Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-09-30
THE TORCH AFLOAT.
A Waste Of Waters and Track of
Fire--A Cruise in the Alabama
From It's Birth Upon to It's Burial
Under the Water.

From It's Birth Upon to It's Buria
Under the Water.
Had the commander of one oil
Secretary Welles' men-of-wa
been lmpelled by the diversity
Of foresight to cruise in the vi.
cinlty of the island of Terceiri
on a bright Sunday morning
during the latter part of August
'62, he would have deserted two
vessels lying without the marine
league with whose present ant
future movements he was inter.
ested. They were apparently
simple merchantmen, yet could
the commander have scanned
the decks ofF-the trimmer and
more rakish Of the two,he would
have witnessed a scene move
upon the "high seas" and have
instantly demanded more steam
OF his engineers. Clustered aft
upon the deck of the vessel al
luded to are group of officers
i'll uniform and nearly one hun
drcd seamen with no mark to
designate them as other than
sailors of the merchant service.
The central figure here is he
whom the Northern press has
made familiar to the world as
"the Confederate pirate Sem
mes" To this group he reads
the commission which transfers
the Vesselunder him into a Con-
federate cruiser. As he reads,
the English flag is lowered to
the deck and three black balls
ascend rapidly to mizzen-peak
and mast-heads. He finishes
reading-there's a solemn hush
boom! a forecastle gun tears
the silence asunder, the black
balls burst into bright colors
and there's a long pennant at
the main, the Cross Of St. t.George
at the fore aud at the peak the
white ensign ofthe Confederacy,
with its blue cross on the red
ground of the corner-all dane
ing upon the air-waves tossed
by the exhilarating strains of
"Dixie" from the band. And
TINS was christened the South
ern bantling Alabama, whose
career of adventure wOve i'll fiery
tracery the expansive robes Of
consequential damage" which
legal diplomacy in later years
ornamcnted with the glittering
broidcry Of fifteen millions OF
dollars.
THE CHRYsAL1s, 1890"
The Alabama, previous to the
period above described, was
known as the $780," simply be-
cause she was the two hundred
and ninetieth'vessel constructed
by the Lairds, and not, as the
English and American
press asserted, because it repre-
the number of English
sympathizers who contributed of
their means to have her built and
equipped. She was of 300 tons
burden, 230 feet long by 81 in
breadth,a and 20 feet in depth,and
when coaled and provisioned
drew Is feet. OF symmetrical
model, barkentine rugged, with
a 300-horse power engine,an ap-
for condensing from the
ocean enough drinking water for
the crew, provided with an attach
ment for lifting the propeller
out of the water when not in
use, and capable under sail and
steam of speeding fourteen knots
an hour, she was in every way
adapted for the work to which
she was devoted. After laying
up the Sumpter at Gibraltar,
Captain Semmes went to Mas
sau, intending to run the block
ade into the Confederacy.
While here he received instruc-
tions to command the 29O, then
nearly completed. He took ship
for England, but upon arrival
there found her gone to Tercei-
ra. whittier he followed her.
Just as the 200 was completed,
Me United States Ministers inn
pressed John Bull with their be-
lief that it was his duty to seize
her. Of this the Confederate
agents were advised and impro-
vised a trip, TO which many Ia
lies and gentlemen were lnvit-
I'd. The vessel sped down the
Mersey amid music and feastlng.
The revelers begin to think 1t Is
about time to return, when a tug
comes alongside, and they are
politely handed over the side OF
he 800, which hastens away to
he appointed rendezvous for
he sailing ship laden with
stores, cannon and ammunition,
md which had started seven
lays ahead. By this little ruse1
he 300 barely escaped the
clutches of the Crown officers
hat day sent to detain her. On
he oath of August, 1862, on
he "high SEAS" was the Ala
Oama armed, equipped and COM
nissioned at cost of $250,0O0.
Her battery consisted of eioht |,