" Hundreds " built, which means running the blockade was done successfully, and a lot, no? I mean, cost of a ship would have been huge, to pay off, had to be enormous returns. Had no clue the practice was so successful. We hear a good deal about the comparative thimbleful of smuggled goods a lady could get through, not a huge amount on how massive a business were these runners.
Bleacher seats here, without enough Naval war knowledge to contribute to these threads- generally just lurk but the ' hundreds ' was brand, new information. That's crazy.
Didn't an archeologist eat honey found in an Egyptian tomb? Hoping it was a better experience than the saltwater and gasoline wine. Boy, if sampling old food is a mandatory part of an archeologist's career, glad to not be one.
VIEW PAGE IN TIMESMACHINE
May 23, 1863, Page 2The New York Times Archives
From the Glasgow Journal.
The extent of the transactions in the sale of steamers at the Clyde, during the last year and a half, for the purpose of running the Southern blockade, is, perhaps, unknown to many of our readers. The first steamer sold here was the screw steamer Fingal, employed in the West Highland trade, which left this toward the end of 1861 with a cargo of Enfield rifles and ammunition. It was followed by the Leopard, a paddle-steamer, on the Belfast station, and others, of which the following are among the list:
Of well-known river steamers, there were the
Kelpie, Arran.....Lost. Ruby, Rothesay..Running.
Iona, Ardrishaig..Lost. Neptune, Roth'ay.Running.
Pearl, Rothesay...Captured. Dolphin, Lochfyne Captured.
Eagle, Rothesay..Running. Craignish Castle, Rothesay.
Of deep-sea steamers there were the
Fingal (ss), West Highland trade......Now an iron-clad.
Antonia (ss), Bristol trade.............Captured.
Adela (ps), Ardrossan and Belfast trade...............................Captured.
Tubal Cain (ss), London trade.........Captured.
Thistle (ss), Londonderry trade.......Running.
Leopard (ps) Liverpool trade..........Burned.
Continue reading the main story
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story
Herald (ps), Dublin trade............Running.
Havelock (ps), Dublin trade...........Running.
Princess Royal, (ss), Liverpool trade..Captured.
Giraffe (ps), Belfast trade..............Running.
Of new steamers sold while building there were the
Steamships. Steamships.
Memphis....Captured. Georgina....Run ashore.
Minho.......Run ashore. Emma.......Running.
Corinth..... Gertrude....Captured.
Amelia......Captured. Japan.......On her way out.
Granite City.Captured.
Of vessels purchased but not away, and said to be for the South, there are Lord Clyde, (ps), Dublin station; Mail, Kilmun station; Juno, Largs station; Jupiter, Largs station; Venus, Largs station; Cardiff Castle, Rothesay station; Eagle, now building; Victory, now building; a large paddle-steamer now building; a screw-steamer fitting up.
From the above it will be seen that thirty-eight vessels have been bought here, but this does not include the whole, as many left the Clyde professedly for other ports, and on getting clear out changed their names, while several new steamers left without any name, and proceeded to London and Liverpool for cargoes. Although many of those mentioned have been captured, still most of them have more than doubly cleared themselves and cargoes; the Leopard, in particular, or Stonewall Jackson as she was named, which has made many runs, is said to have cleared for her owners nearly 500 per cent; even the Granite City, which only made one successful run, is said to have doubled herself and cargo in that single trip, and the builders and parties for whom she was built are said to have cleared £3,000 each by her sale. Of the steamers sold lately here, so urgent has been the demand, it is said one large steamer cleared to her owners a profit of £16,000 more than her original cost, and a new river paddle-steamer is said to have brought over £3,000 more than her contract price; and another, two years old, to have brought £2,500 more than the original cost. These wholesale dealings, with no regard to costs, are the consequence of the famine prices being paid for clothing, food, and luxuries within the range of the Confederate States. To such an extent do prices range for ordinary food, it is said, that one vessel which ran lately with tea, coffee, hams, clothing, &c., to the value of £12,000, had her cargo valued of Charleston, according to the current prices, at £50,000, thus realizing an enormous profit to the speculators. -- Glasgow Morning Journal.
From the Glasgow Herald, May 2.
We learn that another batch of our swift river steamers have been purchased during the past week on account of the Confederate Government. We believe the steamer Mail, plying on the Kilmun station, will shortly be withdrawn, having been sold for £7,000. The favorite steamer Jupiter, so long known on the Largs, Millport and Arran route, has also been purchased for something like £6,000. We have also been informed that the steamer Eagle, which was being built for our coast traffic, has likewise been sold to the Confederate Government for £8,000. The Largs steamer Vesta is reported to have been purchased by parties in Glasgow for our river traffic. Other vessels, now being built in several of our shipyards, are reported as being pushed rapidly forward to meet the growing wants of the South.
From the Liverpool Journal of Commerce.
This fine little steamer, that left this port on the 10th of January, has successfully run the blockade of Wilmington, N.C., arriving there on the 16th ult. She left Nassau in company with the steamer Flora, keeping company during the voyage, and running the blockade together. The Flora is the screw-steamer with double screws, whose trial trips on the Thames, some months ago, were so much spoken of by scientific men. She has been very successful so far in running the blockade -- principally at Charleston, the present being, we believe, the first trip she has made to Wilmington. This is the first time the Pet has succeeded in running the blockade -- Wilmington being tried after an unsuccessful attempt to enter Charleston. She is a screw-steamer, of 171 tons, steams very fast, having been built expressly for blockade running purposes. She is under the command of Capt. DAVIS. Some misunderstanding was created by her arrival, having been reported as the Pell -- later accounts, however, brought the correction.
From the Liverpool Journal of Commerce.
The newspaper Press of this country is unanimous in their decision that this steamer is an illegal prize, and as such ought to be given up at once to the owners. We were informed, yesterday, on the best authority, that this fast-sailing steamer is being fitted up as a gunboat by the Federals. If the Government of the United States have determined to have this vessel as a gunboat by illegal means, it is, in our opinion, high time that Her Majesty's Government should interfere, as no amount of compensation can justify such an outrageous proceeding. It appears that the United States Government, seeing that they cannot build fast sailing steamers, are determined to appropriate to their own use whatever vessels they may capture, without the slightest regard to nationality, so as to enable them to commit further depredations upon our commerce, and seize other steamers engaged in a legitimate trade.