Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-03-09
Fhe Chase OF tee Fisrfan-Fhe Rnukee
Eavy "A ssnmbug,

letier from Key West, ia th3 New YorH
Herald seys Of the chase Of the Florida;
The guhboat sonoms, while passing over the
u name banke, On her way % Nassau discover.
ed, St abCut Z o'ceck ia ths morniog. while
entering tae 2 eens channel 3 sfesn~8 sail
which, upon neaipg hoisted E1eish eolofs.
immediately (sUspseiing her chagae.er), Caps.
$ evens ordered iull bead Of steam and with
ali sail set, started in pUrsuis supDosine hsr to
be tbe Ovisto. Scarcely had the stranger hoist
ed her colors when she altered her course 30 tie
nofthWard and westward mada 81 possible sail,
and commenced firing up rapidly The S3noma
sent 70 quarters, anticipating she would s0on
be slthlo range Of her guns, and followed her
with varying success for thirty-faur hours,
through tha QaesH's channel, the tongue Of the
ocean and Northeast Providenoe eharnel, one
hundred and twenty five miles to sea, losing
sight Of her on Mlndsy night.
There is no doubt bat that the speed cf the
Eiorids under steam is exaggsTaiedi for while
the wind was light and the sea sm otd, the So
noms gained gradually but surely upon her.
Upon getting, however into the sea, and the
wind fceshiDg the waves increasing, the Florida
rapidly drew aWsy, nntIl night coming on she
Was lost sight Of. For tWenty-iOnc hours ihe
crew were at quarters auziousiy awaiting the
order to open hge; bat three times while tie
+ ogida sscapturs seemed almost cerisiusg,
some derengemsnl ia the Sonoma's machinery
intertsTed IL her favor, unal. sffsr- ch ising h=r
ioI thirty. four hours, distance Of over three
hundred miles, she succeeded IL making hsE ss
caps W7an last seen she was steering 70 the
ea twari, possibly with tie intsn.iau Of making
one Of tee gindward passaEes. Had tire Sono-
ma possessed the EecssssTy qualification If
q 5ea-gOing vessel he ca1tHrs of TIA E'ierlir
w0uid Hsvs hesn en- accomplished fact and her
destruction iaeTitabia
The Nov Ts Herald in the editorial on h
news, AID while deploriug the escape OF tas
Florida ssys:
Our only hope Of capturing The Alabama Or
Fl3nda and b other steamers Of @ ike chsrse- /
ter shat are Being eonsttuegei for be reoels iu .
England is in having vessels Of greater velocity
w must not place toa much dependence. upon
number and szs Of gems; fr, si.b1ugh they
znswsc sn excellent purpose when ones along
side Of the enemy, they amount 70 nothing it We
10 nos posses the ability t' get alongside Or
bring the enem emY's sh p Within Taags If our 57t-
cry What is yhe use # splsnld Dahigreas ii
We cannot get aesr ea0ug 70 nsa sheml We
lsve & large navy, bu5 is c1nssls pIiuciasly If
3.og coaches and lame ducks. lhe few SHIPS
re POSSESS that sre the equals in poiot OF speed
lf lhe Aiaasna aad Fjorda are, eith e si1Zie
exception purchased vessels, bui.t Tor the m-r-
chant service, aud eZesediogiY liable TO 6e dis
ibisd 10 laa msc9iaoyY, o. account Of It's being
lesrly sl above the water i,us
Fskng, As samplss Of vessels of this class
.ha Vandefblit, @ Dusoiic9s aad Rhode Island
ve have hT5s ships Uhica, foE -Ae purpose they
v7Ee inten1e1, GEe wiEkoat supsri0rs; bus ih-
shs7e5s are that if comirg nader tha ffe Of shs
Alghams Or Florida, they would be, By e well
'rec-ej shot or shell st close quarters, crippled
nd bec5ne an easy pIIza
It is net too late TO profit By what we have
earned Let US take imm- -diats steps 10 remedy
be evil by purchasing vessels abroad, if they
=uuot b. mad st home sgd stop building sna
sulchuF f1a absugdities called gauboe's. tia
re baiag sdded daily to oug large ogt apparently
10 ffc.en. navy, VIII Mr WeHes consider this
aastss sad take mesus to pC0onrs a few vessss
II crui=e.s tha5 vii be u service, instead of
anirsc iBr iOF Ships Jhss cause 1Ur naval officers
o blush wh n tley look ag0n hem sni tgem3ls
Jr tneiT repuati0us