Confederate gov ernment.
 "The inducement for running the blockade was the enormous value or cotton, it being bought in the Confeder- acy for 25 and 30 cents a pound In gold, or it's equivalent, and sold outside Tor s1 60 to S1 80 per pound. Consequently the profits were enormous, even 1T the risks were great Most of the blockade running was done by the corporations. Among the largest of these engaged Tn the business was the Bee company of Charleston. s. C., who owned the famous biockade runner Cyrene. She ran the blockade thirty-two times in and out Of Charleston, S. c. When Charleston was evacuated she was lying at her Wharf there, and her owners burned her rather than allow her fall into the hands or the enemy. The Confederate government owned several blockade-running Vesssls to replenish the supply store, and also several states owned blockade runners, among them Virginia and North Caro- lima.
 gro give an idea how quickly these ships could be constructed an order could be given to a shipbuilder on the Mersey or Clyde for ship costing from t4O,oOo to f5O OO00-S200, 900 to $250,00 These yes sels were anchored in the river ready for sea in sixty days after the contracts were signed. These vessels were light draft, recurring not over feet Of water, ana had a speed of fifteen to eighteen Knots an hour. After completion the vessel was cleared from Liverpool or the CIyoe for the port of Nassau or St. George, Der muda. When she arrived in port her top hamper was taken down and the Notwithstanding crew at once shipped. The captain was paid the enormous wages of S5000 in gold and $5000 in Con- federate money. The pilot was paid $5OO0 in gold, and the chief engineer was paid the same; the first assistant $3000. sec ond, third and fourth engineers $20OO each per voyage One voyage per month was made, each being made in the dark of the moon. Seamen and firemen were paid $500 a month. $100 on signing ship ping articles, the balance on return of m turn of ship to port. The leadsman was paid $500 a month. His services were re- quired only when the ship was coming in or going out of port The signal offi- cer was paid the same.
 'The ship being fully prepared. having been painted a leaden color. so as not to be distinguished in the dark, and hav- ing taken in her cargo. her inward cargo consisting of bacon. provisions. pig lead, boiler iron, medical stores and munitions of war, she at once cleared for Halifax, N. S. All these blockade runners had English register and English colors. Ow- ing to her majesty's proclamation of April 1861. forbidding her subjects to engage in assisting either side during the late unpleasantness. these ships. when they made the mistake of enter ing the port of Wilmington instead of Halifax, and running the blockade. vio- lated their registers, and consequently O'i ehS AStoAh fOyooC Hub tO 61t Out new register.
 "All the 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 double set of boilers, and prior to mak- 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. No lights were shown on the ves- sells while at sea- and all vessels burned anthracite coal. which is comparative smokeless, and cost from SIS to $20 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.
 Tn running blockade the leadsman is stationed in the main chains, the sig nal officer generally amidships with his signal 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 southward of the old .I1&