Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-07-25
A|RPLANES GUARD
DELAWARE BEACHES
FROM RUM-RUNNERS
Stories of "Hooch" Being Set
Ashore Between Rehoboth
and Bethany Beach.
A TALE THAT is SECUTED
f3i.fiallofntfa naoor


Lewes, July 25.--Two big and power.
full navy seaplancs came ranging over
the sands of Bethany Beach, Del, IS
miles down the coast from Lewes, fly
ing not more than so feet above the
sand dunes.
The men in the cockpits Of the big
boats waved a greeting as they
sped by. For a few minutes the roar
Of the Liberty engines shattered the
air. and then slowly merged with the
roar Of the ocean as the big craft
became specks on the horizon.
The planes were flying in the direc-
tion Of the Delaware Bay. They were
on the rum patrol II is one OF the
new jobs Of the navy fiiers, made more
important now with much talk of
whisky running along the Delaware
coast.
Opinions differ in Lexes and
throughout this section as TO whether
the contrahand whisky cargoes
brought on swift yachts and small
cruising schooners from the Eahanlas
are being landed on the Delaware
coast, as they are on that OF neigh
boring New Jersey.
/ Empty Bottles Found.
II it means anything. on a sfx-nails
walk over the wfnd-swept sands and
through the dunes OF this Wild bit C'
seaboard, % empty Aanaica run
and whisky botelts were ccseated. Ane
strewn along the beach also wers
green bananas, such as are washed
or tossed overheard from boats sailin.
from the tropical islands OF the South
Il has been reported that whisky il
being brought in through the Indiar
river inlet. which would be an idea
/ place for rlrn-runners uSirg hanl
I boats. The nearer of the two coas
guard stations is a quarter-miIe away
/ The Inlet is about 40 feet wide ans
only from four and a half 10 five fee
deep. too shallow for a sub-chaser o
similar craft 10 get through, but deel
enough for the shallow-draft banl
/ skiffs. with their "one-lung' kickei
TO pass through easily even though
/ deep-laden with case goods tn,
waters of the bay itself are about tel
feet deep in places and there ar,
many little bayous and shallow on
shooting streams where skiffs coul,
be drawn up to hide during the day.
What One Negro Says.
George wilkins. a Jamaica Negr,
who came over from Cape May. abou
a month ago, says he sailed from
Jamaica on Spanish tramp steamer
supposedly laden with raw sugar fol
Baltimore. but really with whisky
/ Learning this. he says, he tried to fine
some way to leave the vessel, where,
upon the captain sent him ashore il
a small boat and left him on tbs
beach near Cape May.
| W. j. Burbage, a shipping agent a,
Lewes, said.
/ Il don't believe whisky is being rur
| to either the Jersey or Delawar,
coasts. What would be the object q
shippers bringing il so far north, with
all the attendant risk. when they car
find as ready a market nearer tn,
/ Bahamas. on our Southern coast?"
i Captain George E. Chambers. Z
Delaware bay and river pilot, who's,
home is at Lewes, similarly disbelieves
/ the story of rum running. The L.ewe,
Methodist minister. the Rev. Mr.. Davis
says that after an investigation ex.
| tending over two years he is convinced
likewise that there is no rum trimming
in Delaware.
/ IL would be simple matter alone
the wild stretches of Delaware coast
however, TO send out bank boats, a:
has been done along the New Jersey
coast, and bring in the contrabanC
under cover of darkness.