The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-24
THE MARBLEHEAD Is BACK.
sHB RETURNS AFTER MORE THAN
A YEAR, ABSENCE.

Most of That Time Was spent on the Eu-
ropenn Station and for Nearly n Year
she Was In Turktsh waters-5he VIII
60 10 tho Navy Yard for slight Repairs.
The Gunboat Marblehead arrived at this port
yesterday afternoon and dropped anchor of
Tompkinsville. For moro than . year she
has been absent on the European station. and
a good deal of interest attached to her arrival
from the fact that she was stationed for some
time In Turkish waters. However. nothing
eventful occurred where she was stationed,
and her officers said yesterday that tho chief
sources Of their Information regarding the
moro serious troubles in those waters were tie
newspn pers. Tho cruise, however, has not
been without incident, as the .Marblehead
took q prominent part in the Kiel celebration.
1895. for Newport, r. I. There she was fitted
out with torpedoes. She loft Newport on
March IL for the European station. On her
VOYAGE she touched at Halifax, the Azores,
and Gibraltar, where she arrived In the early
part of May.
At the opening Of the Kiel Canal she was the
only American war vessel that passed through.
She was enabled. to do this on account of her
light draught. The ships officers afterward
received many compliments on the fine show
ing abe made. In the following summer the
ship cruised about the Baltic. touching ut ports
On Norway.and Sweden. In the early part of
October she sailed for England and she reached
Gibraltar on Oct. 10. 1895. Tho officers of tho
ship were Just settling down for q winter Of
cruising in tho Mediterranean when the Mar
blchead was ordered to proceed to Mersina.
Asia Minor. Mersina. though n town Of q
comparativs.y small number Of inhabitants.
was an important station for a warship. Mer-
sina Is the terminus of q railroad leading to tho
interior.
The Marblehead remained at Mersina until
February, when she made a run up to Smyrna,
where part of the European squadron was ly-
Ing. Capt. o'Neil. who had been in command
of the ship since she left the United States. re-
Ill assumed command. She remained at smyr-
ma till early June. During that time affairs
were outlet; and there Vas livtlo sxcitement.
Tho ships bottom reRan TO grow foul, and she
in the royal dry dock of the Naval Arsenal.
fresh cost Of paint, and was put In first-clsss
order. She went back TO Mersina In July. after
S %es, coast se Of f,a ige for sn a month ii ''e The Ma Marble epe
head Joined the equadron at Smyrna on Oct.
10. The Bancroft had just arrived. Tho ship
Commander Sewell Gin speaking Of the Turks.
said that 1t was their custom to push matters
been exhausted and force.was about to be used,
70 yield suddenly and often very unexpectedly.
This custom, he said. had distinguished them
through all tho recent troubles. As an Illus
tration he referred to the case of Mr.. Knapp,
an American missionary at Bitlis. Tho Turks
be- m incensed at him and ordered hin 10
The authorities there demanded that he should
leave by tho nrst French mail steamer, and
not comply. Mr.. knapp appealed to MI;
presence of the Marblehead. lIersina, where
the ship was stationed, was eighty ,niles down
the coast. and Mr.. Walker telegraphed for the
ship to come At once; The MsrbIehsad ar
toytng entire immunity. 1t TRANSFERRED { st
tho Turkish authorities had got wind of the
s ssles tSaa matters aa ans ' had az last Sn reaohsd n a eli iney
tho missionary was not molested. This was
tho only case In which interference by the
Commander Jewell said he was In ignorance
the onhcers on ali. the SHIPS q the squadron.
and even Admiral Selfridge did not seem to
know OF her ultimate destination. The report
that she was to attempt to pass through the
naval officers at Smyrna, but it was conceded
by nearly all that her passage Of the straits
prised moro than the usual number Of vessels at
THO time when the Marblehead left.
On her return trip the Marblehead had to
heavy storm. 1t was decided to experiment
on her consumption OF coal on the trip. On
the The. v .1ssse from Ma Msa sS,1 x to s 5en a1 Il: Thdsl
using only twenty-siI tonr OF coal q day. The
Marblehead proved very seaworthy..
The Mar bleheAd brings back with her all
tho short-tin.e mon and also those on the sick
list from the other vessels of the fieet. These
made up about half OF her crew Of 22o. The
will probably be ordered 70 tho Navy Yard.
m nam n jewell said that IL proper f]aoili,is,
DO made ready for sea in two weeks.