Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-01-12
Fl0tilla of Booze
Ships Concentrated
Off Sandy Hook

New York, Jan. 11.-(By A. Po-
The swarm of rum-running craft
which today sought by sheer strength
OF numbers to overw helm the prohib-
ton navy with its newly acquired gun
toting flagship Lexington, tonight suf-
fcrcd its first casualty" according to
observers at Sandy Hook. They re-
ported that the launch Margaret b..
laden to tho gunwalcs with whisky,
was captured by coast guard crew.
Almost simultaneously three other
vessels of the rum fleet were report cd
10 have been seized by coast guard
craft off Ambrose Channel 1ightship.
The Guadruplc haul totallcd 1000
cases.
Besides the Margaret b. officials said
they had confiscatcd the Evelyn. %
foot sea skiff. an unnamed launch and
u rum runners scout boat. all OF which
Highland. n. j.
The revenue cutter Surveyor plowcr
into tho swarming hotilla of little
craft shortly after the four boats were
seized. sending them scattering like a
brood of frightened chicks.
But she arrived too late. The speed
lest of the little ones escaped in a
Shorcward direction. and before the
surveyor could put out after the slower
vessels ttry had attained the safety Of
tho threemile limit.
Ten members of the seized boats
crews We're captured. Three of the
crew of the Evelyn lcapcd into shall
low water as the coast guards came
upon them and escaped ashore
The Margaret b. is reported to have
carried 800 cases and seven 5o-ga Hon
barrels of whisky. Coast guard Off
Gals said the total value of tonight
haul would be 100000.
New York. Jan. 1l.-(By A. ~
Rum smugglers launched their most
concentrated attack on the Atlantic
soaboard todaN-apparently ignorant
that the dry navy had just replaced its
retired New York flagship Hansen with
the Lexington. an armored chaser
mounting machine guns
\ fleet of steamers and IA Schooners
dropped anchor off SANDY Hook and i'm
mcdiatcly a swarm of so small Graf
put off from shore to meet them To-
night they wcrc racing to cover with
their booty. pursued by every speed
boat the dry navy could muster.
The value of tho liquor aboard the
mother ships was roughly estimated in
tn" millions. if each carrier was load
cd to capacity.
Observers at Sandy Hook and Allan
tic highlands noticed an undue conccs-
tion off shore. on tho very waters over
which the International cup race had
been run in 1870. Soon tho course
took on a racc-daY appearance so
many craft. big and little, had as
SemhlCd.
Two good-sizcd stcamers-onc an
parcntly a tankcr--arriNcd first, ar-
companicd by more than a dozen sail
ing craft which apparently he'd been
converted from fishing Smacks into
rum runners. The flotlla was believed
ashore to have hailed from the La
hamaS
Tn" welcoming fleet that put off was
FORMIDABLE" in more than mere num-
hcrS. There were powerful gasoline
cruising yachts. fleet craft of The IA
NOUS Seabright s"a-sllif model. cap
able OF 90 knots or more. nondcscript
launches with swift heels.
Ever since Christmas when dry
agents claimed victory over a large
rum hotlla that had set sail from the
slow off the highlands. For one thing.
the recent gales had piled several
hooch- laden craft ashore. For another.
the holiday demand had somewhat
stacked
The Highlands has como to he re-
gardcd as a diStrbut ing point for New
York Newark aud Trenton, y. j., and
even as far west as Scranton. ia. Dry
agents tonight. however. had orders to
watch more than the Highlands alone.
EoclaWaN. Jones Inlet. Fire Island ana
many ether places also were undo;
close observation.