The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-26
SEARCHING A
Rough and Hasty Methods Used by the
British.
Especial to Baltimore SUM-

Especial to BaltlmOre SUM-
Alden. Arabia, January 9, via Paris, |
January 21.-Your correspondent was
"a. passenger on the German steamer
General, which was seized at this place.
Iand is able to relate what actually oc-
Icurred.
The General arrived at Alden at an
early hour, January 4th. 1t was Cap
tain Gauhe's intention to coa immedi-
Iately and proceed in the afternoon.
Scarcely had he dropped anchor when
"a British man-of-war's o came
alongside. An officer boarded the Gen.
ieral n informed Captain Gauhe that
the ship would be searched; also, that
no attempt must be made TO leave the
lharbor.
Shortly after dawn this morning the
ship was boarded by a large detach-
ment of ~bluejackets, who opened the
matches N set TO work removing the
cargo. while marines with loaded rifles
paced the deck.
The work OF unloading the cargo was
somewhat crudely performed, but n
would scarcely a expected the care
lessnesS actually displayed. Huge
lighters were towed alongside, into
which the cargo was hurriedly dumped.
and dumped" in the literal sense.
Dozens of cases OF goods were smash
ed, barrels burst n their contents
spilled. Iron piping Jared no better.
more h half Of a large quantity be-
ing broken. Even the iron plates for
Ia small steamboat were so bent and
twisted that il will be impossible to
use them.
For two days it rained steadily, a
rare occurrence at Alden, but no at
tempt was made to protect the cargo
from the rain.
When a lighter was filled 1t vas tow
"a x-A-A wsIn1
lcarelessly IN the coal wharf. Here for
two days hundreds of sacks of white
sugar and scores of cases of drygoods
lay unprotected. Many OF these had
been broken open to enable the British
to see their contents
No effort was made to cover some or
the more perishable goods with tarpau-
Inns. If, when night fell, some of the
lighters were only partly filled they re-
Imained alongside uncovered all night.
The cargo was piled into the lighters
lpell-mell, regardless of destination and
the fact that it would thus become
Ihopelessly mixed.
At the wharf where the cargo was
deposited an inadequate guard was
provided, with the result that a large
Quantity of goods were stolen.
A case Of samples belonging TO a com
lmercial traveller on board excited the
suspicion of a petty Officer. 1t was
lclumsily broken open, the contents
hastily clawed over and stuffed In
Iagain and then the case was dumped
Into a lighter along with a lot of dam
aged agricultural machinery.
The authorities at first announced
that everything must be taken out of
1.-THE ship, even the coal in her bunkers.
Had this intention been persisted In
the General would have been detained
fully three weeks. However,, when
IoIc +I,a aorDn uyno OI1fF md a
lcursory examination of the remaining
Twas thus made possible, a hole was dug
Ito the bottom of the main coal bunker
land the British officers expressed them.
selves satisfied that the ship contained
mo c~ontraband.- hen they gave per,
mission to reload the cargo.
When the reloading began the resul
Iof the reckless handling of the cargt
because apparent. Fully one-third o.
the cargo was damaged and a consid
lerable quantity had been stolen.
The cargo was 80 hopelessly mixet
that to store it properly was impossible
in any reasonable time. Such as wa.
mot too much damaged was gotten II
somehow, but further delay Will b.
lcaused at other ports, owing to the con
fusion in the Stowage, n the fact tina
much will be missing altogether.
The English ~blueiaekets, who work
ed energetically to get out the carg
in the hope of prize money, showed les
enthusiasm in putting it in again, an
the work dragged.
AS Delagoa bay is the last port bu
@. one (Durban) at which the Genera
!calls. she arrived here loaded to tn
matches with cargo for sixteen port:
: land naturally any cargo destined 10
lDeIagoa bay was stored near the bot
tom. Before, therefore, the authorize
IcouId examine these goods, they had
remove nine-tenths of the cargo.