Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-11-12
Gives Old Glory's Protection
to British Steamer Boyne
At Smyrna, About to Sail With Help.
less Armenian Refugees Aboard.
"They will Be Saved II We Have 10 Bombard
the Town." Said He.

DrltRe Wnen tne cuSlOIlS oihs
his vessel off Liberty Island. ana oe Mre,
he was asked by the government on, oIlic, ID
to produce his manifest, as y Iequitte he N, n.
the statutes of the United Sta'es' NC ar
swered politely:
WHAT no manifest" cried the aston
ished official for IL IS shin to- come into
n un,1s without III q manifest why, you are
liable to penalty Of $500" continued the
..VVaII ! can't help that" said the cap
t,;n "hut I guess the Americans won
try to collect the money wheh 'iey neii
my Il Vas that Collector kilbreth: Law
OFFICER Phelps and Special Deputy Naval
Officer Gourley assembled in the custom
house at noon, yedSt vsn,ure " which e the
bronzed man of the sea had to tel IN de-
fence of his defiance of the customs laws
OF Uncle Sam. .,.,;,,;r,,
her anchors off the city of Smyrna, Tur
KEY in Asia. on the night OF OCT. ~ ius,.
The ship had loaded her cargo OF owe
oil and fruits the day before. and mad
dropped down the bay to await the con
slllating" of her invoices and the ccru-
ficate Of her manifest by the American
consul. There had been several rlots IN
SMYRNA for three or four days before. IN
which many Armenians had been massa-
cred. and there was so much disorder IN
his watch and he and his o1ncers re-
manned on deck continually.
The din of another conflict reached tn"
ears of the British seamen about 20 Q CLOCK o;a
Tins of the assassins came over the water
to stir their hearts About an hour after
ward small boat stole noiselessly up u
the starboard gangway and an aged man
begged permission to go on board.
Captain Fisher assented. and the old
man said that there We're III the boat pc
low six Armenian refugees whose nome :
were being pillaged by the Turks, ana
who had only escaped death by flight:
Three of them were women me old
man declared that already the Turks had
discovered their flight and We're in pur-
suit He pleaded with Capt Fisher to
give them the protection of the British
Firing EN- aboard quick" cried the
British captain to his mate. Cast their
small boat adrift.
Captain 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 to
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 possible They We're willing to
go anywhere outside of Turkish jurisdic-
ton.
Fisher said he was bound for America.
whereat there was great rejoicing amon&
the party. Their names We're thereupon
entered upon the passenger list III regular
form. They were A. Shislania and wife
and their two daughters. 16 and II years
old respectively: G. Gorgiadi. d. Dill Sha :
nOSSln ana -. til1autS.
Give these people something TO eat.
said Capt Fisher to the steward: land
see to it that it's the best in the snip; my
man" and they sat those trem l'5in , nun
and filed them up on British beef until
their hearts grew stout again -
While they sat there in the security of
the captains cabin another boat came
alongside the Boyne and voice sruii
with authority demanded to see Captain
Fisher. Before that officer could get TO
t1,x, ff,-1l 1rrf t1,t no
drawn cutlasses. had swarmed up the
gangway. Their commander, an ugly
looking Mosem. asked if there We're any
ArmenanS aboard.
"There are said Capt. Fisher.
The Turk demanded that they be sur
rendered forthwith.
Not as long as the British flag floats
over this ship and there is an Englishman
aboard to wield a cutlass, said Capt.
Fisher.
rate. and just to show that he mean
what he said. he had his mate parade the
were a brawny beef-fed score. that coul!
have whipped four times their number OF
Turks. and they looked as if they wcrc
anxious to start right in and DO it.
The Turkish official gave the British
captain to understand that he intended
to take the Armenians by force if neces-
sary. but the Turks being men of peace,
he would give him until sunrise next dav
to surrender the fugitives. Then the
Turks departed.
There was no British or other warshir
In the harbor of Smyrna at the time. An
Italian cruiser lay at anchor several
miles away. Captain Fisher resolved tC
appeal to the Italian commander and h
knew there was no time to be lost. S
he manned his gig and with oars muffle|
stole unobserved by the watchfui Turk.
to the side of King Humbert's ship. H.
was granted an interview with the Italia
commander. and in the name of humanity
and the British flag. he demanded protec
ton for his refugees.
To the amazement of the Britisher tn
Italian commander refused to protec
him.
II am here said he ito look after tht
subjects of King Humbert: let the Queer
look after hers and he bowed the indig
nant captain out and over the starboarC
AS Captain Fisher told the customs Off
GERS, yesterday. he was in state of mind
but the more he thought it out. the NOR.
plainly his duty as a British captain
seemed to be to save his passengers.
When dawn arrived every man of tn,
crew was on deck, the furnaces were re
hot and the steam howled from tn
Boyne's safety valve. Out of the mist
great ship grew. The captain called 70
his glasses. On came the ship TIL he
i outlines were distinct. Then the captai
jumped off his capstan and cracked hi
heels together. and a wild British chez
went up from the hoarse threats of hi
Jack Tars The The great white stranger wa
fastest warship in the. world.
Captain Fisher and his men swung tn
gig from her davits. while they sent tn
British ensign swinging up the halvartl
upside down. The lookout on the Min;e
apolis had caught the sign Of distress he
fore Capt. Fishers small boat had com
alongside. The Jacobs ladder was owe
the side before the warship's anchor. ar
the British commander was given
hearty welGome by the officer OF the decl
Admiral Thomas Q. Selfridge, Jr, com
mandant of the European squadron. wa
aboard, and the Briton got an immedia,
audience. He told his story in a fe,
words,
We'll give you all the necessary pr,
lection said the American admira
You ii take those refugees safely out {
TINS port II I've got TO lombard Il,
town., and the admiral sent for the of
Ger Of the deck and ordered him to sen
the barge with a detail of marines an
blue1ackets OYER TO the British ship wit
orders TO hold her safe from attack Il
further orders.
Then the admiral went ashore for II
American consul and he was soon aboal
the Minneapolis. The three men agre,
That the Bovine should sail at once und
that the British ship Slipped her cahi
and turned her nose to sea with the Mi
neapoiis following in her wake. N
American warship saw her safe on h
WAY OUT OF danger and bid her adieu wi
snase nearly cheers. which the Bovine
crew returned three times over.
nvl the sun was at its height bloc,
aI aia was many miles in the BOVINE
wake. and then It occurred to Can't
r fisher that he had forgotten his m ,nifs
~, ap' all risher added that he had land
tnr Armenians at Ellis Islam, ,a,. III, s,.'