Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-04-10
THE eTOEEWALL AT FERROL,
The stOnewalI Attempts TO Escape
from FerrOI-NiagTra and Eacra'
mentO- Pursue Her-0bject Of the
ManeuVTe, DC, ke. A

We extract from letter of the CORES.
pondent of the New York Herald with the
United States war steamers Niagara and
Sacramento the following description of
the attempt of the rebel ram stonewall to
escape from Ferroll, of which the telegraph
has already made mention:
The officers of the Niagara and SacrG-
mento received intelligence that the rebel
ram Stonewall was getting up steam with
the evident intention of going out. They
Immediately commenced getting up steam.
Looking through glass over to the mouth
of the hsrbor of Ferrol, we saw the Stone
wall coming out accompanied by the Span
lsh frigste Conception. This was about
half past one o'clock. Almost simultsne-
ously with her appearance the Niagara and
Sacramento got under way, the Sacramento
heaviDg her anchor up first and taking the
lead. Crowds of people began to throng
from the town the lighthouse point, and by
the time the two United States vessels were
fairly under weigh if seemed as though the
whole town had become awakened to the
fact that an extraordinary naval combat
was about to take place, and that they
would be greatly the losers if they did not
witness it. The Niagara and Sacramento
steered directly towards the Stonewsll.
On board our vessels the men were at quar-
ters, and everything was prepared for the
combat. The Stonewsll, with the Concep-
tion Just sstern of her, stood out for sea.
The morning had been calm and the sea
perfectly smooth; but just about the time
the Stonewsn made her appearance, q
strong breeze sprung up, and in few
minutes the sea was considerably ruffled.
The Sacramento was steering directly to-
wards the Stonewall, and the Niagara fol-
I lowing closely, when suddenly the rebel
ram, which had coma out about one mile
from the mouth of the port, turned tail and
started tack, followed by the Conception.
The Niagara and Sacramento by this time
were nearly off the mouth of the hsfbor of
| Ferrol, and continued steering towards it
until they saw the ram fairly inside, when
they returned to their old berths in the
harbor of Ccrunna, having not been about
| two hours.
Precisely what Captain Page meant in
| his mRneuVre am at loss TO determine
The sea was not sufficiently high to seri-
ously incommode his fighting arrange
ments, and it cannot be that he csme out
intending to fight both the Nisgara and
| Sacramento and then turned back as soon
as they hove in sight. We had good rea-
son to believe that the ram intended to
fight.
! A dispatch was received here this morn
ing from Mr.. Bigelow, in Paris, to the effect
| that the French Government was manifest
ing g disposition to stop the Stonewsl].
On he strength of this the French Consul
here Immediately telegraphed to the Min
lister of Foreign Affairs in Paris, stating
that fight was imminent, and asking
| whether he should interfere.
We supposed that Captain Psge had
received the information that the French
government intended interfering, and that
he determined, before giving it favorable
opportunity, to go out and fight. Now, l
am inclined to the opinion that his entire
movement was mere matter of exercise
for the purpose of seeing how soon our
vessel would be after him, 10 try the work
ing of his machinery, to see how his vessel
would behave sc. Some of the officers OF
the Niagara state that the sea was washing
over her at terrible rate.
If she means to fight she will probably
90 out again tomorrow, unless stopped ST
the demand of the French government.
If she does not mean to fight she may es-
cape tonight To morrow, I am inclined
TO believe, will in some way bring forth 3
solution of this vexed question that has
kept diplomatists and naval officers and
your correspondent on the rack so long.
n. B.-I have just received telegram
from Ferrol stating that the Stonewsu
put back on account of a heavy sea, and
that she will &C out soon as the weather is
| favorable.