The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-10-26

S<D ISLANDS = / |
IL costs $40 an hour for uel alone
to run the "vidette.' Every time
the vessel goes out Miller has to
put men at work TO ball out water.
'yIDETTE' HAS
OTHER HANDiCAPPS
Tho "Nidette" has a speed" OF @
knots an hour. Rum-runncrs make
10 TO rs knots. The rumrrunncrs
can enter shallow water. over reefs
and randbars and disappear into
thousands OF coves along Florida =
coast line, while the "vidcttc" draws
too much water Is too slow 20 follow.
When visited By an MA investi.
gator this revenue cutter was out OF
order for the fifth time this season.
She hadn't moved from her dock for
a month. SIZE HAS NEVER
CAUGHT A SINGLE RUMRuN-
NER- Recently she almost caught
one. but storm came up and while
tho 'vldettc' almost sank tho rum.
runner escaped.
Rum.runners' fayorlte landing
places around Savannah are Coffee
Bluff. Wilmington Island. Isle Of
Hope. Warsaw Sound and up the
delta OF tho ogeechee River.
RuM.RuN>ER CAN
MOCK "TSBEE'
Booze craft have nothing 10 fear
from tho revenue cutter ''Tybee."
a 23.ycar-old boat that Cannot go to
sea. She Is Is tons. her bottom is
befoulcd. her coal burning engines
antidated. and she makes miles an
hour. Warrant officer Henry Blu.
channan has crew OF five negroes.
One night Buchanan got a tipl
that a big cargo Of whisky was to
be unioaded into small boats outside
the 3.mile limit. lie took the 'sTy-
bee" out. A heavy sea almost
swampcd her and. while lying in a
small stream awaiting the liquor
convoy. b. had TO fire up. The boil.
er emitted noise that could be
heard for miles. when he rushed
out Of the creek at miles an hour
all the liquor speed boats had fled. i
There Is another revenue cutter
at savannah. the "yamncraw."
But this vessel draws 20 much water
that II can proceed only In deep
channels. whereas the light rum
craft frequent the impossible coves
and sandbars. The "Yamacraw" Is
on duty for rescue work and win.
ter patrol only.
ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS TOO FEW
Each enforcement officer inl
Southern Georgia has eight ooun-
ties to cover. Unable TO strike at
the big source Of smuggied liquor.
they spend their time raiding stills
insignificant in quantity OF prod.
ucf In comparison with the Bahama
traffic
Enforcement Agent Devlin at
Miami has 200 miles OF coast and
four counties TO cover. Most OF THE
territory Is In tho wildness OF the
Everglades. Dcvlin recently got a
tip that big moonshine stiil was
in operation near Lost Mans Creek
In the Everglades. But he was
powcrIess 70 raid II. for the inform
er said Il was protected by a ma
chine gun.
Dcvlln has submarine" con-
nection with rum,running head
quarters In tho Bahamas. through
which he learns when booze
schooncrs and launches leave the
British territory for Florida. sa.
vannah, New Orleans. tho New
Jersey coast and Montauk Point. l..
I.
He transmits telegraphic reports
to federal agents up and down the
coast. giving names Of the vessels
and the ports they are bound for
But rarely Is one Of them caught.
FLEET or SUR
CHASERS Is NEEDED
Florida has 1000 miles OF seacoast.
The entire state has nine enforce
ment agents TO wage war against
smugglcrs and moonshlners.
A fleet OF fast sub-chascrs and at
least 1000 men In and around Miami
alone would be required TO cope with
the traffic.
Low prices OF good imported
liquor indicates the breakdown OF
the enforcement law. Warehouses
are bursting with American liquor
and Scotch brands In the Bahamas
The nearest island. Bemini, Is only
IS miles from Miami. Nassau. the
big liquor export town. is $50 miles
away. about II hours by boat.
A year ago American whisky cost
$40 case In Savannah and
Miami. Today II sells for $40 to
s45. Scotch averages $50 n case. gin
from s25 TO $40.
Miami and Savannah are wide
open. Restaurants and soft drink
places sell liquor by the drink and
bottle. Bell boys and taxi drivers
sell It. The big traffic In quaint.
ties OF hundreds and thousands of
cases is carried on by well.organ-
lied Bookkeeping gangs
A drink OF moonshinc costs only
Is cents. quality liquor 25 to So
cents. Scotch is s. and Sc quart.
Irish whisky 81 to s.. gin 50 to 81.
Miami even has its "Bootleggers'
t,,ks ts.,.