The New York herald., 1864-12-12


waters and seemed TO labor under the great strain pus
upon her, The evidences clear that she was doing
all that she capable and than prudence
would dictate. But she running for life and the goal
was at hand
ArrRoAcnsa.
Night was approaching. under its mantle no
matter were but three miles astern, sne safe
And for night she night reached out fromths
nack clouds that ded the horizon and took her 20 its
profession How We loneed and prayed and hoped for
htse longer lease OF dayilghs.
THE VESSEL EsoAFIa
-, ss'ng .nIs, now snxously we waited for Ifting OF
might aid US in continuing the chase only hour
longer Hut oil our longngs and prayers hopsa and
grasp dark cur.ain utervensd and whether she
turned 20 the right left kept course
We wse unable 70 tell She escaped us, and We never
Some years ego when Ia the mArcantiie service, the
Vanderbilt was esteemed good for fifteen knots a. an
average rate OF speed Then. n emergency she could
o. ana Was crowded . seventeen and en.sen snoss
and strengthened and over hundred thousand dollars
have been spent her engnes alone shc should now
most that could BE- got out OF her this occasion was
teen. and perhaps half. knots This spesd she was
bearing Of working beams heat, and
u became necessary 70 slack off, From itt,e over az
teen knos quickly fell down 10 tairtssa and hail.
True the chase airo diminished hsr spesd out
ssckened We ceased 70 gaiu ground Had we been able
hold that sheuid have captured this fellow beyond
doubt. AAlmtiar failure occurred with ber aoout
mo montn as0 hness aure. are AL unnscsssasy puros
upwards OF seventy five thousand miles. Within Tho
same time she has been three times aground Al this
hs greatly damaged her bottom. Her copper Is known
TO bc of IN places and In others to be torn up In
such way as to be worse than II II OIL entirely
Her bottom is very foul thr ugh0u Indeed she has not
been over three years is the whole
cAuse Of her failures 10 this 10 clearly attributable her
in the fair condition in which q shrewd merchant was
keep her. she could make and eighcen
Upwards OF two hundred thousand doilaIs were
spent on her last winter, and yet she was
not docked. That she cinnot now exceed NJ
teen knots without heating is evidence OF Itself Of
the need OF overhsuliug in the respect Indicated The
notice taken OF IT, she he coppered ut New York
with expenditure Of less than weeks time. aGd
any vessel that has yet been bu for navigation
She Is now popularity and ably commanded. Csl tain
Pickering reputation firmly established that should
he capture no prizes 10 this snip, he will suer no dnl
nuton Of pubic nhdence his zeal aud skill IS nav al
commander. she Is capaby oicercd, too. througheut.
Now let the government do its share n putting the ship
proper condition which be dQpe at u1 expense,
and shs will prove TO be truly scolgc 70 blockade
now TIM rfocxAlx RUNNERS MANAGE
The rebels have exhibited degree OF enterprise nd
perseverance, tho procurement swift for
blockade running that Cha leEges admiration The sea
G. cd With their small cra built with spsci. reference
10 he work they are putto As Gas there are no
tss, boat that catch them aud they multiply daily
There ~ be end 70 the number OF them some
once, all approaching from different directions The
foremost Is discovered and whole feet OF bockaders
the diversion thus elected ene OF the others ands
chauce slip The rebel authorities calculate
al cbaacos and despc ato are Their str its that
Of three attempts is successful the lss
OF the two unsuccessful ones ia lightly esteemed. And
Of the-vessel Tho speed with which they endowed
enables them frequently to eluda pursuit, and taey live
to renew the attempt the next avorab occa,ton
lhere Is another emb rrassinelt attending the block
nde o port against vessels propelled by steam lhey
are 10 n, wise dependent upon the wind or weather
The darkest night, whether ella or stormy wiady or
best their purpose. Tncy have, then, no
broad sheets OF canvass TO loom Up against ho Ornament
to attract attention Their decks are scrlpuousy low
The color with hich they painted combines the hus
that into the cloud and the sea- AID at n they
are rearly inv sibie as crA't Can web be-.
