The Washington herald., 1913-12-30
ON THE WATCH
FOROFFENDERS
Speedy Little Terragon Is
Active All Along the
Atlantic Coast.
NOW In FLORIDA WATERS
Has Run Down Many email Boat
Owners Who Were Evad-
ing the Laws.

Joy riders, speed demons, reckless
steersmen, and others who fail to respect
the navigation laws governing the equip
ment and operation of small craft had
better be on the lookout morning. noon
and night, for Uncle Sans motor boat
cop" the speedy little Tarragon, is on
. the job The motor boat cop has a
long beat" prowIing, rather than pa
trolling, the Atlantic Coast including
inlets and bays, from the Potomac River
near Washington to Key West, Florida.
Stealing swiftly upon offenders, often
in the blackness of a dark night when
they are little thinking of arrest for any
cause, the Tarragon is becoming a terror
10 all small boat owners who are evad-
ing laws.
Why don't you blow your whistle, ''
megaphoned Navigating Officer Dryden,
OF the Tarragon TO a passing boat on
the Potomac River not long ago
whistle be darned" yelled back the
captain of the offending motor boat.
A Few minutes later, he discovered his
mistake The Tarragon was alongside
MIN. Officer Dryden was aboard and the
captain paid fine to the United States
government for having failed to obey the
law in regard TO signals.
Many Arrests Made.
Although the TarraCon has been in
commission only a comparatively short
time, she has made many arrests. She is
now down along the southern Atlantic
coast where she will remain several
months, watching the fishing fleets and
the motor boats along the Florida coast,
returning north with the fish in the
spring to do duty in Chesapeake Bay
and on the Potomac.
So far the Tarragon has been going
light on most of the culprits whom it
hales into its court. as the majority of
them have been first offenders. Now.
however. most OF the 100000 motor boat
owners in the United States know her
either by reputation or by having run
INTO her clutches. and they are aware OF
the fact that they are supposed to know
and to obey the laws.
The Tarragon had scarcely left Wash
ington the other day. had not yet reached
the mouth of the Potomac. when a case
of ''shanghaiinS' was discovered. A cap
tain OF an oyster boat was run across
who was reported to De abusing his men
until he had them In a state of abject
fear. They We're pOweTless to escape
Officer DRYDEN arrested the oyster boat
master and turned him over TO the
county authorities ct Colonial Beach.
They took the man to Baltimore. where
he was held for the grand jury on the
charge made by one Of the men aboard
his boat. The latter claimed he had been
shanEhaied by the agents who put him
on the oyster boat. He said they got
him to sign up while under the influence
Of drink and rushed him aboard the boat
before he was able to realize what he
had done.
Just before leaving Washington, wire
less apparatus was added to the Tara
CONS equipment. So compact is the wire
loss plant ON tho little boat. which needs
,very inch OF available space. that the
sending instrument projects only eighteen
inches from the wall. and the receiving
apparatus only six inches. II is said 20
he the finest small wireless set on any
boat in the United States