The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-11-15
/ THE PIRATE FLORIDA
Her Arrival at Fortress Monroe,
PRESENT APPEARANCE OF
THE VESSEL.
HER oFFiCERs AND CREW.

| ton Roads, bUt not as an uuwelcomG visitor, with
| the bastard Southern Cross nc her peak, but
having 40 her manmast tho proud Stars aud
| Stripes as her ensign. Her decks, instead Of
| bearing a swar,by, cutthroat crew Of toregnhsh-
waymcn and ticket of-lcnvo couHcts, arc now
occupied by gallant Yankee tars--me1 who, in
the capture of the F1oyia, resolved u lose their
lives, if necessary, in the apprehension Of the
pirate
Last evening, at five o'clock two vessels with
| black hulls were observed coming into this road
| stead. Shortly afterwards both came 10 anchor
! Furious signalling was kept mp with tho largest,
| which was at once recognized us q United States
sloop-of.war, and by those prac'ised in beholding
| the war ships tnlt have been in this harbOr, as
! the WuchWln, formerly the flagship Of Admiral
! wilkes, while commanding the James river h1illu
! during the first pcuinsulnr campaign.
As a matter Of course, the consort of the
| IBGChUScH must be the Florida, as both names
are now and for ever linked closely together.
The conjecture proved correct, and the clptOr and
! captured, who have never parted company since
the eyenttul Sth day Of October last now rode at
! easy anchor, hardly a tathom length apart, tho
admired Of all admirers, and the envy OF the
| navy generally.
Captain Napoleon Collins, the able commander
| Of the IIdchUSeY, reported ~ once TO Admiral
| Porter. Hon. Thomas Wilson, United States
| Consul at Bahius, who came rs passenger on the
| vessel, was brought ashore and ct, Immediately
| for Washington.
VISIT TO THE rRryArEEE.
This morning your correspondent visited the
flagship Mdlrsy9, and obtaining permission from
| Admiral ID. B. Porter to visit the EOri51, took
advantage of the mark of kindness, and shortly
| after leaving the flagship climbed mp on the
! greasy sides Of the eNliebe pirate. Captain
Collins, who on the flagship had left, in COM
| pany with Admiral Porter and Fleet Captain
| Breelc, some time previous, and all went on
board the Florida together. found in command
| of the Prize Lieutenant Commander Lester 4.
BCardsCe, executive officer Of the UIciUystt, a
| very courteous and Obligiug gentleman. From
| him and several other officers | obtained full
account ofthe capture aud subscquent movements
| Of the FiOJidT.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS or THE CAPTURE OF THE
PRIyNrEER,
On the ith of October the Florida arrived mt
| Bahin, and anchored short distance inside of
| the harhor. On this day plan was arranged on
! board the IPdchtNcH to attack the FOrd,t with a
tug, and by running into her under full head of
steam 10 sink her ut her anchor. Lieutenant
| Commander BeardsCe and Il number of men from
| the lpGcbUSCn volunteered for the enterprise
| with permission from Captain Collins, he went
on shore and cndeayOred to obtain a suitable tug.
After vainly seeking for such vessel, he found
| a small light craft; but she had no coal and no
way OF getting a supply, so this project had to be
| abandoned. On the next day, the 5th, the Florida
| moved to IL close berth under one OF the forts.
On the night of the 9TH council OF war was
| called by Captain Collins, and, after mature de-
| Liberation, it was decided to attack the F2Orida
on that night. At O'Clock A. NJ. of the sth, the
! lPachUSeH got under way under Il full head of
steam, and pushed directly towards the place
| where the Florida was at anchor. To do this she
! had to pass two forts and two Brazilian men-of-
war-one Of these a large sailing trigate Captain
Collins directed the bow Of the IIach,wcH so rs 10
| strike amidship OF the Florida, with the intention
| of sinking her.
