Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-25
REVENUE CUTTERS
Wide Range Of Operations
Included In Duties.
Service Now Part Of the Civil
Establishment.



coast i'll search OF snugglers
mace the beginning Of the rere-
nue. cutter service that has recently
tine against yellow fever. When Alex
andel- Hamilton taxed the resources of
tie youthful States to equip boats for
detective duty under the Treasury De
parInIcIn Of 1880. no frrtil im;it,ina ion
pictured The variety of service hat
would b. demanded. nor The good that
could be- don" by their successors in
tn" nryt hundred years ana more. That
service was III. basis Of the United
States Navy. bu, i comparatively few
years brought :; parting of courses.
ana while one arm has been developed
to OVcr-aWc and destroy, The other has
been steadily extended to protect and
help the ways Of peace. Revenue cut
tiers have saved thousands Of lives; they
annually visit the fallhest points in the
American possessions. and they carry
| news and ;tsSStaIlc" To thc lonely and
ShipWreckcd.
The service Aintuin"d on til" quar-
antirc lines about New Orleans and the
district infected with yellow fever fur
niSheS 4 single illustration. Five yes
sels have patrollcd the coast line night
ana day to capture and inspect the fish
| ing craft ana larger vessels that Try TO
| break through. over six hundred yes
| sells have already been held up ana in
| specttd, many being sent 10 the quar-
| antinr stations IT Gulfp"rt ana ship
| Island for disinfectiom ana further ex-
| animation Of suspected cases Of fever.
| it has been tedious, thankless duty with
| constant exposure TO the dangers Of
| fever. and one Of the crew Of the Vino
| ma was taken with the disease ana sent
| to the Marine Hospital. The Semi
| nolc. formerly ON duty Al Boston, is the
| flagship Of the Gulf patrol fleet.
Captain ". G. Ross, chief Of the SER
! vice. " no was in charge of The quar-
| antine for six weeks. excited much
| comment by the fearless way re went
| about. He relied entirely on his rugged
| physique ANA attention 10 his general
| surroundings for protection, and as he
| has remarked since returning to WASH
| ingtOn. had no fear Of Contagion. TIe
| slept III quarters from which mosqui
| toes were excluded so far as possible.
| He has less fear Of the disease now
| thHn ever, and believes good health and
| sanitary conditions prove ample pro-
| tect i.b,i.
| The revenue cutter service has been
| under the supervision of NE Treasury
| Department since thns" first small
| boats Were sent ont ny Hamilton, eX
| "ept OH occasions when our wars have
| led the President to take advantage of
| the statute to place the vessels under
| the Navy Department. The duties in
| clude Tie enforcement OF all laws af-
| fecting thu maritime interests Of this
| country: the prevention of Illicit ira file
| by sea; compelling All craft 10 comply
with legal requirements as To ships
| papers. lights. inspection ANA passenger
| laws, and the rescue and assistance of
| distressed vessels ana crews. IN fact,
| the cutter s"rNic" III tn" great humane
| tartan branch OF our Government. its
| activities extending over land and sea.
| Its varied duties have furnished sub
| JeCtS for many stories of fiction: one
| officer now in The service remarked to-
| day that il" WAS first Interested in its
| possibilities through reading j. Frmi-
moro CooperS Wing and Wing"
| Those in the Servic" point with pride
| to the record Of lives saved. During
the Spansh-Amcrican War the cutter
Hudson. under command or Captain
| +. II. NeWcomb rescued the torpedo
boat Winsl"w from III" damaging fire
| Of the Spamiards ut Cardcnas; while
on" of the minor achievements noted
was the voyage of the McCulIoch to
Hong Kong with the first news Of .\d-
miral DeWey's victory at Manila.
Til" cruise ~ tn" revenue cutter Bear
and the rescue of over 80 sailors from
cNi
Barrow was an achievement worthy of
special mcntion. The Bear reached
san Francisco in December. 1891. when
orders We're issued dcSpatcilinlc the YES
sci on Il return trip in the midst Of an
Arctic winter to save the Whalers. The
voyae" way successful and would have
attracted much attention had not the
victories of our navy in the war with
Spain overSh@duWcd all else That
cruiser has saved over one hundred
lives which members of the service con-
traSt with the killing of nearly as many
in our naval hdttl" off Santiago. This
cutter cOntinu, its annual visits TO
Point Barrow. which is the northern
most point Of tho continent. The
cutter +. &. Perry has this year visit
ed Attn Island. the WesternmoSt Of the
Aleutian chain. and found three white
fishermen VINO had seen no white mer
nor had any news from the outside
world for Il year. Their first question
was: "W no is President Of the United
States"
The personnel Of the service is made
up Of captains first. second and third
iieutenants. cadets with gunners.
boat, swaine chief machinists and car !
pentcrG rs petty officers. Line officers
are appointed by promotion from the
ranks Of cadets. who are selected |
through civil service competitive exam |
nations. The vacancies among the |
petty officers are filled by promotion, on |
examination. from among the seamcn. |
There are officers on active duty on the |
retired list Of this service who have
won medals and "hcnora blesmention''
for many acts of bravery. Among |