The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-06-10

were strewn with dead, and the ship swan
in blood. At last the brave captain fell by
a sword thrust from our first lieutenant,
and then, as if the honor of the French had
hung upon his life, his men threw down
their weapons.
Ere this the forty-six gun frigate opposed
to the Agamemnon had lost her foremast
by the board, her mainmast-head, and
about half Of her mizzen-topmast. The
British seventy four had abandoned her to
pursue the ship of sixty guns, which ter
ribly crippled, was making running fight,
under her fore-topsail and jib, the only
sails she could set. The Briton soon closed
with his foe, and when the smoke Of the
Agamemnon's broadside had rolled to lee
ward, uncovering the tall spars of the
Frenchman, we saw that the Republicans
ensign had done homage to the mistress Of
the deep. The forty-six gun ship, already
helpless was soon after taken possession
OF, as was also that of forty guns, which
we had left astern in chasing the thirty-two.
Washing the bloody decks and casting
overheard the dead, we at once commenced
repairing damages. Jury-masts were set
up in the prizes, and stays, shrouds and
running rigging replaced on board the
victors. Our sails looked as if they had
all served for targets. The enemy must
have fred very high, for one of their shot
had carried away our main-royal-
The day passed, and it was two bells Tor
nine o'clock) in the evening watch. We
were slowly standing in for Barbados
The Eurydice had reached position close
a-beam Of the Vantour, the prize of sixty
guns. Some of our watch, in high spirits,
were singing grand old song of the sea
fight of La Hogue, in 1899:
was leaning over our bulwarks listen
ing to the full strong notes of the song, and
gazing up at the lofty spars of the French
ship, as if she had been poor Tourville's
Royal Sun, when, at the last line, an ex-
plosion occurred on board of her, followed
by dense smoke. Our officer of the deck
was in the act of hailing, to learn the ex-
tent Of the injury or danger, when every
soul was killed by roar that shook the
sea. The Eurydice herself felt the shock
1t passed like an earthquake under our
keel, and resounded in the air like ten
thousand bolts of thunder.
The Vantour had blown up There was
vivid flame that seemed to throw the
whole night into the clouds. Upon its
wild and streaming arms went decks, guns
and masts, till lost in the dark arch above
The blackness which then settled upon the
scene was as impenetrable as plank. A
suffocating smoke rolled all about us, and
we could hear the rapid rain Of splinters,
spars, guns and dead bodies, that, falling
a-starboard and a-larboard, splashed into
the water.
The boats of the squadron, rowing about
in the dark, found only one human being
alive or dead, and he a lad picked up by
the cutter of the Eurydice. He belonged
to tho Agamemnon, having been put on
board the Vantour as one of the prize crew.
The squadron lay by the spot all night, but
the dawn of day revealed nothing more of
| life.
My duties had left me no opportunity to
closely observe the rescued youth but
now, as he stood on deck under the broad
ening light, felt my blood start quickly
as looked at him. And the voice, too
had not heard it at Londonderry? Con-
cluded next week.