New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-07
THE NAEY'S PIRATE SHIPS
MARROW ESCAPE OF THE CREWS OF THE
ST. LOUIS, THE HARVARD AND
THE YALE, WHO WERE
NOT CAPTURED
NOT CAPTURED.

The officers and enlisted men who compose the
crews of the American Line ships converted
into auxiliary cruisers know the fun valve OF
the old saw. "Alls well that ends We'll" Today
they are duly commissioned officers ard enlist
cd men in the United States Volunteer Navy.
covered with glory and enriched with prize
money. but they think with shudde:s Of the
fate which ght have been theirs. without
their knowledge they took risks far greater than
ordinary sea soldiers when the ships Of the
American Line passed into the hands Of the
United states Government; and il the stories
which have been told are true they might have
suffered the fate OF pirates had they been capt
ured by any ship of the late Spanish Navy
when the 81. Paul went into commission Cap.
tain Sigsbee was placed in command. and the
crew of tho ship or as many If them wished
10 enter the United States service wero sworn
f. and became members Of the Nolunteor Navy
The process II enlistment and the fornalites
connected with the transfer from the merchant
to the Regular service was slow and took several
weeks TO accomplish.
The need for ships became pressing, and whsa
the It. Louis. the Paris and the New-Y TX wers
placed in commission formalities We're dis.
penscd with. Tho crews Were retained. and an
officer Of the Navy PLACED in charge &
each vessel Neither the officers nor In. nasn
seemed To- think that there was anything wrong
or irregular about the proceeding untl one Il
the American Line vessels captured a rize, AMI
then the question came up: What would have
been the consequence if the Spaniard had capt.
ured us?"
Then ii occurred 70 some II the men hat they
were not regularly enlisted. ard that Il they
fcll into the hands Of the enemy, especially an
enemy like Spain. they might L. .roated as
pirates. The fear was not ground.css. accord
ing to the opinion of officers who CAV the mat
ter attention. aud for that reason The refusal OK
some of the men 10 remain in the service under
the conditions was TO; charged agaius, them.
There was an officer on board al Zach ship
said a naval officer. whose position vas similar
To- that % an admiral on board q flagship
The various captains sailed IN, ships. Tut under
the directions ~ the naval officers who were
also empowered to act as the repres, natives OF
the Government under certain cir. instances
and like the commanders az other United states
vessels. had To he familiar with nt,rnatona
law Even these regularly comm stoned ofi'
GERS took extra risk 10y commanding The fresu'
lar crews. because IN case of captur" they mish'
have been locked upon as the leaders Of pirate
crews. despite the fact tia, they held comHs'
sion9 in the United States Nav.
Il, is all over nov: there is no Spanish Navy
to fear and wc may confess that there was
some irrcFularity in the start"
The pirate point was wiped OFT d. june when
all the men on board the St Louis and the fae
and the Harvard formerly the Paris and the
New York-werc mustered into :he service anu
the officers were commissioned in regular tor"'
hut there seems To- he no doubt Chat AIRY N
the war those vessels We're danger "sly Aea'
the pirate class. and their men "ou'd ""''
Jared badly ut The hands OF Spanish ''p'o''
IL there had been q Spanish captor-