Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-04-17
CAPsIZID.
A 0hip Goes Down in IN Instant with
al ON Board.

CApDIZID.
A Ship Goes Ds.n Il IN Instant With
Froua the baltimore American.
The terrible destruction of the Fury
dice, q stout ship under full sail, her dis
appearance in Q moment, the almost
entire loss of every soul on board OF bel,
is a disaster almost unparalleled in naval
history; yet we have heard q similar
event often related and have all its de-
tails deeply impressed upon our memory.
1t took place within 100 miles of the
spot where the Eurydice went down,
and may have been partly owing to some
flaw of the wind coming of the land with
especial force down some gorge or valley.
In the early summer of 1895 . Virginia
gentleman who had been in England
during the revolutionary war, serving as
captain in the Stafford regiment, then
the kings bodyguard, finding himself
isolated among his countrymen. and
pining for the scenes and associations of
his active manhood, exchanged his es-
tate beyond the Blue Ridge for property
in Yorkshire, and left America with his
little On. They embarked on board the
Falmouth boat at New York, and after
a prosperous voyage, found themselves
off the southern coast of England.
They had passed the Lizard and
were within a few hours sail of Fall
mouth when they found themselves
chased by a large French ~privateer. As
they knew afterwards, she was the Bal
lone, the most successful vessel of her
kind in the French service. Her cruis-
ing ground was the mouth, or, what
sailors call the Chops of the channel, and
her beautiful build, her uniform success,
and the self-conidence of her captain
and crew made her q scourge to English
commerce. Again and again fast-sailing
English vessels had been detailed to cap
ture her, but she always sought refuge in
some one of the innumerable small ports
upon the coast of Brittany. She could
outsail anything in the English navy,
and, as We said before, her captain and
his crew had acquired that confidence in
their own good luck which in encounters
with the English has generally been
wanting to the French navy. The pas
sengers on board the Falmouth packet,
who were just rejoicing " the close of
their long voyage, and making their
preparations for going ashore, were
greatly alarmed by seeing this French
vessel. 1t was q bright summer day.
She came on under q cloud of canvas.
The captain of the Falmc nth packet
crowded on every sail he had. 1t was a
stern chase-proverbially q long chase
and he thought he might possibly run
into port before she could overhaul him.
In vain; the French ship sailed two knots
to one. She came nearer and nearer
The passengers urged the captain to run
out his two old brass six-pounders and
fight, but he pointed to the line of port,
in her black sides, and told them that
captivity being inevitable, it was better
to do nothing that would provoke severe
treatment. The little boy was loaded
with everybody s valuables. There were
some hopes, it was thought, that the
French might not search and despoil the
child. On came the Bellone, and those
on board the English vessel could make
out with the naked eye the dark forms
upon her deck, fer she was crowded with
men, whose features and black beard,
were with a glass distinctly visible. She
had just fired q gun at the chase as q
signal for her to surrender, and the Eng.
lish captain, sorrowfully, and Just given
orders to haul down the English fae
when, in a moment, a sudden squall
broke upon both vessels. The English
captain was less loaded with canvass
aloft than the French brig. He seems to
have seen the change Of the weather
first, and began to take in sail immed.
lately, but the squall struck the Bellone
%broadside; she keeled over, with all her
sails set, like the Eurydice. There was
no time for shrek or shout. She went
down in silence. In one moment she
disappeared, and the waters of the chan
mel closed owe her. As soon as the
captain of the Falmouth packet could
strip his vessel and round to, he hade all
possible search for some remains of the
lost vessel, but in vain. Not q hat or q
h%en-coop ever floated to the surface, moi
" wrack was left behind" of the proud
vessel, sent to sudden swift destruction
triumph ana her pride The Falmouth
packet remained cruising over the spo,
where her late enemy had sunk till after
sunset, when she continued her voyage
and reached Falmouth safely in a few
hours. The French government lona
supposed their famous ~privateer, hao
been captured by some English cruiser
At last the news reached them of WI
had taken place, published by the C.
tain Of the Falmouth packet in SOL
local English paper. The description o.
the ship that had gone down, combined
with what was last known of the Ballone,
left no doubt she was the unfortunate
vessel. 1t was long before the little
boys nerves recovered from the shock oil
that sadden disaster. The excitemen,
of the chase, the dread of a French
prison, the preparations for surrender
the sudden relief, the horrible destruc
ton of brave men, made the deepest i'm,
preston upon him. Two hundred fellow
creatures had persisted in his sight
drowned in the moment of success and
exultati0n. He lived to be an English
admiral, serving under Nelson, Colliny
wood and Exmouth all through the great
old war, but to the day of his death hi
used to tell the story with emotion. gen
orally remarking that he believed it II
be a tragedy unparalleled in naval annals
AN exchange has this startling piece
of intelligence: "Nothing will be worn
this spring by the fair sex, except longi
tudinal striped hose" We presume thi.
attractive though somewhat picturesque
costume will not become the rage until
the warm weather sets in.
WE are skeptics to a greater or les