The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-12

After the lapse of 80 years Uncle
Sam again plays the part of a block
ader and ships Of war floating the star
ry nag keep watch outside the harbor
ing Admiral Sampson lies on Havana
n last cruisers and gunboats are on
the alert to capture vessels bearing the
hated colors of the Spaniard.
This Is war in grim earnest. Not the
war that reeks of blood, hat means
sacrifice of human life. or tina offers
glory on the pages of history. But
nevertheless ware strife that strikes
at the very vitals of q nation. Men
must eat to fight. Producers of wealth
must sell their goods that those who
night nay have munitions OF war. There
must be trafdc with the world that
gold may come to the Golfers of a bel
ligerent nation. The successful block
d OF a port means that one OF the
great arteries Of commerce is closed or
clogged; that the beleaguered city may
face h horrors Of starvation; that its
business interests are paralyzed. and
surrender or relief imperative within
the limits of the city's resources.
1t was in the war Of the rebellion
that blockade running was reduced to
a science. The bold commanders of
swift English and French steamers
dared the perils of Yankee guns and
~
tween the principal ports of the con-
federates n the of Eu-
rope. Cotton was declared c~ontraband
of war soon after the outbreak of hos
tilities between the states, n as
England particularly was largely de-
pendent upon the Southern cotton
fields for raw material to keep her
factories in operation it was a matter
of necessity that the mandate of the
federal government should be evaded
The fastest steamers in the English
marine service were utilized and 1t was
not until the splendid gallantry of a
ragut brought New Orleans and Mo-
bile into subsection, and until the con-
slant a~ugmenting of h union naval
fighting forces completely invested
Charleston. Savannah n other At
lantic ports, that the blockade runners
ceased to ply their trade with a cou-
Tageous cunning that in nearly every
case brought them immunity.
There are living and in the active
service of the United States navy
many men who have helped to make
history in the ''bottling up" of the con-
federacy, and south of mason and
Dixon's line now obliterated forever
by the union of blue and graz in the
face of a common foe, are veterans
who scurried under the guns of watch
full federal cruisers and who gave shot
for shot when halted in the harbors
of the South Atlantic coast by cruisers
flying the Stars and Stripes.
The present critical situation before
Havana and the vast possibilities of
the pending war with Spain recall the
exciting days of the '60s, and make the
experience of men who played their
part in the game of war the more in
teresting to the Younger generation.
Il was second mate on the English
<a.,.. D.trAI y .afl Cantnf. Ganroa
Lundin, a veteran of two wars and
long a sailor on board American and
British merchantmen, when the ques-
ton of the blockade of Spanish ports
in Cuba was made the topic of CONVEX
sation with a reporter for the Chroni-
Gle. Il have every reason to remem-
Der the blockade placed on the south
ern ports by the federal navy, and L
can only thank my lucky stars that
they didn't have electric searchlights
or rapid-fir guns in those days.
Blockade running! 1t was my bust
ness for two years, and in hat time
j had more excitement than the whole
navy of England put together. To be
a blockade runne is to steal through
a harbor set with mines, dodge the
watchful eye of the hostile fleet. sneak
under guns that could blow you into
smithereens and perhaps have a race
for life when some gunboat officer gets
a sight of you. When it's all over and
you're safe at dock or well out at sea,
whichever way you may be bound, you
wonder why you risk your life for pal
try wages that merchants may profit
at expense of blood. You don know
why you do IL, but on the e trip
you are willing to make the venture
again.
1T was in 1868 that the blockade of
Charleston was most vigorously en-
forced by the federal fleets. There was
great stores of cotton on the docks at
Charleston and English manufacturers
were in desperate straits for raw ma
terial. The watch dogs of the northern
nav patrolled every foot of the harbor
entrance, but nevertheless English
boats slipped in at night and stole out
again loaded with the precious staple.
I'VE left Glasgow in August, 1868.
bound for the blockaded port. We had