Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-07-26
Flow The Alabama Sunk.
laalaaazz-
A ntoody scene ou the CONFEDERATE
Cruisers Deck.
cof rhiladeipbla Times

from the beAkwatei when sue Yeet'
an and went direct for the Alabama,
That stopped the ehaii' the boys had
been passing around about her haS'
Ing weakened and turned tail, ana
each one seemed to realize at last
Tint this was to be no Child's play
By tllia time about three miles inter-
yaned between The belligeiepts. when
vas rapidly being decreased Wheh
within about u mile and u quarter
from the kearsarge the Alabama
yeered, presenting che starboard
broadside, and opened the baIl ny
firing her iio.poupder rifle pivot Mt
mn elevation of two thousand yards
range, followed almost instantaneous
Is y whole brondside. The guns were
worked md served with the utmost
rapidly, and in o few minutes an-
Other broadside was poured IN, when
the kealsatge, being by this time
about eight hundred yards distant,
presented bet starbeard battery and
the firing became general. The spirit
ofcafnage had begun to animate the
crew aud the desire to be the upper
dog in the fight stirred egch man to
emniation. A few broadstdes passed
when the kearsarge, under full head
way Of steam, forged ahead, steering
so as to pass the Alabama's stern aud
rake her fore and Mt, and also get
between her and the shore. This
mauunvre was eheeinated by u port
helm. causing both vessels to move
In n circle, revolving around u COM
mon center distant from each other
about five or six hundred yards. The
firing, meantime, continued with un-
abated yigor The steady dlrectness
oil the fire from the Kearsarge now
began to be felt. The l.inch shells
poured into the Inflated Alabama
with siekening egnlarity and preci.
sion, dealing death and destruction
on every hand Guns were diSmoun.
ted and their crews decimated by u
single shot. Early in the action n
shell struck the blade of the fan,
breaking it short off and iujuring the
rudder. Another landed TT the eit-
CINE room and tore things all to pie.
ces, damaging the machinery, making
n 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 hoarse orders Of
gunners aud officers, At lalf-past II
Mr.. Kell had jib and toretopsails
hoisted and attempted to stand in
toward shore, distant by this time
about five miles, This was prevented
by her opponent ranging mp and
pouring IN u raking fire Of shot and
shell, Word was past att almost
Immediately that the vessel was sink
Ing, whereupon flag Of truce was
suspended from the quarter and the
new officer, Sinclair, sent in boat to
Surrender the vessel. Duripghis alb
sence. the whole boat, dingey and
three cutters were launched, and pre-
parations made to desert the doomed
vessel. Before they could be per-
iected, 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 few
seconds sufiiced 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 Rear
sarge and two French pilot boats,
who were near the spot. The whale
boat and the dmgey of the Alabama,
with the boats Of the Dccrhound, well
treighted, made quickly for the yacht
which Immediately steamed to the