An illustration the nvisi0iity at night Of vessels
painted certain sh,d occurred lev nights ago on the
sell and doiug exposed lights attracted
the attention OF Union cruiser few miles away.
lhe latter ancyng We might be a rebel cruiser threw
out the ordinary light o chairman disarm suspi
ci,p, and stood for We her light and ran Tor
her, op approaching proper signals exchanged
identifying each 10 the other Thco all lights ex
tingu,shed Al this tine Tho young moon had not se,
we wrro able 10 see the Yankee cruiser about quar
ter OF mile ahoad OF broadsde to U.s. she running
color Captain Pickering wishing t. comm1ucaie wth
teis vessel tide hating signal, which the latter fsed
10 see lmmedii,ely she disappeared from sight sd
although searched Tor her hour In Tia. vicinity,
We never saw hcr again. Probably she was close by us
all the time, unless in chasing the cruisers only
fast enough to enable them TO handle thor vessels. r.
therefore, under such circumstances, Is impossible 10
keep vessel in sight, how much more readily Can low
blockade aiming " avoid detection, koep out o.
sight.
The fact that aud then vessel chances to In
out o! that port usti1es tho question: and the
fact Is deemed sufficient evidence By many people that
there Is lack OF wachiubess efficiency here.
To- such and TO all u will doubtless DO matter of surprise
know ihat the feet bockadtng this single port
sacency than was the wnoc navy Of the United states
prior to the Th,s general statement but prob
ably az nearly definite as It would be proper g. mske.
II, therefore, Wrmusto Is at this moment cnectu.
ally blockaded, Il is quite imp sblc Tor it to be mae
guarded aud its iuaress egrcss visauty watched
No ee OF equal magn tude before concentrated
II viii tnen be asked, why do vessels succeed In run
nit ,his Al has been done that pos IDLY
done to close this last cbanue of rebel commun
catioo with Eurole little embarrassment presents
itself or the manifest improprietv
OF tho various vesses employed y watching this port,
which, hen II shall be proper 10 give, Will Il itse be
conclusive proof that means bsve been eit unsied to
Thc broad assertion Is here vcnred upon thAt awater
aordng sufficient dcith of the Iassage Of steam.
crs, with refuge secursat b,h exrcmities may DO nv.
gated despite any all efforts that be brought to
bear 10 oppose Ia other words 10 TINS day OF steam
power no absolute blockade csn by any possibility be
created short Of complete destruction q tue chan
neis. Not that the presence o. feet 10 no
egress and ineress are not In great measure IN
proportion the magnitude Of the neet bockadIng.
These render the assage OF vessels more or less zrd
ous; but where there hazard there 10 ohsDce OF
escape Admiral Porter has, with ndefatigsbe energy,
so far succeeded biockadng the port OF WImngtsu
that during the month o. November but two vesss
have effected entrance, aud none ran out.
Al the attempts NJ blockade running have
nev ver persistent Full SCORE
OF fast steamers driven on whls essayog the en-
trance and ten or dozen have been captured These
facts are sufficient testimony 20 the faithulness with
witch the duty SRened to she North Atlantic biockad
ing squadron ia performed.
Let H. he borne 10 mind that In the year 1868, when
tho joint sluadrons Of Admrss Faragu ard Porter were
lying 10 Mississippi fver between the mouth OF the
Ysxoo river and Vicksburp, rebel ram emerged from
tho Yszoo river through the sntre fleets, and
came to mooriug oil vicksburg. Lea Il also be remem.
bercd TINT FarrsRus, with wooden vesscis passed
and repassed mississippi river The strongest workB
that could be constructed carrying the heaviest cabrs
artillery and that later Porter HIS feet by all the
batteries at yicksburg subsequently passing the ice Of
transports that fcrricd Grants army across tn
stream Lock the triumphant entrance cf Fsrragurs