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5 i L Chased ‘by a Revenue Cutter. | The building ‘of a good sized boat in the early days of lake navigation was considered a greater undertaking than the build- ing of an entire fleet of modern steel steamers. Money was ‘scarce in those days, and it was seldom that one man had suffici- ent capital to build on his own account—and usually from three to six capitalists were interested. As the work went on slowly and funds were low others were taken in, the last expression proving true in a double sense quite often. A state of affairs described givés rise toa most interesting story, the best part of which is now published for the first time. A gentleman named Hotaling visited Milwaukee during the winter of 1837 to solicit subscriptions for the building of a steamer that was to run from Buffalo to Milwaukee. That would be a long step in the Cream City’s march of progress, and the half dozen public spirited citizens took stock to the extent of their means. The boat was built at Tonawanda during the next two winters. Money became scarce and all that could be realized from the Milwaukee subscri- bers was a $10,000 Green Bay draft given by Mr. Juneau. The builders were compelled to borrow money from Horatio Stevens, a Buftalo broker, who took two hands in the affair and had the boat fitted out for, and placed in the lower lake trade, regardless of Milwaukee interests. The loss of so much money without any return almost wrecked Mr. Juneau’s business and he, with other subscribers, became desperate. Capt. Cotton was sent to Buffalo to seek for a settlement,which was denied him. That was a formal action,how- ever, and the real object ot his trip began to come to the surface. He picked up a crew, consisting of Capt. Caswell, Mate Barber and Engineer Duncan C. Reed. The latter was steamboat inspector at Milwaukee for sixteen years and was known by all the older lake engineers. The Stevens’ interest suspected some- thing would be undertaken by Capt Cotton, and to be doubly sure they put a watchman in charge and had the links of the forward connection taken out and hid in the fourth story of an elevator. While the watchman was at supper the crew for the Milwaukee owners got into the elevator, found the “ missing links” and threw them out of the window. In the meantime the engineer was getting ready to connect her up and others were at work pumping up the boilers. The watchman returned and was taken below before he understood what had happened. ‘The affair was quickly explained, and he was told that he might con- sider himself a prisoner until they reached Dunkirk. Capt. Caswell, who was given.command of the filibustering trip, after- wards named one his boats after the watchman. They ‘“ wooded” up—for theré was more wood than coal burned on steamers in those days, government boats being almost the only exception— and steained out of the harbor. The story of the trip has never been printed, for it gives a tone of piracy and bucaneering to the transaction, although in those days it was the only way in which they could have obtained what was honestly due them. ‘There was nothing to be feared in stopping at Dunkirk, for the tele- graph was not in existence then, and the watchman was put ashore and given a polite message to the ex-managing owner. All night they made from twelve to fifteen miles an hour, but every six or seven hours they were compelled to wood up. This took time, and before they got into Detroit river they saw somethirig astern and came to the conclusion that they were being chased. This ereated no great consternation for the Milwaukee was the fastest steamer on the lakes. Notwith- standing this, the smoke began to creep up on them and they realized it was the old revenue cutter that was stationed at Buf- falo, and although very Slow she lost no time in taking wood, as she used coal for fuel. The Milwaukee was pushed so that she couldn’t get all the fuel needed at one place, and she would run in and get just enough to last until another wood dock was reached A run of an hour or two would leave the government boat way out of sight. This waskept up going up the rivers and across Lake Huron, when the engineer said he would have to have an hour or two at Mackinaw in order to take off a cylinder head. It was decided to push her for all there was in her and lay by at Mackinaw for repairs and a full supply of fuel. The indians who carried the wood aboard were worked so hard and there was so | | MARINE REVIEW. ie much excitement aboard that the sheriff at Mackinaw became suspicious and decided to hold the boat on his own responsibility. He was having papers made out when the captain learned of it and gave a long whistle for the engineer, who had to go toa blacksmith shop for tools. He came down in time to slip the cylinder head on with four bolts and moved the boat away from the dock and out of jurisdiction’ of the sheriff. The trembling indians, who thought they were being stolen, were put ashore in a yawl and, the repairs being made, the Milwaukee got away just in time to escape her pursuer. Of course, after that, it was a walk-away for the fast new steamer. But in sight of port and within hearing of the shouts of the happy owners it seemed for a while that they would lose the steamer after all. A. bar had been formed by a heavy wind a few days before and the Milwaukee found the bar. They figured on having about three hours to get in and get the steamer out of the way of the pursuers. There was no way but one, and that was to jump or break through the bar, and the daring that had characterized the whole trip didn’t forsake them. The Milwaukee pushed right into the bar and then worked one wheel or the other until she was free. That was done a half dozen times when she dragged herself over and was safe in her home port, with a crew on board that was more dead than alive. Mr. Stevens arrived on the pursuing boat and tried to get an indictment, but the law in that town was administered from a moral as well as a legal standpoint, and with all interested in jail the court machinery would have been sadly deranged. He saw that it was a bad job and compromised by selling his interest at - what he could get. He afterwards settled down in Milwaukee, built piers and warehouses, and it is said, got all his money back from the parties who bought his interest in the famous steamer. If this same plan was followed nowadays how much time would be saved, and law’s delay and a thousand other things would be avoided. ‘The time of such maneuvers is past, but it must have been a glorious race. Steam Collier With Patent Towing Apparatus. “The finest and largest steam collier on the American coast,” says the Baltimore Sun, “is the Boston Towboat Company’s new iron steamship Saturn. She was built by the Harlan & Hollings- worth Company, of Wilmington, Del., and has a carrying capaci- ty of 3,000 tons of coal. Her dimensions are 295 feet long over all, 4o feet beam, and 26 feet 2 inches depth of hold. Her gross tonnage is 2,261 and net 1,817 tons. She is fitted with triple ex- pansion engines, built upon the same patterns, sizes and horse power as those of the Merchants’ and Miners’ Transportation Company’s steamship Dorchester, which was built by the same firm. In her cellular bottom the Saturn can carry 600 tons of water ballast, and for sea towing she has a towing machine in the after end of the amidship house, which is a patent owned by the Saturn’s owners and builders, the machines being handled by the American Ship Windlass Co., of Providence, R. I. The Orion and the Saturn are the only vessels afloat with the ap- pliance. It works so that the tow line is automatically kept at at one strain regardless of the weather or how the tow astern may work. A wire hawser is used on the machine. In the decks of the Saturn are six hatches, the forward one being 20 feet by 12 feet and the others 12 by 12 feet. All are covered with double iron hatch covers, with gum joints around each. The main deck is flush either end of the 72-foot amidship house, in which, on each side of an alley, are the officers’ rooms, mess- room, pantries, etc. Capt. D. W. Wiley, who commands the ves- sel; has roomy apartments on the bridge deck, and above is the pilot house. The joiner work is cypress outside, and the interior of all apartments is in Florida olive. The hull is divided into seven water-tight compartments, said to be more than any ves- sel afloat. They run up to the main deck. The vessel has two pole masts, and all the standing rigging is set up with iron turn- buckles. The Saturn is rated A1 for twenty years by special survey ” : Shipbuilding in England during 1890. Vessel property to the extent of 1,302,055 tons were built in England, Scotland and Ireland during 1890, against 1,346,516 tons in 1889, and 943,489 tonsin 1880. The decrease in 1890 as compared with the previous year is 44,461. The engines con- structed in the kingdom aggregate 1,078,256 indicated horse- power, against 934,125 indicated horse-power in 1889.