Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-11

away 1t was thus that Gorringe
found her, rusty and dirty as. only an
Egyptian steamship may become, the
flag of her country trailing ragiike
over her taffrail. The engines and
boilers were in execrable condition.
bpt her hull was dry and sound.
After long negotiations with the d.
| rector general OF posts, the ship was
purchased for 500 pounds sterling.
j. ultimately cost about as much
more to refit and clean her. Many
persons held claims against the Egyp-
tian government. and they had q play
! full habit OF seizing a ship or any
| thing else that the Khedive was mind
ed to sell. In order to prevent such
seizure in the case of the Dessous.
sale Of the vessel was kept secret.
Transfer to Gorringe was effected in
, the Office of the director OF posts, and
after papers had been formally signed
, representative accompanied the pur-
chaser to the ship. standing by to
give official cognizance. while the
| Egyptian ensign was hauled down
, and American colors were hoisted at
masthead and peaks.
This was very well. SO tar as II
! went 1t did not. however, 60 SO far
as to establish the matter Of nation
ality. Under the laws OF the United
States the ship could not be register
ed as an American vessed. and sail
ing under the flag Of Egypt would
have involved s?rious risks and EN-
barrassments. especially in regard to
the crew. Of course, 1t was out Of the
question to fly British flag. or colors
: of any other nation.
No course, in fact was left but
open defiance to the maritime laws
of every country in the world; and
Gorringe took that course. In other
words. he determined to make the
voyage to New York without registry.
, In doing this, he risked seizure by the
vessel of war Of any country, Or by
the authorities of any port There
was, however, nothing to do but 70
: assume the risk. In writing OF this
Gorringe naiveIy says that Gibraltar.
- conditions being favorable. was the
only port at which he woW:G De oblig-
: ed to stop for coal, and that his per-
sonaI acquaintance with the chief nav
al and military authorities at thai
, place gave him confidence in the be-
lief that his papers would not be
examined too closely.
His optimism SEEMS not TO nave
been misplaced. The Dessoug did
stop at Gibraltar, and coaled! there is
no record that the officers OF the
British government read her papers
With too scrutinizing eyes. There
were, in fact, no ships papers"
, There was a paper. 1t merely said
that in exchange for 5000 pounds the
director-general Of posts Of Egypt had
given to Lieut.. Com. H. H. Gorringe,
u. s. ~. the steamship Dessoug. De-
tails of British frieadliness were care
fully reserved by Gorringe, but that
he had no reason to complain Of treat
ment at their hands may be postulat-
ed from the fact that the craft ar
rived in New York on schedule time.
Having no registry number. no en-
sign, no private signal. Gorringe had
the vessels name painted in white
letters. two feet high, on bow and
stern, SO that her identity, in case OF
need, would be made known to marine
observers or passing steamships.
All this appealed to popular fancy,
and 10 find analogy the pages Of fic-
tion alone rewarded search. Mr.. Mid
shipman Easy was the hero IN this
case. Many remembered then. asj
many remember now, how Captain
Marryatt's young nero, accompanied
by his faithful negro Mesty, took pos
session of an abaBdoHec Spanish
xebeque of so tons, and. after some
two monthsof adventures, fell In with
a man-of-war Of Spain. Amid prepare
tions made to engage this war vessel
the question of colors arose. What
flag. in fact, could be flown? Certain
ty not the Spanish-and she had MOI
british flag Hoard The dilemma
was solved when Mesty ran below and
brough up on deck green silk ana
yellow pettic3at of soms fair daught-
er Of Castillo Under this Mr.. Easy
fought his fight, assisting the british
ship-of-war Harry in accomplishing
the discontinue Of the Spaniard. III
was said the Spanish officers after
their capture mot the first time that
people had got into trouble through al
petticoat." $50.
But Gorringe was living grim facts
in the days following the purchase OF
the Dessoug. When she was being
cleared and refitted the question of
how, to lower the Soften pedestal In
!! to the after hatch, as well as devices
for getting a shaft Of stone into the
hold, claimed attention.
II was at length decided TO place shS
vessel in dry Cock and open q mole in
her bow. A Scotch engineer and a
staff of Arabian bojler-makers were
set to work They removed IS
frames. 1000 rivets, and 80 plates. be-
fore the opening was large enough to-
admit the shaft.
Then the otsei'sk which. had been
launched in Q great wooden caisson.
was fioated into the dry dock. and the
csisson removed. The base was plae-