The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-15

! This warning did not greatly concern
| the British government, which appears
10 nave taken the stand that II a pri-
vate individual had bought the Georgia,
the risk OF her capture was assumed by
the purchaser No effort was made 10
prevent the Georgia from leaving port.
| The buyer OF the Georgia was Edward
( Bates, a shipowner Of West Derby and
/ Liverpool. He had seen an advertise
ment in a Liverpool newspaper Offering
Tor sale The splendid screw steamer
| georgia, ~ tons net register built in
IS6S by Messrs- Denny, Of Dumbarton-
having engines OF 200 nominal horse
power. and dimensions Of 2l9 feet length,
rs feet breadth, and 1L75 feet depth. q"
Inc advertisers were Messrs. Curry,
heIlock & Co., ship brokers OF Liverpool
Mr.. Bates had never engaged fn block
ade running. but had enterprises with
the East and examining the Georgia
believed she could be used to adyanta ge
In the trade with Japan. He offered
1l1IOoo for the steamer, and the OFFER
was accepted.
Taken on Lisbon.
The new owner OF the Georgia knew
she had been a vessel Of war. as he was
obliged to remove her warlike fittings,
such as gun platforms. magazines, etc.
before she was adaptable to commercial
uses. The somewhat obvious question
OF a clear title to the ship did not ap-
pear to occur to him, Notwithstanding
thHtsthe bill OF sale was signed by Capt.
J. ID. Bulloch, naval agent Of the Con-
federate States. The fact that the Brit
ish custom-house issued a register 10
the vessel under her new ownership, an
peared to satisfy Mr.. Bates as 10 the
validity Of his title.
Before the refitting OF the Georgia was
completed, a representative OF the Por-
tuguese government offered to charter
the vessel Of Mr.. Bates. TO ply between
Llsoon and Portugals possessions in
AFRICA. The offer was advantageous. ana
the charter was effected.
When, on August IL, the Georgia, under
the British flag and a Portuguese char
ter-neither of which changed Mr.. Ad-
ans views as to her status-salled from
Liverpool. the American consul there
sent a message to Commodore Thomas
7. Craven. commanding the U. S. S.
Niagara, then at Lisbon, to watch for
her.
Commander Craven had been at Liver
pool to observe the Georgia, and hao
sailed hence for Lisbon August < ar
irving there August II. Sailing from thar
port August IA, he laid In wait OF the
mouth Of the Tagus, at a point on the
coast which the Georgia must pass TO |
make port
The expected prize appeared as ex-
pected, being sighted at $50 a. m. Au-
gust Is In fifteen minutes she was
brought to with a shot from the Niagara. |
Unarmed, the Georgia could make no |
resistance. prize crew was put on
board, and the ship was ordered to Bos-
ton for adjudication Of her case before
4 prize court.
After a slow voyage, due to machinery
she put in at Hampton Roads.
Thence she proceeded northward on
Montauk Point her machinery was rem
iered useless by the breaking OF her
condenser. Her prize commander.s Act
ng Master Jacob Rimball, succeeded In
getting her under sail into New London, |
arriving there September q
Thence the Georgia was taken to New
Bedford, where she was duly libelled
Is a prize. In the proceedings for her
Mr.. Bates submitted evil
lence that he acted In good faith in
'uying the Georgia The court con-
iemned the Georgia as a prize OF war
rhe case went to the Supreme Court OF
he United States, which In 1859 con-
lrmed the decree Of the lower court.
lCopyrisht. lslLl