New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-07-12
rHR KEARsARGE AND THE ALA
RAMA.

From Our Own Correspondent

IAktt JUNG II, 1909.
At l21 O'Clock p. m, June 49, the Confed-
crate corsair Alabama ex.290 went down. col.
ors and captain both flying Such was the
npsbot Of q brief engagement between it and
the Kearsargo last Sunday, which, on the Friday
previous seemed TO your correspondent so unlikely TO
take place. 1t seems that the gallant Semmes
could not well have avoided 1t. 1t is said that the
French Government in his did really perform its
duty neutral and gave him notice to omit after land
Ing his 90 prisoners and coalDg; and unable to wait
and tire out the Kearsarge seize favorable oppor
tunity Of escaping he vanished bis necessity with VII
tue and accepted Capt. Winslow's challenge WINS
lows boats had been into Cherbourg several times
and unofficial communications Of a defiant sort
are supposed TO have passed between the two COM
manders To visitors on board the Alabama day or
two before the fight, Semmes had boasfuly shown his
sharpened cuasses and other arrangements Tor board
ing the enemy But he had placed the material gains
Of his many gallant victories over unarmed mer
chAntmen-to wit IS chronometers and values amount
ing to some millions Of franesas well as his papers. in
safe hands on shore Semmes his prudence Is equal 10
his proves any day.
The dark hl of the Kearsarge lying of and Just on
the outer limit Of s territorial waters appears 70 have
given umbrsge 10 the Power that is in sunny France,
and NJ Drown de Lhuys is said TO have requested Mr.
DAYTON 10 advise Capt Wiuslow that the mere vacant
room thereabont would be agreeable than his
COMPANY.
Immediately precedent and segment and attendant cir
cumstances differ considerably in details, 10 which
hearsay witnesses, teegrammariaDs, and reliable
pondents and impartial editors add considerable
Other discrepancies In the following brief narrative
compiled from these different authorities few Of tie
various readings ere inserted In brackets:
Sunday morning. about 10 o'clock lRnywhere from
20 NJ the Alabama went out.of Cherbourg escorted
by the French Ionolad La COuronne till past the terri
torial French wsters, distance OF five miles; the
kearsarge lay miles anywhere from five TO ten
further out The combat began about ii o'clock lai
III at 10 ten minutes the Alabama firing the nist gun:
In the NJ an hour So other shots hng zone
other injury, shot from the kearsarge sruek and
broke fan smashed the helix all TO htters anu broke
the steering apparatus] Of the Alabamas screw%hee
which thereupOn If the friends OF the deceased WIZ per-
nit the expression turned tail and steamed and steered
In a sinking condition for Cherbourg lScuttedi Rid
died that Is tue enigmal. The Koalsarge pursued
Presently and rather suddenly, the 300 sunk below
sero its flag flying 10 the lashe Captain anf officers
fed before friendly, Confederate. copper bottomsd
English yacht, the DoerhOund, happening TO be by
picked up Semmes and other officers and number OF
the crew, mostly English, forty In all Semmes was
wounded lshghty-very badly in the hand he and his
were taken right away 70 Southampton. French
pilot boat picked mp an officer and eight men, and
brought them into CherbOurg The Kearsarge picked
mp sixtyeigit Of the floating enemy, and came into
Cherbonrg. The wounded Of both sides were received
IN the hospital there and Wen cared for The number
Of Coaederates keC IS reported 70 be ten siKteen OF
three for altogether, Of both parties. twenty. The
Kearsarge has its outer planking torn but no grave
iDjary IdTeadfully cut up and into
Senmes appears 70 have maneuSered and fought his
ship skfaly enough and brayely enough. As to bis Civ
Ing II % when il going down 10 watery grave, be
might well have felt that he was born for higher end
or as Ddsbury who Is classical prettily expresses r.
"he would not sell bis birhrght for sush salt pOttage
rs he sawit entitled 10 cross the Styx l0y, rope,
let alone in the that No evidently become
more lucky number than 290; and let alone, further
the consideration that If live asa be better than
dead lion. how unfataomaby better than dead G. >
A. Semmes In French waters, 1--we lion in the best
The result of this naval action reached US here BY
m nm ate IA
guess there at the Grand Hotel, there was
wall fromJohn Sidel. Erlsnger smote bis bosom poor
True COnfederates and their European friends found
much cause Of consolation in the escape Of Semmes
and in the safety OF his ehest but on the other hand
had not BY accident L0T imprudent purpose violated
any slightest outlying clause OF international law, either
by firing shot anywhere near inside Of the oulermost
boundary Of French territorial waters dropping
stray las uuwise Of corcordantly regret
he did nOt into the Deerhound They make what they
OF the proper enough act of the Maritime Project
OF Cherbourg. who had Government steamer lie
Var ready 10 bear assistance to the Alabama as
kaon a: she appeared 70 pc IN need Oh IT, the
ourred prevented hun from showing more than bis good
will in the case. And -though the Evening Moafeur
Official Journal Of tke French Empire speaks OF the
ct as fthe Var were intended only for the assistance
Of COniederates, have as little doubt as diplomat
could have that il would have rendered aid In case Of
reed and opportunity, TO the Federas well had they
been In a sihking or mscelaneousy floating condition
the waters. and discard doubt here for three
reasons
Governments political sympathies rarely iail in active
human sympathy and quick help for visible suffering
In tie next place whatever the official ympathies this
Government has in its opcr Official acts carefully
enough Observed the strict letter OF the law Of neutral
DUTY toward us ever since fastened TO give as
much aud the best explanation IL could Of that Congress
vote Of 4th April ON the Mexican resolutions RON the
date Of the receipt Of those explanations we date the
Bnguarly delayed but at last apparently frank and
positive decision Of the Emperor regarding his partisan
Armans war steamers, originally built for the e > A.
Navy. The two completed ones OF these four
the 0saca and Yeddo, If have tie names
right are now said 10 be sold by bona
fde sale to Denmark, Prussia, Peru or some
neutral power Though, would you believe IL 7 there
are yet extant suspicious Frenchmen who conceive
that the bills of sale will be exchanged at sea, and those
"Pacihc trading steamers become blockade runners
or breakers on our Atlantic coast. don't. In the
third place If in that laundering Sabbath breaking be-
fore Cherbonrg three days ago. Seinmes had done to
NinsOw what " inslow did 70 SeInmes our sinking
crew had properly excted In their hepessness deeper
sympathies Of the French than Semmes and his crew
for 1t doubtful whether the former had excited the
active sympathy OF the copper bottomed English Deer
hounds Captain at all The EreHing honherr, con
found dog and master in Its souvenirs Of the classics
calls this pleasure yacht Deerhound the Aot;e0n.
Written, whether now By It's pleasure seeking master
OF by hired servant Of The Times on board don't
know is log kept on the DeerhOund by John Ian
caster from Sunday a. up 70 the end Of the en-
Taeement and past which you win 1nd printed in The
Londoa Tines VI yesterday. For hourly dates Of that
Sunday bit Of naval history II is probably the best
authority we have. Mr.. Lancasers quality philo
sophca say moral philosophical writer Of history Is
You will observe his statement as a fact-with no
oomment Of his ownof the request made to him. be
passed the Kearsarge from that vessel that he should
hasten 20 the aid Of the floating Conederstes las II
Johns action in the case fulfilling Of Federal
behests, and then again. his statement at the end OF
his log that the Kearsage got out her boats after some
aeaythis statement being generously as the other
gas mOdestly presented, nude OF any comment from
I,hu ha iUshy IDEAS fUR N