Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-31
PEDDLlNG A SHIP OF WAR
%M Ev1;xzsIzz1I To SuitInd
Need
Captain John 6, Watson Finally Did Sue
coed IN Delivering the Meteor.
EXCITING EXPERIENCE OF THE VESSEL
II Was Built TO Tackle the Alabama,
but the KearsarEe Did the
Job-ChiIe Got IL
at Last.

Job-Chne Got IL
at Last
NEW YORK. March 30.-Captain John 8.
Watson, who for the last twenty-five years
has been the marine superintendent Of the
Cunard line, was telling the other day how
he once had commodore and twenty-nine
other officers Of the Spanish navy COM
pletely at his mercy, and how. had he
wished he could have delivered them either
TO the Chilean or Peruvian governments, to
his pecunlary profit, as Spain was at that
time at war with both countries. The
story hinged on the steamship Meteor,
which was built to destroy the famous
confederate privateer Alabama, that did
80 much damage to American shipping be-
fore the Kearsarge met It on Cherbourg
harbor and sent II to the bottom.
1.-THE Alabama had captured and burned
30 many of our vessels that the merchants
of New York and Boston asked permission
OF tho government to present to It a vessel
designed and built especially for the pur-
pose OF running down the privateer, and
the government consented 10 accept the
vessel" said Captain Watson. Among
those interested were w. H. Aspinwall OF
this city and the Forbes brothers of Bos-
ton. The vessel, staunch a wooden fight
ing ship as could be built in those days,
was constructed under the supervision. OF
r. B. Forbes, but before II had been
fitted out and its machinery put in place
the Alabama was at the bottom OF the
sea and the civil war was at a close.
There was then no use for the vessel, as
the United States refused to accept II for
any other purpose than the one for which
It was intended SO the men who had
built the Meteor-that was the name they
gave it-found themselves with a ship that
was Of little value TO them. They began
to figure how they could get rid Of It.
Spain Blocks a Sale.
1T was offered for sale in the open mar
ket, but no one seemed TO want It any
more than its owners did, until the trouble
between Spain and Chile and Peru started
in 1906 Neither Chile nor Peru had much
of navy and they were looking for ships.
Through Vernon H. Brown, who Is now
the agent OF the Cunard line, negotiations
were opened for the sale OF the Meteor.
Things were going along smoothly when
Spain learned of the prospective purchase
and appealed to the United States for inter-
ference. The Meteor was lying In New
York harbor, fully manned, with steam
up and the pilot on board when William H
Seward, then the secretary Of state, took
matters in hand and the Meteor was or
dered to remain in port. The Spanish min
lister asserted that the vessel was about
TO go on privateer mission against Span
ish shipping. The Meteor was dismantled
and laid up here. year later It was sent
70 Boston. where It was sold at auction.
Just who bought It at the time did not
appear, but It was again fitted out for sea
and crew placed on board.
1.-THE command was given to me and we
made ready to go 70 sea- MY orders were
sealed and had instructions TO proceed to
Rio de Janeiro before breaking the seal
"a second time the Spanish government,
through its representatives. learned that
the Meteor was about 10 sail and the Span
ish consul in Boston telegraphed to Wash
ington in order TO stop the vessel II pos
sible. But the Spanish consul was not
quick enough. and soon after we learned
what had been done we had weighed an
Choir and were steaming out Of Boston
harbor, bound for the South Atlantic
When we got outside the three-mile limit
we saw a revenue cutter coming after us
but we had a good start and no intention
OF putting back.
mot a soul on board knew where we
were going and officers and men did their
best to find out. The voyage down TO
Brazil was not eventful. but when we
reached Rio 1 found that I had power OF
attorney with instructions to sell the
Meteor 20 the best advantage.
"As 1 said. there was no better craft
anoat at the time than was the Meteor.
did not doubt that I could dispose Of It
to Brazil, but after the officials had looked
IL over they decided that they did not
want II,
.srh..a 49,. = es,artsb eaat ~ t3to ond tts
ohicers became very much interested IN
the Meteor especially when they learned
that It was the vessel that had been nego-
tiated for by Chile and Peru.
spanish Admiral Gets busy.
"The Spanish admiral complained to the
government OF Brazil that the Meteor was
q prlvateer and also notified the American
admiral who. was then In port that he
would be held responsible II the Meteor got
away explained my mission, assured the
authorities that was only out looking for
q purchaser for the vessel and permitted
the spaniards TO see that we had no arma-
ment. Then they wanted TO buy the
Meteor and 1 fold them that l would sell
it. The government authorized board OF
odicers to test the vessel and they came
aboard--thirty spaniards.
'sThey didn't want Brazil to know what
they were up to. so they came aboard at
night and early the next morning, with the
Spanish commodore, the chief engineer OF
the fleet and twenty-eight others. we went
20 sea- Then was the time had them at
my mercy. There was nothing in the
world 70 prevent me from steaming around
20 the west coast OF South America and
turning them over 70 either Chile or Peru
nothing except. OF course, the sense Of
right and TO be sure I landed them safely
81 Rio when they had seen how the Meteor
worked under sail and steam. Nothing
came OF the trip, however, the terms
Of settlement that were proposed were not
satisfactory,
shortly after that I heard from Mr..
Brown. The second time he had opened
negotiations with the combined govern
ments and had sold the Meteor TO the COM
blnation. This / did not learn, however,
until We got 10 Singapore, where we went
after leaving Rio.
AT Singapore I got instructions to cruise
% the west coast OF South America and
20 proceed to a little port to the north OF
Callao. where / was 20 await further or
ders. There We learned that there was a
Spanish feet lowering or the harbor OF
callao. but soon we heard that the Span