The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-29
A WAR VESSEL IN PORT
The Auxiliary Cruiser Hudson Arrive.
Here Bound for H~avana-She Came
Very Nearly FOundering I'm the Storm
Tuesday Night.

The United States steamer Hudson ar
rived here yesterday morning at 10 o'clock
and moOred along side the monitor Nam
tucket at the custom house wharf.
The steamer is fitted up as an auxiliary
cruiser or patrol boat, and is equipped
with two 6-pounder Brigges-Schroeder
guns and a rapid fire Colt gun. One six
FOUNDER is rugged on the forward deck
and the other on the stern. They are
fine guns and at a distance of three miles
their prOjectileS will penetrate nine
inches of steel. They are said to be eff
fective for five miles. These guns are
breech leaders and efficient gunners will
fire ten to twelve shots a minute. The
Colt gun is a twenty-five calibre weapon
and is a little Monster. The cartridges
are on a band and are slim steel billets
about three inches long. The gun fires
400 of these missiles a minute and all
the gunner has to do it to hold down the
trigger and do the aiming, turning the
gun in all directions and timing at will
while the bullets are belched forth. At a
distance of a thousand yards or upwards
these missiles will pass through three
inches of solid steel.
The officers of the Hudson are Lieu
tenant Frank H. Newcomb, commanding;
Second Lieutenant James H. Scott, eX-
ecutive officer, Third Lieutenant Ernest
E. Meade; Chief Engineer N. e. Cutchin
and Assistant Engineer Theodore CT.
Lewton. They are all as clever as they
can be and are spelling for a brush with
any craft of their class. Besides these
officers there are Boatswain Jack Noun
tame, Quartermaster John Petersen and
Assistant Quartermaster Johnny Lossin,
a set of thoroughbreds. The crew is also
a brawny set and are gamy and enthusi-
aStic.
The Hudson has been ordered to Key
West and will thence be sent to join the
blockading fleet on the coast of Cuba.
She is SO feet 6 inches in length, 20 feet
wide, 20 feet depth of hold and draws 20
feet of water. She is fitted with triple
expansion engines, and in smooth water
will reel off II knots per hour. In an
ordinary sea her speed is put down at Il
knots an hour. She was formerly a tug
in New York harbOr. Her pilot house and
engine room are protected on the outside
by plates of Harveyized steel three
Fights of an inch thick.
The Hudson left the Norfolk navy yard
ON last Saturday and proceeded to the
capes. and left there on her voyage at s
o'clock Sunday evening in company with
the auxiliary cruisers Morrill, and Ham
ilton, which are also bound for Key
West, and thence for Havana. They
parted company with the Hudson off
Point Lookout.
Lieutenant Newcomb reports that on
! Monday they encountered a severe blow
off HatteraS. and Tuesday night about
I o'clock they arrived fifty miles off Fry
ing Pan shoals ~iightship with the severe
northeast gale coming on-the gale which
blew so hard in Wilmington all of Tues
day night and all day yesterday and a
great portion of last night. Off Frying
Pan shoals at 10 O'Clock Tuesday night
the vessel was right in the teeth of the
. gale with the wind blowing So miles an
| hour. 1t was dark as pitch and the seas
| dashed clear over the vessel. Wave af-
1 TOW II-n va cit yIIpk tho III ON and h
| timberS cracked as if it would be car
ried away. Everything about the YES
| sci was fastened down. but the water
poured in through the deck and tops of
| the cabins. and wet everything on board.
| The little vessel was tossed about like
a shell and even the padding was thrown
| from the berths. All movable objects
We're hurled about at will. In the ward
room the provisions We're dashed about.
and sugar. molasses and other supplies
were mixed in a mess. The bed clothes.
wearing apparel of the men and every
| thing aboard was 6renched. The vessel
shipped sea after sea and the water
poured into her and streamed into the
engine room. The pumps We're kept
till 4 o'clock yesterday morning and the
men say they never expected to escape
| from laundering. They made for South
| port yesterday morning and got in over
| the bar on very rough water at Z o'clock
| yesterday morning. When the Hudson
| got here the men were worn out and had
l 10 take rest. WHICH IHey were STdu 10
| get. On board yesterday afternoon they
were drying out their things. The Hud-
son will be here until tomorrow or prob
| ably Saturday. She came In for coal and
will also have to take on fresh provis-
| ions.
Her commander. Lieptenant Newcomb.
| is no stranger in Wilmington. He served
| on the United States revenue cutter
| Crawford in this port in 1S14-15. and
| again on the revenue cutter ColfaX in
1855. He married Miss Rose Prioleau.
| of Southport. Talking about the storm
| last night he said he never saw such a
| hail storm in all his life. He declared
| that the chuncks of ice that bombarded
the vessel would take the prize at 3
| county fair.