The Saint Paul globe., 1904-01-24
FAMOUS BLOCKADE
RUNNER is DEAD
Sir William Allan, Notable Fig
ure In Parliament, Ends
Picturesque Career.
Special Foreign Service.

SQ6Cldl OfClSH SGIFICC.
LONDON, Jan. 23.-Strangers visit
ing the house of commons invariably
found in Sir William Allan, who died
the other day, one of the most pfctur-
esque figures, in parliament, but the
burly old Scotch engineer always had
q particular interest for Americans on
account of his adventures in the Civil
war. The part he played in the strug-
gle between North and South was that
of o blockade runner, and this was when
Sir William, who died aged siXty-six
was a youngster of twenty-five. His
father, who had been the head of
great engineering firm at Dundee, lost
all his money, and the future Sir Will
liam was sent, at ten, to learn the trade
of an engineer. His first visit to the
United States was made some years
later, when, on finishing his appren-
ticeSh1p, he emigrated to Paterson, N.
J., where he lived several years. After
this he came back to Scotland, and it
was at Glasgow that he was made an
offer to serve as engineer on one Of
the steamers designed to elude the
United States ships of war which were
keeping the blockade. His vessel was
captured, however, on her first trip, be-
ing made prize in Savannah harbor
I'VE were carrying contraband, Of
course, saltpetre and similar tackle"
Sir William said when describing the
experience, "and l spent six weeks in
the Old Capitol prison, at Washington,
sleeping on bare boards. And, just as
a pleasant little reminder to us of
what might happen, a gallows conven-
iently fixed in the court yard, on which
they hanged spies occasionally, to en-
courage the others. However, Lord Ly-
ons, the British minister, took up my
case, and | was set free" Sir William
did not add on this occasion by what
means he contrived to communicate
with his country's representative. AS
a matter of fact he bribed one of the
sentries to carry a letter to Lord Ly-
ons, who got him released on parole.
After returning to England, Allan
rose rapidly in his profession, first be-
coming manager of a great engineering
company in Sunderland, his home, and
then director of the same organization
and another. Later he was made dep
uty lieutenant for the county of Dur
ham, and finally was elected to parlia-
ment as a Liberal in 1S93 and repre-
sented Gateshead at Westminster up
to the time of his death. His remarka-
BILE personality made him a marked
man in parliament from the first He
was truly Homeric figure, tall, sturdy
and powerful from years with the an
vii, with long tousled gray hair and
a massive beard which fell on his
breast. No frock coat and silk hat for
him, either; the old Scotch engineer
invariably was seen in somewhat pom
derous clothes of the dullest Scotch
check, the jacket short, and when he
emerged from the commons, he put OH
a sombrero- like hat of gray felt, which
he wore. on one side. To the last he
spoke with an accent of the broadest
Scotch.
AS might have been expected from
his character, Sir William troubled the
house seldom with speeches, but when
the venerable chief engineer rose to
"orate," the windows shook. There was
one subject which he made his own,
and the mere mention of which affected
him as the proverbial red rag 10 bull
This was the so-called "Belleville' wa
ter tube boiler used by the British ad-
nifalty. AS a practical engineer Sir
William was against the Belleville
product from the first, and whenever
he got the chance he thundered against
1t. The house, rather amused than in
terested, at fret gave the old Scotch
man little heed-the admiralty none
whatever. But Sir William kept pound
ing away, in season and out of season,
and the more he denounced the Belle
vile boiler. the more odious it seemed
to become in his sight. "He can apos-
throphise it," T. P. O'Connor wrote,
until you behold the guilty thing al
most under your very eyes, and see it
shrivel and twist and crumble UNDER
meath the blazing Indignation of his
eyes, before the shaking of his shaggy
and weird locks
A year or so ago Sir Williams inde-
fatigable campaign began to have it's
effect AT last even the admiralty took
the subject SO seriously as to appoint a