The New York herald., 1864-12-12
CRUISE OF THE VANDERBILT.
Exciting Pursuit of q Block
ade Runner.
SHE ESCAPES UNDER COVER OF NIGHT.
TIE WILMINGTON BLOCKADE.
&s, &c.. 6e
S1r. Thomas M. Cooks Despato ton.
HAMproN ROADS, Dec. I, 1854.

4 cRunB VANDERBILT.
Passing the routine evenis OF tho trip which,
aside from Q severe which prevaied durng the
first three days out, devoid OF special insrest,
come down 70 the Sd instant, when were azy DRIFT
ing about hundred miles eastward and
southward Wilmington. The perfectly smooth,
| and the morning wondrousiy pleasant Later In tho
forenoon began 10 hang about the horizon
until nearly noon, when the heavens became entirely
patches OF black cloud here and there be-
toksped squalls Economizug fuel our drss
Kept low and all sail set to give the ship steer
| aSs way. &&s@ .E9
Al haGpast twelve noon tho lookouts reported sdl
on the yort BEAM which direction every was i'm
sdiatsiy Strong glasses quickly made her out
10 bs burning soft coal. the sure indicator
| o. blockade rebel cruiser.
A CHASE
Orders wero Instantly given 70 fur all sail and get up
stoam with all possible despatch, and the vessel put
upon intercept the suspicious craft
The stranger esped nearly At the same moment that
we m out quickly proceeded to take in her
sails preparatory to race under stoam. Wnea dscov.
cred she apparently about dftcen miles away stand
Log sorthwestey under fore and aft sails Our precise
position the latitude 81 degrees 5s minutes.
longitude rs degrees % mnutes and course north
northeast We headed TO the Westward the rebel bear.
ins or to the southwest which course he evidently
chose expecting to be able bows before
could get sufficient head him OF Oar steam,
gradually came up Civ US increasing speed,
which showed clearly thst he could not but as
he held 10 tho distance between Us rapidly d.
mnished until about two p. NJ when no was but six or
eight miles disan. and still directly on our beam At
| this time running about ten knots and con-
stan,y Increasing thu speed. The persistency with
which the stranger held his course wh ch
| few minutes TO bring him utder our guns, tn
| cined Us TO suppose that hewas chased from the
| opposite direction, and was acting upon the only
alternative eec,irg his escape betweeuthe courses Of
| his two pursuers
| Vessel APPEARS.
At this moment of black clouds uron the
horizon ric 10 the westward OF his course and for II
| hs quickly headed. We he'd steadily until
twenty minutes past two whom We running At the
rate twelve knots which time the chased hid itself
Ia that from the dark cloud referred to-
The storm rapidly spread itself, and also
enveoped dense fog with heavy rain that prevented
any thing being Still supposing the stranger 70 be
chased from the opposite direction as his course had in
dicaed hsld and crowded on the steam as
rapidly as possible the lasted little III
! hour aud when I lifted we were shns aour Ut ar
pace, the sauncn oil snip p'o shng her way
as ste IDLY aud iy though she runang but
third OF the pace As the cloud Of fog cleared away
| every eye wassslrained to ipd tue gamc. s84 4
| - DISCOVERED.
l
| swhere aways' q cky asked from tbs deck.
.rhree points on the starboa.d ThAts him,'
said captain promptly. Sis impossible thst he IS
bows" Sai ho'' at this moment came ain
from the m ,sthoI. .sWhere away?' ''ryo poiuis
| the port baw; steamer buruinr, black smoke With
the aid Of glasses, thus directed now able to
make him the deck. 'srh,t's fcil'w !" sat
ths pain and then sung out, '5tarboard your holm
the fellow changed his course" Under the
storm he pulled away to the southward, aud
/, thus had widened the distance between
But felt confident OF priz, III teen knots
hard speed any to contend against, aud
would allow ourselves TO believe tn this ieox
could make nything ike that time. We
ming TO head him oil again, and strangely be turned
at about the time ana he,dcd moro as to
| b.ws rhc or this singular freak
manifest a vessel ioomet up in the horizon
far away the westward She subsequently, proved to
bark; but chase, suspicious OF danger every
san, had supposed her to Do Yinkee cruiser, and
| cn,pged his course 10 avoid he.
| PROSPECTS, FRIGHTENING
| This gave Us decided advantage aud We
| rapidly gained him until, al three y. NJ
| no WAS plainly visible, hull ", from the
| deck OF our ship. Az this time no was
apparently about miles away, AMI seemed to have
met with some accident to his machnory compelling
him TO stop for We OF our prize then
The crew called quarters resdiuoss for action
should the fellow decline graceful surrender The guns
unoosed and trained for service All hands oen-
graduated themselves the SUCCESS and young oncers
CIRCULATED their chauces Of being assigned 10 the
| command OF the przs crew.
| VESSEL.
We now had dne opportunity OF observing the pros.
pecve prize She very long, probably considerably
more than two hundred feet and very she sat
low n the water, with spSuous "house" on deck
| we'll ait, and high poop deck whi;h was black with
people, She had two stubby masts dev I'D OF top masts
resembling pair of hugo derrick Between these were
three smoke stacks, rakins well at ami standing close
together engtnwise Of the ship she propelled by
pair OF small paddle wheels, 80 3w TO raise ques
tou n % their existence, aud two propeller rs.
Throughout she painted light cream color closely
approaching to VIII te No signs Of freight visble
which rise to the ectare that shs was cruiser,
though subsequently, ascertsned that there six
vessels soai all Of this pattern, designed for block
runners and doubtless this Of tho lot She
probably bad her freight stored below decks There 10
/ no question that she was In ard bound
i AGAIN orv.
Whatever the OF her detention, Il was Of brief
duratop and before could get within range Of her
she vas on again. And then commenced most exciting
| cbass Seeing the utter impossibity OF crossing
her helm put apart, giving straight stern
chase. Away she sped with rapidly seldom cquallcd
| On the ocean. Although the comparatively
smooth she constantly washed from stem 10 storm
by the light swes into which hcr great speed forced nor
Indeed. owing 10 her being 40 low had been at all
rough she could not have travelled at such rapid pace.
ens would certainly have been driven under. AZ
she compelled bring a hands aft TO keep her bows
up Al this time shc making not less than fifteen
knrts an hour The Vanderbilt was making little moro
than nfteen and gam upon her scarcely rercep
tbIe. II almost neck and racc Both vessels
tore along pace that amazed the
Of the great deep. 10 the height Of the chase brig
L do~ fvt thn hefor
the wind, with every yard OF sot we ncw by
her like locomotive, and when next 10 kcd for her
che was sunk below the horizon The pur-
sued vomited forth dcnsc masses OF black smoke that