Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-07-30
How The Alabama Sunk.
a Bloody Scene ON the Confederate
Cruisers Deck.
Cor. Philadelphia Times.

from VIC DttihNuJclJ "hCu bhS 'o'i
ed and went direct for the Alabama
That stopped the chaff the boys had
been passing around about her hav-
ing weakened and turned tail, and
each one seemed to realize at last
that this was to be no child's play.
By this time about three miles inter-
vened between the belligelents, which
was rapidly being decreased When
within about a mile and a quarter
from the Kearsarge the Alabama
yeered, presenting the starboard
broadside, and opened the ball by
firing her llO-poinder rife pivot at
an elevation of two thousand yards
range, followed almost instantaneous
" whole broadside. The guns were
worked and served with the utmost
rapidity, and in few minutes an
other broadside was poured in, when
the Kearsarge, being by this time
about eight hundred yards distant,
presented her starboard battery and
the firing became general. The spirit
ofcarnage had begun to animate the
crew and the desire to be the upper
dog in the fight stirred each man to
emulation. A few broadsides passed
when the KeaIsarge, under full head
way Of steam, forged ahead, steering
so as to pass the Alabama's stern and
rake her fore and aft, and also get
between her and the shore. This
manpuvre was checkmated by port
helm. causing both vessels to move
in circle, revolving around a COM
mon center distant from each other
about five Or six hundred yards. The
firing, meantime, continued with un-
abated vigor. The steady directness
of the fire from the Kearsarge now
began to be felt. The ll-inch shells
poured into the Inflated Alabama
with sickening regularity and preci-
sion, dealing death and destruction
on every hand. Guns were dismOun-
ted and their crews decimated by a
single shot. Early in the action a
shell struck the blade of the fan.
breaking it short off and iniuring the
rudder. Another landed IN the en-
CINE room and tore things all to pie
ces, damaging the machinery, making
q hole in the boiler, and flooding the
stoke hole with boiling water.
On deck the prospect was no more
cheering. Men dropped dead, cut in
twain by shot or shell, while the
groans of the wounded, struck by
the crashing aud flying splinters
mingled with the muttered curses of
the seamen and the h0arse orders of
gamers and officers. At half-past II
Mr.. Kell had jib and foretopsails
hoisted and attempted to stand in
toward shore, distant by this time
about five miles. This was prevented
by her opponent ranging up and
pouring in raking fire of shot and
shell, Word was past att almost
immediately that the vessel was sink
ing, whereupon a flag of truce was
suspended from the quarter and the
new officer, Sinclair, sent in a boat to
surrender the vessel. During his abb
sence, the whole boat, dingey and
three cutters were launched, and pre-
parations made to desert the doomed
vessel. Before they could be per-
fected, however, she settled by the
stern. her head rising high out of the
water. The mainmast, which had
been already badly shattered by the
firing, went by the board, and a few
seconds suficed to engulph the shat
tered bulk of the late scourge of the
seas. Struggling in the vortex were
many of her crew, and the efforts of
Sinclair, who had received permission
from Captain Winslow to return and
rescue the survivors, were soon ably
seconded by the boats of the Deer
hound, two cutters from the Kear.
sarge and two French pilot boats,
who were near the spot. The whale
boat and the diugey of the Alabama,
with the boats of the Deerhound, well
made quickly for the yacht,
which Immediately steamed to the