The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-12-01

ry as she passed, by which second mate Car
bonier Ga native of Berlin, but of French
parentage, as indicated by the name), was
killed, and two sailors wounded. AS quick
ly as possible the Bouvet was turned and
once more sent against the Meteor, striking
her this time falrer and harder, and accom-
panyng the blow with another yolley of
musketry, which killed sailor Thomson, and
with shots from two of her twenty four
Founders, both of which told. one cutting
the main Or middle mast near the deck, and
the other injuring the mizzenmast A return
volley OF musketry from the Meteor slightly
wounded one of the French sailors. Captain
Franquet and his men endeavored to grapple
the Meteor, but in this they were foiled; SO
the Bouyet again passed by the Meteor, and
moved off to make another turn and home
attack. Disembarassed of the grapples of
his enemy, Captain Knorr found it necessary
to cut his injured mizzenmast, upon which
the broken mainmast had caught, and throw
both overheard This came near proving
fatal to the Meteor, for the masts, or their
spars, rigging, &c, became entangled into
the vessels propeller, fouled it, and render
ed it useless The Meteors condition was
then, indeed, desperate one. Unable to
sail for the loss of her masts, or to steam for
the fouling of her propeller, she was truly
an inert mass, almost helpless, while the
French steamer was as yet uninjured. Ali
probabilities OF victory, therefore, lay with
the latter vessel. A chance shot, however.
soon changed the fortunes of the day, and
turned an almost assured Prussian defeat in
to Prussian triumph.
THE FATAL SHOT.
A Saxon sergeant of marines on beard the
Meteor had the siXty-eight- FOUNDER loaded
once more and fired under his craftsmanship
at the French vessel then about six hundred
yards OFT, and preparing to turn and again
run into the Meteor The shot told terribly
upon the Bouvet. Her steam dome was
struck and broken, and at once she became
enveloped in a dense volume of steam, which
was mistaken by distant spectators for cloud
OF smoke, and led to the impression that she
was on fire. Three of her tremen were bad
ly scalded by the released steam, but only
one of them is likely to die from the injuries
received. Captain Franquet had read of tho
celebrated kearsage and Alabama combat
and had adopted Admiral Winslow's plan
tor strengthening the weak places In the
side of vessel, and had plated or clad the
Bouvets weak places with her chains and
anchors, The simple plan, which proved so
effective to the kearsage in her contest, how
ever, proved the real cause of the Bouyet's
disaster and defeat The young Saxon's
oo-pounu Dali STRUCK one OF tn6 cnalnS, was
deviated from its regular and almost harm
less course. and forced downward towards
and unto the steam-dome, finally passing on
through one of the sky-lights.
THE RETREAT
The loss OF the Steam-dome was of course
followed by the immediate paralyzation of
the machinery, yet the Bouvet had still the
advantage over the Meteor that could neither
steam nor sail. Victory was, therefore yet
within reach of the French vessel, but Cap
tain Ftanquet was not aware of his enemy's
condition, and enormously supposing him
able to travel, his machinery and propeller
uniniured he concluded that the loss Of the
steam-dome placed victory beyond the Bou-
vets powers, and so he turned his attention
to his next duty, of saving his vessel. He
gave orders to raise the sails, and in less
than three minutes the Bouvet had all her
canvass out and was sailing fast from the
Meteor, thus giving up the field and victory
to her after the fight had lasted some fifty
minutes OF more.