The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-12

BY RaiI-Captain Harper Guaranteed
That He Could Bring the Cruiser to
Wilmington without Touching Bot
tom.
The United States cruiser Raleigh,
which arrived at Southport last Thurs
day and has been swinging in stream,
weighed anchor at 4 o'clock yesterday
afternoon and crossed the bar at 4:SO
o'clock p. N. She sent up great vol
umes of black smoke from her tunnels
and went to sea like a racer.
During his stay in our city Captain
Coghlan, OF the Raleigh, and his wife
and daughter, Mrs. Haywood, have been
guests of Mr.. and Mrs. james Sprunt,
and yesterday Mr.. Sprunt sent the
captain to his vessel by the steamer
Marion. Mrs. Coghlan and Mrs. Hay
wood, accompanied by Mayor and Mrs.
A. NJ. Waddell, left at 3:45 p. m, by the
Atlantic Coast Line for Charleston,
where they will rejoin Captain Cogh-
Ian.
Yesterday morning at 10 o'clock the
steamer Southport carried down a
a &c pdIl ~ W idA " '%SAH
to the cruiser. Surgeon John Miller
Moore and Lieutenants Winder, Heap
and Chadwick, who spent Sunday
night in the city, went down on her
and rejoined the cruiser.
Yesterday afternoon at 1870 o'clock
the steamer Wilmington left the city
with 200 or more ladies and gentlemen
on board and reached Southport in
time to accompany the Raleigh to sea.
The little steamer Sea Bird also took
a party down, and when the cruiser
weighen anchor, both she n the VIII
mington followed the Raleigh To sea.
The cruiser steamed out so fast, how
ever, that the little steamer was left
behind. The Wilmington, however,
got her sailing dander up and kept up
with the Raleigh till h crossed the
bar. AT the bell buoy, with its restless
bell tolling to the swelling waters, a
tain Harper, of the Wilmington, blew
three blasts as a farewell salute to the
cruiser. The Raleigh responded with
her whistle, and with cheers and wav-
ing of handkerchfefs from the Whining
toms passengers and a like response
from the officers and men or the Rail
eigh, the cruiser bounded over the
waves and was soon out of sight in the
offing.
There was a rough sea on and as the
Wilmington plunged into the waves,
water llOW dlI over uGT. AS SCOISS VI
her passengers were SeaSick, Captain
Harper, after saluting farewell to the
cruiser, steamed back inside and got
back to the city at 7:15 p. m.
Now that the cruiser has gone, Will
m~ingtonians a say that the only re-
gTet that they feel is that the Raleigh
did not come to Wilmington. 1t was
not because she could not have done
so, because when she arrived Captain
John w. Harper, h gallant command
er Of the Wilmington, guaranteed his
eighteen years reputation as a pilot,
he wOuld bring her to Wilmington. 1t
would have been money out of his
pocket to have done SO, for his steam
ers, the Southport and Wilmington,
since Thursday, have carried 1900 peo-
pie to Southport to see the cruiser,
whereas if she had come up to the
city all the attraction would have been
here. He knew what he was talking
about, however, and assured the Will
mington committee n the captain of
the cruiser hat he could bring the
Raleigh to Wilmington and take her
out again without striking bottom. He
was so confident that he could do so
that he agreed to forfeit the steamer
Wilmington if he would allow the Raj
eigh to scrape. He says the cruiser
only drew 10 feet 4 inches, and even
if she drew 20 feet six inches he could
nave lone the same. He stated last
night that the tides have been such
while the Raleigh was down below that
he could have brought up a vessel
drawing p feet or more. Vessels draw
ing more water than the Raleigh have
looked at our wharves and gone safely
to sea, and one, the Swedish bark
Ada, cleared yesterday with a greater
draught than the cruiser.
We say this much for our port, as a
false impression may be created as to
the depth of our water from the fact
that the Raleigh did not come up tc
the city.