The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-11-16
VOL. 10, NO. 81. WHOLE NO. 400.
Capture Of the Pirate Florida.


The Boston Airst.Ssr has 4 very full ac
count Of the capture OF the Florida in III,
, port of Bahia Brazil We have room 10,
] only the following extract:
b Taking into consideration all the fact.
IN the case. the council advised. with lint
one dissenting vote among an the officers
oi the Nachusctt that the scheme propos.
ell 81 securing the rehel cruiser at her an.
choraSe should De carried ont. Can't Col
ms immediately gave the orders for accom-
pushing The design agrcei upon. saving.
ilAt with the very deepest regret he f,if
'hai the conduct oi the Brazilian govern b.
meni Do permitting piracies within the sha-
uoMs oi MS shores had made the stem an
lnpefatNe.N necessary one. Il NAV Doe re-
marked here that il was found. after the
seizure oi the Florida. that arrauremenfs
had been made Tor her escape flo.a The far-
Dor on the very next uiSht. Tor new "a
reer upon our shipping.
Inc preparations Tor the encounter Wer.
made with great CELEBRITY and comnlete So
cresy. and al about three o'clock in the
morning oi Friday. October :. the cables
were slipped. and the Machuseit bore down
upon The rebel vessel under fui head of
steam 80 little expectation was there of
such q proceeding. that one-half the officers
ana crew OF The Florida. seventy n number.
and including Capt. 'lorris. We're carousino
on shore. aud the remainder. having inst re-
turned from "a similar absence. were I'm b.,
condition 10 repel an assault The Forila's
officer on deck supposed tie collision which
he saw 90 Dee imminent 10 De- merely a.ci-
dental ami cried ont, d" Nou Will run into
AS ll lou don't look out " The deSiun nf
capt. Collins was simply to strike the Flor
lda amldshlps with fan steam ON. crush i'm
her side and send her al once 90 the bot
toln belonn the possibility Of causing fur
lher Trouble to amy one. The Nachusett
however did not strike her alkersar, fairly
nui hii her DO The stern. carrying away the
hii11en mast and main yard. The Florida
was not seriously injured hy the collision.
hui the broken spar icll acrOs. the awninv
over her haichWay in such manner as fo
prevent her crew from 1eitine on deck
from below The rccOu which followed ihe
shock carried the Machusett back several
Yards I'm The commission which eusuei -eN-
crai pistol shots We're fired from both YES
6OI' effect Two of the guns of the Wachu
sett We're also discharged by accident. ac-
cordng 90 one report and, as another yer
sion has ID. hy order of one Of the Union
lieut. lant-. The shots did not strike the
Florida
Capt. Collins OF the Wachuseit immeli-
ately Numbered out a demand to the reh.l
craft: surrender. cor | viii blow You out OF
the water. The lieutenant i'm charre of
The Florida may bee excused for c0nsIdera-
bile amazemeni, hut had still presence of
nint io reply. Under the circumstances
surrender. Without the delay of am IN
slant dozens of gallant tars boarded the
Ilize and made fast "a hawser cDi Erecting
her with their own vessel. and the Machu-
sell turned her course seaward. moving az
.he top oi her speed and towing ihc Florida
100 her wake.
The fleet of Brazilian vessels. which On
rey surrounded the little space OF watcr
N which the brief battle had been fought
vas So situated that the two American
steamers We're obliged 20 pass under Tie
stern Of one of the largest in order to per-
',raie their line The Nachu.eff was chal-
enged but did not deign "a word of reply.
ana the Florida. when hailed and command
'd 10 hat moment after. replied th.ta
'Hn-c was impossible. a. she was tOWpi ly
lao Nos-ol in g. ont Tho Bra1ilians coon
guessed The state of affairs. and IN another
moment or two le heavy guns of the fort
ihder the very muzzles of which the can
ufe had been made opened fire on the Wa
husell- as She disappeared i'm the morning
iafknes-. Three shots were fired aiierhor
il passing haunlessly far above her pen
iant and striking the wafer beyond.
10 the reader II seems that all this must
ave taken considerable time. but the
esiimony of a careful officer on the Wachu-
eu, corrohorated by the surgeon of IL
lorida. assures us that from Tine time the
'achusett first slipped her cable and
teamed upon the rebel cruiser. 10 The mo-
lenl when the echoes of the last gun from
he brazilian fortress had died away was
MY twenty minutes by The waicl. Ger
AMY no page of history can show a more
airing achievement. or one executed with
lore brilliant rapidity or more complete
Iccees.
surgeon Charlton estimates that the Flor
Ia ha, steamed over forty thousand miles
nee She leit Brest. not having spent ten
ays in port in in nine months. DURING
er career She has captured about forty
mercan vessels