The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-07-17
THE PIgAfE FLORIDA.
Work OF our Coast.
Ter Speed, Armament, Officers, aud
Grew.
Particulars OF the Capture 0f the
Electric Spark.
Work OF our Coast.
Sta!o meRt OF Capt. Graham.
'lGe gauj-aoe q the !. Y Norid-
PaIIADrIPHfA. June II, ; :. :

q
the Chesapeake The last vessel known
to have been taken was the Greenland,
bound TO Pensacola for coal She was
in tow OF the steam tug America, which
barely saved herself from capture 10y
emitting loose her tow. The pirate gave
chase to the America, but the latter
was too feet. Her tow was captured
and burned The crew of the vessel
were put on board avessel subsequently
canturel, bound Tor the Bermudas
We give below the statement OF Capt.
Graham. OF the steamer Electric Spark,
Intelligence OF the capture OF which
vessel WAS published in the World of
yesterday morning:
STATEMENT or CAPTAIN GRAHAM
The Electric SparI, sailed from New
/ York On Saturday afternoon for New
. Orleans Everything went on well. and
we augured Il speedy and prosperous
! voyage till next day Sunday about
one O'Clock, latitude ;7:55, longitude
/ 1sI2, vessel hove in sight on oar
ssalhoard bow, which appeared TO be
! BARS rugged vessel standing by the
/ wind oil shore. but aiterward (at about
! i..tl proved 10 be q long, low, rakish-
/ looking steamer, with sharp cutwater,
standing direcSly for our bows to cut Us
/ OIL VI hen she had GOT within about
! three miles or thereahoutS., as near rs
. / can remember. she hoisted the British
flag sill approaching as with great
! Tapid!ty, and when She had got within
/ twelve hundred wards OF Us she hauled
/ down the British flag and run up the
/ rebel colors az the same instant she
/ fired = ride shot across our stern in the
water Seeing that there was no re-
/ Spouse 10 this she fired a second shot
/ across cur bows, which passed across
/ our forestry.
This shot did 10 harm. and we still
continued on oar course, when the
( tniId and last shot was fired at Us.
! The passengers heEau 10 complain. and
Cgy ont that the ship would be sunk If
/ ". did BOT stop her; So seeing that,
/ there was no chance of escape from
J the pirate, much against my viii, ! or-
ucged the co.ocs down and had the en-
/ giUcs stopped. In few moments 81
+ ter we were hailed bV boat from the
/ vessel, which proved to be the Florida.
/ Captain NpIi.- commanding. The oil
/ cor IN charge al the boat, Lieutenant
: stone. stepped on board cur vessel, and
/ In d very polite and geEtlemanly
+ manner, told ME that he had orders
/ from Captain Morris 10 deliver me and
nv snip papers safely ca beard the
! Florida. | complied at once, as I mad
no other alternative. and went on
board the Florida, where delivered
/ nav papers 10 Cantain Morris. who then
: ordered nae 70 return on board Of my
/ Snip. and get nay boats ready 20 trans
! fer M crew and passengers, with al
/ saeir baggage and personal effects, on
bo~rG Of the British schooner Lane,
which he had just hailed, giving the
Csp,sia seven hundred and twenty
. Eoslar5 in gold % take the passengers
{ sid c2yv Of my ship, with trunks, &c,
ID New York. After this we all went
! 70 hoard OF the schooner, which was
/ bound Tor New ! ork from Raracoa, v
/ J.. with cargo Of fruit, and we safely
allived in New \ Ori> about ! O'Clock
( ta.r morning tIuesaay)
TIKI ARMAMENT o. TIE FLORIDA.
! The officers Of the Electric Spark de
scribe the armament of the Florida as
follows She carries nine guns of very
/ heayv caibre, VIZ: One l3O-pound rife
; p.yot qua; one IS pound rifle bow
/ cla.ew one a~ pound Steru-chaSer, rifle;
and three Gtpound rifles on each side.
/ Her decks are kept very neat, iii man
ci-wsr fashion. and everything looks
/ clean and trim - the outward eve. Is
/ far a. oar Informant. Captain Graham,
( could see.
nEE OFFICERS AND CRET
The commanding officer Of the Flor
/ ida. Clr,sin niat:it, i described as Ia
! ther az elderly man, Of fine personal
! appearance. with hair and uhiskers
( nearly Write. Lieutenant Stone and
al. Tie o.leg oilreGs OF the Florida. !
CAPTAIN Graham describes Is being the
most cenIrmaniy set Of cut-throats he
ever met one OF the Junior officers
told Captain Graham that he was a son
: OF General Emory, now commanding at
New Orleans under General Candy. He
/ sent his respects t. his father, with the
remark that lie was As hearty as a
/ buck and IS big 4 rebel as ever"
which message VIII be faithfully deliv- !
cred. no doubt The officers did not |
/ touch any private property OF any de |
scriptjon during the capture, nor would |
they allow the crew 10 abstract any
/ Thing Lieutenant Stone of the rebel |
vessel, said 70 Captain Graham. I'VE |
Will show y0u Yankees that we are net !
such barh2rians as you try to make Us
out
! UNITED STATES OFFICERS on BOARD THE CAP |
TURED STEAMER
There were on board of the Electric !
! Spark three United States officers, re
spectiyely p colonel, Young graduate |
| from West Point and naval officer |
They surrendered their swords to Cap |
tain Morris, bat he would not receive !
! them. hut told them that they should |
keep them. He then paroled them,
and presented each with his carte de |
,fs,tc and button of his coat
SPEED or THE PIRATE
The officers Of the Electric Spark say
that when they were overhauled by |
the Florida they were making nine |
knots IN hour and were they in right |
trim they are confident they could |
make twelve knots an hour but that !
the Florida would still have the advan- |
tage, as she was making fifteen knots, |
with but nine pounds of steam on 4 |
single boiler. when she caught the Elec !
trio Spark Her officers boast that she !
makes fifteen knots an hour under can /
vas without pound of steam; also, that |
there is not vessel in the L. S. navy |
able to sail with her, or bring her to. |
THE ELECTRIC SPARK
Is vessel of eight hundred and ten
tons register. She was built in Phila |
delphia the present year. She was cal
culated to make ten or twelve knots an /
hour. Her owners are Mr.. j. Taylor IL
Co, Of Philadelphia. This was her Sc
cond trip 10 New Orleans. She is
valued at one hundred and seventy-five
thousand dollars and she was not in
snred against war risks. She had an
assorted cargo of boots, shoes, wines,
tea, coffee, provisions, DC, all of which
will bring a high price at Nassau, where
it is supposed the rebels will take her,
discharge her cargo, and fit her out as
a privateer The cargo was valued at
Al. Jarlar-