The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-05-31
A PRIVATE ENTERPRISE
Subscriptions From Patriotic Business
Men Furnished the Money for
the Boat.
what became Of the Meteor?"

What became of the Meteor"
Thousands Of persons in this country
and abroad were asking that question
about forty years ago. Only Capt. J. s.
Watson and his crew Of 125 trusted sea-
men, who sailed away in her from BOs-
ton harbor under sealed orders, knew
what had become Of the big Warship.
No one knew her destination or her
mission save her owners and Captain
Watson, and they did not reveal the Sc
rret. Spinning yarns about ships and
cruises the other day. Captain watson
let slip the story. He Is now superin-
tendent of the Cunard docks. He is
past eighty years old, but one of the
most active men in the service of the
Cunard company. For more than forty
years ne followed the sea. most Of the
time IS masta- OF a ship, and has been
with the Cunard company for twenty
five years. He comes from a family of
sailors, one OF his brothers being Ad-
miral W. +. Watson. retired.
During the civil war the Alabama had
been the terror Of American shipping
and her destruction Of siX5y-five Amer
lean ships and property worth more
than %.OU0O0O had led 10 the interna-
uOnal controversy recorded in history
hark-rigged steam slOOp with fourteen
guns built secretly in England and sent
10 the United States for the Confederate
forces.
Captain Watson began his story with
the building Of the Meteor.
There came time said he, when
the United States was obliged to have
a ship that could catch and punish the
Alabama, so the wealthiest and most
loyal men of Boston and New York I'M
tn H.na
IS of the enterprise We're r l. and J.
NJ. Forbes, Of Boston, and William As
pinwall, of New York. Hundreds Of citi-
zens subscribed ali the way from 5000
70 $4,000 The ship was built IN Ports
mouth. n. H, and her engines came
from the other side. AS / remember,
she was pierced for twelve guns with
two big pivot guns and was one Of the
fastest steam and sailing warships OF
that time.
In the contract the Secretary Of the
Navy had provided that when the Ne
1eOr was completed the men who had
supplied the money for her should name
her commander, and just as she was
ready for sea the war ended and her
services were not required. Then came
perpleXlnE question as what to do
her and William II. Seward, Secretary
OF State. was pressing the Alabama
claims against England, and that add
ed to the difficulties Of the situation
Meanwhile she had become an OBJ
jeCt Of interest in many quarters Of the
globe. I think it was early in 1861 that
she was finally ordered back TO Boston
with the understanding that she was "a
go to Japan to be sold. II was at this
lime that | was put in command of her
with sealed orders. / selected a good
crew and from the day we sailed out
or Boston h3rbOr until six months later,
when the ship was finally sold in Cal
lao, Peru, not n man on the ship knew
her destination but myself. We carried
no cargo. We cleared for n port rarely
visited by American ships, and the crew
shipped for a twO-year cruise to thC
American East Indies, the exact Ioca-
tiOn of which I have never learned.
I'VE sailed directly to Rio Janeiro.
had power of attorney 10 sell or char
ter the ship according to my best judg