The Sealing Wars: Customs vs. Navy
Tensions rise at Port Townsend as federal authorities clash over how to enforce restrictive sealing laws on local schooners.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
In the matter of enforcing the sealing regulations, there appears to be a serious conflict between customs officers and the commanding officers of the Bering Sea patrol fleet. The schooner George K. White, of Seattle, which arrived last night from Sitka, reports being boarded by officers of the revenue cutter Corwin, whose commander sealed up her arms and ammunition and ordered the schooner to return to Puget Sound. Capt. Chenoworth requested permission to proceed to the Japan coast—which is outside the jurisdiction of American and British laws—or remain in the port of Sitka to communicate with his owners, but these requests were refused by Capt. Munger of the Corwin and Commander Clark of the Mohican, both of whom threatened seizure. Collector Saunders argues the Bering Sea commanders are exceeding their authority, noting that the White had a perfect right to proceed to the Japan coast. Meanwhile, other schooners, such as the James G. Swan and Columbia, have cleared port without firearms, though it is widely believed they intend to resume hunting once clear of the coastline.
“The owners of the sealing vessels claim the Bering sea officers are very arbitrary, and that their rulings are subjecting their crafts to unnecessary hardships.”
This dispute over federal jurisdiction versus commercial maritime activity mirrors the modern, often fraught, regulatory landscape governing the Puget Sound maritime industry today. The high-stakes conflict between the 'men-of-war' and local sealing fleets in 1894 underscores how Seattle's economic identity was forged through constant friction with distant federal mandates.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.