Evening star., 1896-11-11


| ably thrilling story. which the New Yori,
| World today prints. The steamship Boyne
| was strairing at her anchors off the city
| Of Smyrna, Turkey in Asia, on the night of
| October 10 last The ship had loaded her
| cargo of olive oil and fruits the day before,
| and had dropped down the bay to await
| the consolidating of her invoices and the
certificate of her manifest by the American
| consul. There had been several riots in
Smyrna for three or four days before, in
| which many Armenians had been mas
| sacred. and there was SO much disorder in
| the harbor that Capt. Fisher had doubled
his watch. and he and his officers remain
| ed on deck continually.
| The Fusftives Seek Protection.
| The din of another conflict reached the
| ears Of the British seamen about Z O'Clock
| in the evening, and the cries of the victims
| of the aSSaSsinS came over the waters to
| stir their hearts. About an hour afterwa rd
| small boat stole noiseiessly up to the star
! board gangway and aged man begged
| permission to go on board.
| Capt. Fisher aSSented, and the old man
| said that there were in the boat below six
| Armenian refugees whose homes We're being
| p!llaged by the Turks. and who mad Cnly
escaped death by flight. Three OF them
| were women. The old man declared that
| already the Turks had discovered their
| flight and were in pursuit. He pleaded with
Capt. Fisher to give them the protection OF
| the British flag.
Bring em aboard quick cried the Brit
ish captain to his mate. Gas: :he small
| boat adrft'
Capt. Fisher took the refugees to his
cabin, where he made the three women of
the party as comfortable as possible, while
| he consulted with the men as t. the best
thing TO be done. The patriarch, who gave
| his name as Ralfades. begged the captain
| to take them out OF port as soon as pos
sible. They were willing to go anywhere
outside of Turkish jurisdiction
Fisher said he was bound for America,
| Whereat there was great rejoicing among
/ the party. Their names were thercupon
| ertered upon the passenger list in regular
| form. They were A. Shslania and wife and
| their two daughters, sixteen and thirteen
years old respectively; G. Gorgiadi, ID. Dill
| Shanossin and ID. Ralfades.
Give these people something to eat"
said Capt Fisher to the steward; "anI see
| to 1t that it's the best in the ship. my man.
| and they sat those trembling, hungry refu-
! gees down to d groanins board and filled
| them up on British beef until their hearts
grew stout again.
Turks Demand Their Prey.
While they sat there in the security of
! The captains cabin another boat came
| alongside the Boyne and a voice gruff with
| authority demanded to see Capt. Fisher.
| Before that officer could get to the taftrail
| a dozen turbaned Turks, with drawn cut
| lasses, had swarmed up the ganGway. Their
commander. an ugly-lookng Mosem. asked
| If there were any Armenians aboard.
There are said Captain Fisher.
| The Turk demanded that they be sur
rendered forthwith.
Not long as the British flag floats
over this ship and there is an Englshman
| aboard to WELD a cutlass," said Capt.
| Fisher.
The Turk insisted, entreated and threat
| ened, but the British captain was obdurate,
and just to show that he meant what he
! said he had his mate parade the crew up
| to the forecastlehead. They were brawny,
| beef-fed score, that could have whipped
! four times their number of Turks, and they
| looked as if they were anxious to start
right in and do it.
The Turkish official gave the British cap
tain to understand that he intended to take
the ArmenianS by force if Necessary, but
| the Turks being men of peace, he would
give him until sunrise next day to sur
render the fugitives. Then the Turks de-
parted.
There was no British or other warship in
the harbor of Smyrna at the time. An
Italian cruiser lay at anchor several miles
away. Capt. Fisher resolved to appeal to
the Italian commander and he knew the re
Mas no time to be lost. So he manned his
gig and, with oars mufiied, stole unobserved
by TIE watchful Turks to the side of King
Humberts ship. He was granted an in
teiview with the Italian commander and
in the name of humanity and the British
flag. he demanded protection fer his refu-
gees.
10 tIIe dIndLeinCnt OF the 1Sr1tSher, the
Italian commander refused to protect him.
Il am here, said he, Ito look after the
subjects of King Humberi: let the queen
look after hers and he bowed the indig-
nant captain out and over the starhoa r,I
rail.
AS Capt. Fisher told the customs officers
yesterday. he was in a state of mind. bur
the more he thought it out the more plain
ly his duty as a British sea captain seemed
to be to save his passengers.
Uncle Sam on the Scene
When dawn arrived every man of the
crew was on deck, the furnaces were red
hot and the steam howlcd from the Boyne's
safety valve. Out of the mists away down
the bay the outlines of great ship grew
The captain called for his glasses. On came
the ship till her outlines were distinct Then
the captain jumped off his capstan and
cracked his heels together. and wild Britt
lsh cheer went up from the hoarse throats
Of his Jack Tars. The great white stranger
was the United States cruiser Minneapolis,
the fastest warship in the world.
Capt Fisher and his men swung the gig
from her davits, while they sent the Brit
ish ensign swinging up the halyards up
side down. The lookout on the Minneapo-
lis mad caught the sign of distress before
Capt. Fishers small boat had come along
side. The Jacobs ladder was over the side
before the warships anchor, and the Brit
ish commander was given a hearty well
come by the officer of the deck.
mandant of the European squadron was
aboard, and the Briton got an immediat tie
audience. He told his story in a few words
We'll give you all necessary protection"
said the American admiral. You'll take
those refugees safely out of this port If
I've got to lombard the town." and the ad-
| miral sent for the officer of the deck and
ordered him to send the barge with a detail
Of marines and blue jackets over to the
British ship, with orders to hold her sa fe
from attack until further orders
Then the admiral's aid went ashore for
the American consul, and he was soon
aboard the Minneapolis. The three men
agreed that the Boyne should sail at once
under the escort of the Minneapolis. So it
was that the British ship shipped her
cables and turned her nose to sea, with the
Minneapolis following in her wake. The
American warship saw her safe on her
way out of danger and bade her crew adieu
with three hearty cheers, which the
Boyne's crew returned three times over
When the sun was at its height bloody
Smyrna was many miles in the Boyne's
| wake, and then 1t occurred to Capt Fisher
that he had forgotten his manifest Capt.
Fisher added that he had landed the Ar
menians at Ellis Island yesterday.
The British captain told his story with
modesty, but he spoke enthusiastically of
the gallant behavior of Admiral Selfridge
and the American seamen.
Collector Kilbreth assured Capt. Fisher
that the United States government u,ould