The Copiah signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1882-1883, 1882-12-01


rapidly to cave tlo'clsw ofthc D!ock
lader, aud sLc had bcnrceiy tafon IT,.
last naa cf. when the Ha'te-a'
won't down. O.ly thirteen or fonr
teen minutes had elapsed siucs Git
firing Ct tho f,s; gun to iao aurren
dor, thus making il mex. 10 Tho quick
ost naval hattie on record. 'r.fr'
|, TIE woEK or TIE sHlLLs.
Nothing bnt shells were feel by
either, and tho damage i.A.c'aa wsa
appalling. Tao A!S5ams w..a s'tact
twenty four times. and hai rom
ten 10 twelve ugly holoa in hoe' hull.
Oser one hundred mItkc,s and re.
volvers were fired ut her, hu! Mt n
man wus hit. Indcei sue had but
ono man wounded, and that hy All
iron splinter from alcil. Tue shell
which ripped up her deck threw tso
men LigL iat t!.o air wiIhOu. disab!-
ing ihiin. end sailor VITO was
knc cktd overheard by reuasicn
was on deck again IN two minutes.
One Of the last shots fr"d by tie
Ha,teras struck u gun full in tie
mouth. tearing eff one s:tls OF it and
showing tho gun stru'k K tan feet back
ward by tho force. a shell which cx>
plode d 'morg hercesl scattered the
stuff from 'nd to end Of tho craft,
and knocked down fcerer IN ong;-
yc;rs down without wounding them
S,mmes wa' ever ftee 20 assert that
for vessel caught IA the uatloras
was, she made u fight that viii ever.
stand o crelit to tho American navy.
|. was the idea 90 board oftho Ala.
bams that tho Grst br6adg;dc would
end The fight. M
Fever waa u ship lrft in n woro
condition than tue iIa,tcrar. Not y
single shot had misicd her. T!!,ee
minutes before Tho sI:,enG,r shc
hrdn't eroush s.aniitS ,isging Ieh
for ssi,or TO sh.n up on. Scarcely
a whole iron plate WAS lci. on Lo.
broadsile. Some were splintsr.d
i;ke pine sbinglts, and otters hurg
by a rivet or two, aud trailsd in the
water. Tac,o WAS oae spot above
The water limo where horse could
10 lead aboard. Her cpgine room
was complete wreck, her coal bnu-
kers wer, torn open md tie ntonis
heavcd about, ard cvc.y pnt Of tic
vessel had been sccrcLel by pi c's
OF shells. Sho struck with her engine
disabled, two f,,s,n her hold, her
sails useless, her rudAer gene, her
Goode,l, thrpo ginl ever.
board. a1d seven feet Of water in Tho
held. Tho apnals Of uaral warslre
for ,ho last two hundrcd years do
n t iaraish para'lel case.
A cool. CROWD
Tncro was TO III, r. excitement on
board the two vessels than p, il two
rxnrs!.o boats were aD?;o .nling
each ether. Every man was g. l;-
station and heren aici there ua.cII
tc WIS disabled. .iTlis fres Ia M
ru.icras wsre reported to The csm-
officer: 's,;c in hcl' amid
ships sill. q, caoily az ii fp"asins o.
!, bon. alougsids. When tho engine
room WAS kapoke I! iu,o spncc. ii!lod
wish liIiliig wood, thu engineer
srave,y repo:Ied; "Ensinrs disabled
si.!" aud .iia reply was "Vary Well,
zig E!cn wh,n lho lIsitefas he3
less than u quarter cf III hour to
a At orders woyo issucd n obcyed
with utmost coo.nsss. ..''.''.
The same cool conduct was obs,rv.
ed on board the Alabama, although
tho gunnora were iarliaei 10 cheer
and hurrah NO. q man a.ucbed from
his pot, and the ezcl,cmon. was far
greater alter the fight wss over. In
ollea days heroes did not hesitate to
10y two vessels broals.dn to broad
aide and Gro sway until ons or the
olh'r was disabled. In those fights
shells were unknown or ecirecly ever
used. a sixty four poundsr was con-
sidercd tremendous ordinance. Tais
was Eight between two vesssls NOV
ed by steam, hayirg, o dozon vital
points, and tho, prcjsc:iles nssd
would have dpmb-icunded Paul
.Jnnes OF any other Old timo 6shtor
Irso omons.es SHELLS ,p9u!d not be
surned aside by q bean 10 8 than u
foot square. -Four nrd s:1 inch
braces were cut square IN two, Six
irches Of solid plankins pierced as il
they ~ere paper; and iron strips
three inches tlisk wero torn into
strips or rolled up l'sc paycs ment.
s. close war the fighting that sh'lls
with the fuse still burning won'
through either vessel aad exploded
= =, ths enrfaca Of the seaikevond. -