The Washington herald., 1909-04-25
Fearless Captains Often Made
200 Per Cent.
EXCHANGE A LUCRATIVE ONE
Swift, Low-IyinE Craft Slipped in
snd Out, Through the Federal
Cruisers and GunbOsts, Carrying
on Exchange with the BahamaS-A
Personal Account from BanShee.

Nhen the hEst shot was fred on Fort
Sumter IN April. 1851. a ouieter or more
insignificant town than Nassau. in the
Bahamas. could scarcely have been found
along the Atlantic Coast on the beaten
track. with a population Of less than 40oa.
, engaged in sponge-hshing. salt-dryinE.
and lumber, cotton. and pineapple ex-
porting. It dragged along a dreary exist
Ience. says G. F. Wingate, in the New
( York Post
Few large vessels ever crossed the bar:
commerce was carried on IN sioops and
schOoners, and the arrival OF a shin OF
any size. from Europe or the states. was
an event 20 be talked about for weeks.
The houses were small and low. built OF
coral rock. and the streets were paved
with the same material
The town was defended by a few an
Gent guns. mounted IN stone forts. gar
risoned by colOred troops, with English
officers. The sympathies OF the Nassau
residents were decidedly with the South
in its struggle Tor independence, and they
watched the progress Of the Ceafederacy
with growing interest
The civl war brought about remarkable
and rapid changes in the Bahama cap
itaL As Il BY the wave Of magieian's 5
wand, Nassau was transformed from
tTopic calm 10 the greatest activity. It's
Inhabitants awoke from a Rip Van
Winkle sleep that had lasted 100 years.
and II happened in this wise: Nassau
was within SO miles Of Charleston and
Wilmington. where was an unlimited de-
mand for provisions. coal. tobacco. and
military supplies. while piled high on
docks and In warehouses in those ports.
cotton might be bought for ten cents A
pound, and within fifty-fOur hours sold
In Nassau for 81 a pound Thus. profit
able freights could be obtained for both
Inward and outward cargoeS. and while
the risks OF capture Or wreckage were
great. the proceeds were so enormous
that biOckade-running with Nassau as
destination. became at once a most
popular occupation.
Built Low and with SmOkeIexx Coal.
The coast line OF the Southern States
extended for 500 miles. with $50 inIets
or bays, and constituted an ideal region
for smuggling or blockade-runninS.
Even the large Federal navy Al the mid
die period Of the war could not cover
so vast an area, The expedition against
Fort Fisher in December. 1854 consisted
OF 70 men-Of-War and transports. vet il
was not able TO prevent several steamers
from running through The blockade
running vessels were so swift that Ad-
miral Porter declared they could play
around our vessels, while at night they
were practically invisible. Long. low. and
narrow. built expressly for speed. and
drawing but little water. using smoke
less coal, and painted a dull lead color.
they were not easily overhauIed OF CAP
tured.
At first. old and inferior vessels were
employed In the traffic. owing to the
risk OF loss. but after a time steamers
were specially planned for the purpose.
and 4 number Of these became famous.
As the business developed. capital was
attracted. and joint stock companies
monopolized the trade Individual ven
lures gradually became the exception:
the risks were lessened by the possession
Of a greater number Of vessels Even
il half the feet owned by a company
were captured or wrecked. the profits
Of the other half would more than bal
snce the loss.
The first blockade-runner arrived at
Nassau from Charleston on December 5,
1851. with IA bales Of cotton. Up to the
close OF the war. Sg7 vessels entered there.
and SIS sailed for Southern ports. OF
these fOrty-tWO we're captured. and tWen-
ty-two run ashore Two steamers made
ten trips each. and the Siren eighteen,
while the Robert E. Lee. Capt J. VII
kinson. ran the blockade twentv-one
times, carrying s.ee0 bales Of cotton.
worth s2ec0,0O0 In gold
The usual run to Charleston or VIII
mington consumed forty-eight hours. and
In three days a vessel would be dis
charged and loaded again. The total ex-
penses Of an Sao-bale steamer were So. .0o0. I
The captain received s5.o5o, and the
privilege Of carrying ten bales Of cotton