The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-07-21

The Alabama left Cherbourg harbor
about ten o'clock ON Sunday morning,
and the Kearsarge. was then several
miles out to seaward, with her steam
up ready foraction. The French plat
cd ship -of-war Couronne followed the
Alabama out Of the harbor, and stop
ped when the vessels were league off
the coast. her object being to see that
there was no violation of the law of
nations by any fight taking place with
in the legal distance from land.
One of the officers of the Alabama
names the hour Of lilo as the com
mencement of the action, and 1910 as
the period of its cessation, making its
duration an hour and half; while the
time observed on board the Deer
hound, which is most likely to be ac-
curate, that vessel being free from the
excitement and confusion necessarily
existing on board the Alabama, limit
ed the action TO an hour, the last shot
being fired at 1910. The distance
between the TIVE vessels when the
Alabama opened fire was cstimat-
ed ON board the Dcerhound at about q
mile, while the Alabama's officer tells
me that she was mile and q hathaway
from the Kearsarge when she fired the
first shot
Be this as it may, it is certain that
the Alabama commenced the firing, and
as it is known that her guns were
pointed for range of two thousand
yards, and that the second shot fired, in
about half minute after the first, went
right into the Kearsargc, that may be
taken as the real distance between the
two ships. The firing became general
from both vessels at the distance Of
little under u mile, and was well sus-
taincd ON both sides, Mr. Lancasters 8
impression being that at no time du-
ring the action were they less than a
quarter of mile from each other
Seven complete circles were made in
the period over which the fight lasted
1t was estimated on board the Deer
hound that the Alabama fired in all
about one hundred and fifty rounds,
some in single guns, and some in broad
sides, of three or four, and the Kcar.
sarge about one hundred, the majority
ofwhich were elcven inch shells. The
Alabama's were principally Blakcly's
pivot guns. In the early part of the
action the relative firing was about
three from the Alabama to one from
tho Kearsarge, but as it progressed
the latter gained the advantage, hav.
ing apparently much greater power
of steam. She appeared to have an
advantage over tho Alabama Of about
three knots an hour, and steam was
seen rushing out of her blowpipe all
through the action, while the Ala
bama seemed to have very little steam
on.
At length the Alabama's rudder was
disabled by one of her opponents
heavy shells, and they hoisted sails
but it was soon reported to Captain
Semmcs by one of his officers that hi
ship was sinking. With great brave
ry the guns wore kept ported till the
muzzles were actually under water
and the last shot from the doomed
ship was fired as she was settling
down. When her stern was complete
~ under water, Capt. Semmes gave
orders for the men to save themselves
as best they could, and every one
jumped into the sea and swan to the
boats which had put off to their rescue
Those of them who were wounded
were ordered by Captain Scmmes t.
be placed in the Alabama's boats anC
; taken on board the Kearsarge, whicl
was, as far as possible, obeyed.
Captain Semmes and those abov
mentioned were saved in tho Deer
= hounds boats; and when it was ascer
taincd that the water was clear OF ev
, cry one that had life left, and that NJ
J moro help could be rendered, the yach
steamed away for Cowes, and theme
to this port,
! The Kcarsargc, it is known, has 70
n somc timo past been in hot pursuit Q
E tho Alabama, which vessel Captal
Q Winslow was determined to folloV
everywhere till he overlook his enemy