Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-18
CRAFT WITH 4 HISTORY
PROSPECT OF kDuING MUCH TO
IT'S RENDwN.
Once Owned by nsIndian Prince, Now
Fitted for Colombian
Sexvice.

There sailed out Of the harbor at Seattle,
washington, few days ago craft
which no doubt before dts career Is ended
will have as romantic history as any
piratical craft that ever sailed the Spanish
Main. In fact, 1t has already almost earned
that distinction. The steamer, now known
as the Jessie Banning, was built In HUH,
England, in 1884, for the Rajah of Hutch,
an Indian prince 1t was designed for him,
was intended for his private yacht and was
christened 'Kutch." 1t was fitted up in a
manner BETTING prince of India. There
were accommodations for guests, dancing
girls, snake charmers and as many wives
as he might want to take along. In year
or two the prince either tired or the prlny
deep or his spare change was exhausted,
and he sold his yacht to the Union Steam
ship Company, British Columbia corpora
ton.
During the excitement over the discovery
of gold In the klondike the vessel plled pc
tween Victoria and the Lynn canal, via
Vancouver. One dark and stormy night IN
August, 1900, the Hutch, dreaming doubt
less of the good old times when the raJah
sailed the seas, forgot her course and struck
on the rocks of Horseshoe reef in Stephen
passage, twenty-five miles from Juneau
The passengers and crew escaped to the
shore with much difficulty, leaving the YES
sci to her fate. 1t was thought that the
loss was total, but salvage company towed
the vessel into port and made repairs which
restored her to her old-time usefulness
This time the name was changed and for
the first time she sailed as the Jessie Ban
ming. Before leaving Seattle on this last
trip she was overhauled thoroughly.
Mystery Explained.
There was much mystery connected with
the movements of the vessel, and no one
seemed to know her owner or her destina-
,ic oil inc uvh a
Francisco was reached. There she Will
clear for Panama in a few days and be
known as the Bogota, the iagship of the
Colombian governments Pacific squadron.
Her first duty will be to drive the rebel
gunboat Padilla out of the way, or put 1t
out of commission, and then there will be
other duties to perform. Officers and men
claim that the cargo is only coal, though
the vessel is deep in the water and appar-
emily heavily laden. Alongside of her Is a
box car from lion, New York, where they
make fighting apparatus among other
things, and the car is loaded with small
arms consigned to the Colombian govern
ment. Two more cars billed the same way
stand on the track a short distance away.
Careless freight handlers opened one of the
cars recently and as quickly closed 1t again
at the suggestion of some Of the crew OF
the vessel.
The Bogota is commanded by H. H. Mar
maduke, graduate of Annapolis, who was
In the confederate navy and on the Merri-
mac IN the FAMOUS ngnt Win the monitor at
Hampton Roads. The crew is made up of
tars recently discharged from the American
navy, many Of them tars who fought with
Dewey and Schley. Captain Marmaduke
was not particularly anxious to conceal her
movements after San Francisco was reach
ed, but would say nothing about the arma
ment lest the revolutionists should hear Of
it. 1t Is supposed that before the South
American waters are reached the vessel
viii in part be protected so that the shots
of the enemy will not be unobstructed The
vessel is $50 feet long, 23.2 feet beam and
has III feet dep..i of hold. Her displace-
ment is about 500 tons. The crew seems to
look forward to an engagement with the
Padilla with much pleasure and within the
next two three weeks there may be an
other naval battle TO record.