The Washington herald., 1909-04-25
Incredible Profits.

| ceived sl00 a month, and so bounty. II
the trip proved successful
Incredible Profits.
I IN the first two months OF 1855. twenty
steamers landed Is12 bales Of cotton.
worth 800, 40, al the Nassau wharf. The
total import and export duties for the
entire Bahamas rose from es34sz9 IN
1850. to the vast sum Of E15.0o0.oOo sterling
IN Iss5.
The streets and docks were crowded
with freight. The town svTarmed with
strangers. Every inch OF lodging room
was occupied. and mer slept under sheds.
and on verandas- Every one was pros
porous Money was spent with lavish
I hands; wages were doubled. and even day
laborers ate and drank Of the best For
tunes We're made I'm a few weeks; gam
bling drinking. and every form OF
dissipation prevailed. Steamers bought
al double their original cost paid for
( themselves in a few trips. while some OF
( the English Joint stock companies re-
turned To0 per cent 20 their shareholders.
While the big profits went into the pOck-
cts ~ the capitalists. a good portion
/ benefited the local merchants and dealers.
The public debt OF es7.7s vas wiped
ont. and the bahama legislature built
the Royal Victoria Hotel, Al a cost Of
S135.o01 10 accommodate their Southern
visitors. Confederate flags and news
papers were seen on every side. News
Of Federal disasters and OF the depreda-
tions Of the Alabama. whose commando,
Raphael Semmes. visited Nassau in 1851.
were hailed with delight Photographs
OF Southern statesmen and soldiers were
on sale n all the shops. and many
bottle Of champagne was drunk 20 the
success OF the CoRfederacy
Their Capture Lucrative, Too.
But Il bIockade-running was profitable
70 the ship owner and commission mer-
chant the capture OF the swift steamers
was stlu more lucrative % the ofcers
and crews OF the Federal navy. Profes-
sionaI pride. patriotism. and prize money
stimulated their highest activities. and
made them constantly on the alert Half
the value OF each vessel and cargo. when
condemned. went into the pockets Of
their capt0rs while all VINO we're within
hailing distance were entitled 20 their
share IN the case OF the Memphis.
loaded with cotton and rOsin. and cap
tured on july 81. ISL, by the Magnolia.
esch Of the NeutenanJs received SIS SIS
and the ordinary seamen SI.7a. When
the Hope was taken. October .. 1854 BY
the tug E0ius. OF Wilmington. the act
ing master received Sl3Is4. the assistant
engineer Ss6S7. OF more than four years
pay. and the sailors more than 5000
Nine DAYS later. the same lucky Eolus
overhauled the Lady Sterling The cargo
aud ship brought s5Ga.154 Each Of
the acting ensigns. mere boys. received
S5S9. and the ordinary Seamen 500
The Lsdv Sterling was only captured
after thirty-fve nile chase. under forced
dTaUght burning both oil and coal. dur
ing which she almost escaped She vas
repeatedly struck ard set on fire. and
$50 burning bales had 10 be thrown over
board. a more profitable capture was
probably never effected by 50 small a
vessel II recalls the DAYS Of the Spanish
galleons, loaded with plate from Mexico
10 Peru. which were captured By the
buccaneers.
Altogether. 1870 captures were made
during the Rebellion. One-half of these
vessels were condemned and sold. The
total proceeds were S25o00.000 while prop
erty qf equal value was destroyed. IN
January. IS64 Admiral Lee reported
that twenty-five steamers had been cap
ten days. The same year Admiral Porter
reported the capture and destruction OF
property worth S55.000gf0 in fifty DAYS
The Gf-%Gs-
One Of the most successful blockade
runners was the Giraffe, afterwards the
Robert z. Lee. a side-wheeier Of light
draft and great speed. built on the
Clyde. She made her first voyage from
Nassau the day after Christmas. 1Ssz.
She ran the blockade twenty-one times
in al. but in the absence Of her INTREPID
commander she Was captured on her way
from Halifax 70 Wilmington. though. as
her stanch old helmsman declared. with
tears in his eyes. she would have gone
in BY herself If only let alone" Can't.
Wilkinson also commanded the Chick
emaUga and Chameleon. in which he
made his last cruise before the war
ende6 The cOnsUmmate seamanship.
resOUrcefulness. courage and audacitv
which he exhibited should perpetuate his
name with that OF Paul Jones. Decatur.
and Gushing in the records Of naval ex-
ploits. On the occasion Of his last trip
10 Wilmington. when chased bv two
Federal cruisers. nothing saved the Cha
meleO1 from capture but her twin screws
which enabled her 10 turn as on a pivot
in the narrow channel between the bar
and the rip, directly under the guns of
Fort Fisher.
The Banshee, bUilt at Liverpool In 1855. /
was the first steel vessel to cross the
Atlantic. and the first boat built especi- I
ally FOR blOckade-running. She was a I
side-wheeler. "a feet long. - feet beam I
and drew only eight feet OF water. Her
she had very little rigging. To insure 4
greater speed in a heavy sea. sbe had /
turtle-back deck forward. She was of /
217 tons register. had speed Of nine TO I
ten knots. and used thirty tons Of coal 4
a day.
When making her runs the lookout man 1
had 81 for every sail ne sighted. but II 4
Il was first seen from the deck he was 4
fined s. Only moonlight nights were I
chosen for trips. Constant watchfulness
and determination were the essentials
Of success. and three and four nights
were oftens passed without sleep. while
the days were fully occupied in loading
and unloading.
When preparing TO enter or leave port.
everything aloft was taken down, and
the boats lowered to the level Of the rails.
The crew even wore white suits at night.
as being less conspicuous No lights were
allowed, not even cigar. and orders
were given in whispers The hatchwavs
were covered with tarpaulins. al the risk
Of sufOcating the sweating engineers
and stokers- Even the pinnacle showed
only the merest slit No sound was
heard but the throb Of the painting en-
gines and the beat Of the paddie-Wheels.
while the crew erouched behind the bull
n ha Of L-fy1
their eyes to pierce the darkness.