1t being tlood-tide and very dark, the Utchu-
set dritcd, and when the collision took place the
| bow Of Captain Collins vessel shearad aud took
0rf4V fRr tI,.
miZZtnm ST. which fell on board, CrIs hing in the
| rail, waterway and plaukshear, and the cut OK
| tcnuirF to the copper. The fall OF the mast
| crushed in two boats, damaged the wheel aud
! carried away the wacr.cosct On striking the
| HOyi3d Lieutenant Commander BeudsleC was
| standing on the poop. deck short distance from
| Captain Collins, and demanded the surrender OF
! tho enemy. Lieutenant L. 7. Hunter, who was
! the officer in charge of the deck on the H0riRI,
! sang out, "Put your helm hard starbDard or YOU
| will be into u.s. The order not being promptly
oteycd by the Iyachusett The collision did tako
| place, with The above results.
! After the first shock the WdchuSeH backed off
| about twenty feet. One of her launches was out
| as picket boat. This, and another from the Va
ciUsea, in charge Of Acting Master Thomas G.
| Grove and Acting Masters Mate John Hether-
! ingsou, were the first TO board the prize.
The officers OF the Florida then discovered that
| the collision was not one OF accident but Of de-
! sign, and when Lieutenant Commander Belrdsee
! demanded surrender Lieutenant Y. X. Porter,
! Captain Morris executive officer, at that period
in command OF the ship, answered that "Undcr
| the circumstances he would surrender aud az
once came off OF his ship 10 the ITacb,Sctk ac-
companied by all but three of the Forda's
officers, to give up his sword and flag to Captain
| Collins.
On ascending the deck the Union ship, Porter
| protested against the legality Of the capture.
| Captain Collins told him he had no time, and
| that was not the place to debate the question.
| Before suuendering the FiOrida, Lieutenant
| Porter, who was below when tue collision
| hng puN in act ,lgsby
| with revolver in hand. lie discharged every
| barrel, either 20 kill somebody or - alarm the
! Brazilian authorities.
! The crew sent on board Of the FIJyiGa from
| tue IJ0chUSeH soon slipped the cables and made
| fast q bawscr from the last-p0mcd Ship. On
| leaving the horbOr with her tow the lI0rhrwch
passed close under the very muzzle5 Of a battery
| on board Of q Brazilian tligte. DuIing this
procedure Lieutenant Commander Beardslee was
sent on lOaId of the prize with an adequate ere n,
| the eight men on board having stood sentry over
the ha'ches, which had been blttened down over
| the prisoners, and took command Of her.
On passing the frigate, the W0ckUsst was hailed,
and some of the captured Rebels yelled out that
the fisJtdG had no anchor and that tile Yankee
ship llachUseH had them IN tow. The party hall
ing from the fTigate returned an answer that they
would send as stance aud an anchor on board.
| The IigUte slipped her cable, and was taken in
! tow by q steamboat, to follow in pursuit. at the
| same time firing blank cartridges and three solid
shot al the ltachHSeA, without however, doing
| any damage.
The firing served as a signal and in a very
short time the harboT was alive, aud the forts
| opened their batteries also. In the firing Of the
! frigGte 1t was observed that she aimed 70 save
| striking the Florida, and only intended 60 Grip
pie the United States sloOp-Ot-War. The fourth
Shot, however, fell far too short the tachUSctt
and her prize in tow were already out of range.
| When outside OF the jurisdiction of Bahia, the
| two ships fell apart, but kept company CHthin
sight all the way 10 st. Thomas.
On arriving Gt the last mentioned port Captain
| Collins found the conquerOr ofthe pirate A'ab1m1
the famous Keawarge in harsor, ready to sal
for the United States. lie az ono transferred q
number Of the prisoners 20 her, also Paymast5r
Williams, who carried dispatches 70 the Navy
| Department
TIE APPEARANCE OF THE FLORIDA,
This noted piratical craft, while her general
appearance is in no way different from any other
English built steamer barque rig, is nevertheless
closely scrutinized. She is one hundred aud
ninety feet long, twenty.six feet beam, and about
twenty feet depth Of hold. She has the masts
fore, main, and mizzen. The latter was carried
away In the collision and broke short of ut the
deck, and at present she has but two masts,
very high, each Ttgged with three yards aud main
| sails.
The Florida has two smoke stacks, which like
the masts, taper aft and give the ship a 10 n.
| rakish appearance. She is painted a let black,
| but the weather has rather marred her bpautv