Milford chronicle., 1923-12-28
MILFORD MAN AT SEA
In RUM RUNNING FLEET


= Editor Milford Chronicle
A little sight I saw at sea this pas
e week causes me to remember readin;
in a recent copy of "The Milforl
Chronicle" an article, saying it wa
all imagination about there being
any rum-runners off the Atlantic
? Coast.
I'm sorry to say that the conditions
off the coast are as bad as ever. dc
believe rum-running slackened III
some when the twelve-mile-limit was
supposed to be in effect, but now
there is just as much liquor flowing
into our seaboard towns as there ev-
er was.
am Chief officer on the S. S. Lien
ape" trading between Philadelphia
and New England. 1 was navigating
and have had the opportunity of see
ing few things, worth relating here.
1t was a little past. midnight, a
nice moon shining, when 1 encounter
ed several lights ahead, and on ap-
preaching them, saw that they were
small schOoners and among them a
| steamer, which were all anchored.
had my hands full for the next half
hour keeping our ship clear of them
as they were laying on our course.
When 1 cleared the last vessel I no
ticed large object leaving her which
l soon found to be a very powerful
motor boat. What surprised me most
was the holiness and daring of the
two men in that launch. They headed
direct for our ship and were going at
a tremendous speed straight across
our bow. I noticed in the stern about
fifty cases slowed there which were
Enthusiastically, whiskey cases. A lit
tie curiosity on my part made me ask
whether they had anything on their
hip; and the answer 1 received was
finger pointing to the cases in the
stern. They headed straight for Rock
away Beach, L. l., and were soon out |
of sight.
While laying alongside pier in a |
New England port, waiting favorable |
weather conditions; one evening
very beautiful launch came alongside
us and asked whether we would move
our vessel a little so he could get out.
ordered this done, but due to the ex-
IRENE low tide, I found we were
aground. He was very sorry to hear
that, as it delayed him about three
hours. 1 asked where he was bound.
All he would say, was Just off the
Cape a little way" Imagine that, and
we delayed in there by the storm. The
chances they take must prove profit
lble. He claimed the boat could make
l speed of twenty-five knots.
The most unusual and clever piece
If work 1 ever saw, happened on our :
lOmeward voyage. 1t was daytime in
he same rum-feet off New York. ]
vas passing by the anchored vessels
Ind heard a roaring sound which t
proved to be a Hydro-aerOplane ap- ]
he circled nearby and t
lighted on the water directly astern S
# a schooner, threw a bow line
board her and drew closer. He hand S
ed that plane just as neatly as we
you'd an automobile ashore. Then a
hey began handing cases from the s
essel to the men on the plane who
tOwed them inside, and when fully h
upplied they let go the line, started v
he motor and were soon up and off
eading for New Jersey. s
How can the country stop it? There f.
son ly one way. Let few of our Gov
rnment DestrOyers anchor right is
lere among them and when the YES e
els move-let them move also. Keep
watch with their searchlights and n
hen anything leaves follow and seize r
lem when they cross the three-mile-
nit. 1t is at night and hazy weather d.
hen the rum-runners do their bust d,
ess. If they had some one watching el
lem they would soon leave our coast
J their cargo is very valuable and b,
ION has to be disposed of. There are
enty of Destroyers laying idle at our re
avy Yards, which could be used for NJ
is purpose. There should at least be
restriction against their anchoring
they do, for they are a danger to
especially those that run
ID anchor at night without exhibit
g lights and endangering the lives
GARD coastwise vessels. M
know nothing of the conditions in
hore but can assure you that there tn
still plenty of rum-traffic off shore. tn
/ every day sight is several empty VIZ
ses floating by with Johnny Walker tb,
otch Whiskey" marked on them.
CLARENCE r. DERRICKSON, +b,
formerly of Milford" mn
Pa, December, 1928. on