The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-03-21

A Port Townsend dispatch Gays: In
/ 1886 the Pacific Coast Steamship Com
! panys steamer Idaho. plying between
/ this port and Alaska. was seized by Col
lector OF Customs II. +. Beecher. and
$500 worth OF opium was found aboard.
As Captain James Carroll, commander
OF the steamer Idaho, owned hsh can
merry at KaSsan bay. Alaska, the revenue
cutter Wolcott was dispatched TO that
point. where eleven additional barrels OF
opium were found. Three months later
GOO pounds more were found on the Idaho
on her return from Alaska. She was
again seized and placed under bonds in
the sum Of $4,000. When the trial came
on she was forfeited. and an appeal was
taken by her owners TO the United States
supreme court. where the findings OF the
district court were sustained. Early in
the year 1880 the steamer was wrecked
on Race rocks, but afterward she floated
OF and dritted into DunReness bay, where
she drifted around. and was finally picked
up and towed into Port Townsend bay.
where she afterward sank. Several hun
dred pounds OF opium were taken on the
steamer while she lay on Race rocks.
The amount OF all the opium captured,
taken in addition TO the bonds IN which
the steamer was held. footed up sos O00
The bondSmen were three prominent
men, one OF Port Townsend. another OF
Seattle and the third OF Tacoma The
matter dragged on from one term OF
court to another, and, as the principal
witnesses had been spirited away, there
was probably good reason for such con-
tinuance However. the case has been
settled now. the amount paid to the gov
ernment being sl.9OO, AS the opium was
xs-uu I.N..- - tkNa ,.,,N
on that score. but on the bonds of the
steamer the government loses $500 Ex-
Collector Beecher who seized the Idaho,
had claim of SS,OOO against her for in
formers fees, and Of course will get little
or nothing OF that amount. 1t was in
trying to wreck the hulk OF the old
steamer Idaho that Captain Peter Pee
arty was blown up with dynamite less
than week ago,-West Coast Trade.
The United States cruiser Bennington
llmped into port today after an absence
Of many months, during which time she
was stationed In Japanese and Hawaiian
waters. The cruiser left Honolulu on
March five hours before the Oceanic
steamer Alameda slipped her moorings
and started hither, The latter vessel
arrived here last Thursday and now the
cruiser comes crawling in four days
later. But the Bennington's tarliness
was not without cause, II appears that
the old "hoodoo" Is still with her. She
breaks down every time the opportunity
presents itself. The voyage over from
Honolulu did not prove to be an excep-
ton. The Remington was Ave days
out of the Hawaiian capital when her
port engine collapsed. After an exam
ination the engineers declared that II
would he useless TO stop in mld-ocean
to attempt TO make repairs, so the order
was given to finish the voyage with the
engine operating the starboard propeller.
While this meant a slow trip, still all
would have gone well enough had no
other accidents occurred But the Ben
nington never gets of easily, and 1t was
only matter of about ten hours after
the first breakdown when the air pump
got out OF order. This necessitated a
complete stop. For several hours the
cruiser tumbled and tossed about In the
dead of night while her machinists and
engineers labored industriously at the
air pump. They had II in working order
about daylight. and the voyage was re-
sumed at half speed and on one screw.
1t was snail's pace. and was the cause
Of the war vessels arrival four days be-
hind the Alameda. The Bennington
broke down several times on her recent
cruise, and once when she became dis
abled in Japanese waters the British
naval officers poked so much fun at her
and the American navy that there came
near being a serious rumpus between the
officers and men comprising the compile
ment Of the vessels representing the two
nations. The Remington will go to Mare
island in the morning, and will probably
remain there some time.-San Francisco
Examiner.