The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-02-18

member Of the Royal Yacht snuearou
1CoweA, and aloo The Roval Monnev
Yacht Club; 0keWioo by he rrene6
plated man-0f-War C0uF0nne. Who -
companted her to zee that 10 violation
Of the laws Of nations or inffingemenj
OF neutrality were indulged in
The kearsarge steamed away to So
ward until about nine or ten miles from
the break water, when she veered and
headed direct for the Alabama. That
stopped the cha6 the boys had been
passing around about her having weak,
ened, and turned tail, and each one
seemed to realize at last that this was ia
be no chtld's play. BY this time about
three miles interve.led between the belli-
gerents, which was rapidly being de-
creased. When withinab about mile and
y quarter from the Kearsarge the Ala
hanna veered, presenting her startoard
Sroadside. and opened the bail by firing
her I'D pOunder rifled pivot at an elevn-
most simultaneously by whole broad
side. The guns were worked and served
with the utmost raDidity, and in 4 few
minutes another broaalside was poured
in, when the Keanarge. being by this
time about eight hundred yards distant,
presented her starbOard battery and the
firing became general. The spirit Of
carnage had begun to animate the crew,
and the desire to Ike the upper dOe. i'm the
fight stirred each man to emulation. A
few brtkadsides passed, when the kear-
sarge, under full head Of steam, forged
ahead, steering so a. to pass the Ala
balD,a's stern and rake her fore and aft,
and also get between her and the shore.
This nlaneuver was Checkmate1 by q
port, helm, causing both vessels to move
in u circle revolving around . common
center, distant from each other about
$40 or 600 yards. The firing, meantime,
continued with undated vigOr. The
steady directmess of the fire from the
Kearsar,se now began to he felt. The
eleven-inch shells poured into the ILL
lated Alabama with sickening regularity
and precision, dealing death and des-
tr,,ctiOn on every hand. Gums were
.!ia,nOunted and their crews decin,atetl
by Il single shot. Early in the action a
>hcll struck the blade Of the ian, break
ing i: short OF and injuriny the rutlder:
Another landed in the cng;ne-rOOM and
tore things all to pieces, damaging the
machinery, making q hole in the boiler,
and flooding the st6kchOle with bOi!ing
water.
On deck the prospect was no more
cheering. Men dropped dead, cut in
twain ly shot or shell. while the grOans
of the wounded, struck by the crashing
and flying spiinte:s, mingled with the
lmuttered curses, Of the seaman and the
l,,n,rse orders of gunners and officers.
Iii r.,
sails hOist.si, and attempted to stand in
towar.: shore, distant by this time about
five miles. This Was prevented by her
opponent ranging up and pouring IN
r;kins fire Of shot md shell. Word
was passed. Mt almost Immediately that
the vessel was sinking. whcreupOn flag
of truce was suspended from, the quarter
AMI the new officer (Sinclair) sent in u
tusIt to surrender the vessel. During the
absence the wllaleh,at, dingy and three
cutters were launched, AMI prclna rati0Is
made to desert the doomed vessel. Be-
fore they could be perfected, however,
she settled by the stern, her head rising
high out of the water. The nlainnast,
which had been already badly shattered
by the firing, went by the hoard, and u
few seconds sniIiced to engulf the shat
tere,! hulk of the late scOurge of the seas:
Strugyiin. 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 sur
vivOrs. were soon able seconded by the
boats of the DcerbOund, two cutters
from the Kcarsar:,c and two French
pil.,t -bt,ats, who were near the spot. The
wLal..-lw:,t and lingy ~ the Alabama.
With the beats OF the DeerhOunds, well
frciyl,tesi, made. quickly for the yacht,
which Immediately steamed t" the
north ward, bearing safely away from
c,Dtiyity CAPTAIN siemInes and II ma;Orl-
tx of his hest .'lNwers." while tine cut
ter, .tr;,;,stcrret, their carssocs tn the
K,rrsaryc. One piI"t-hM,t turned over
thos. she had rescued to the same shell
tcrinw care. while the other one stood In
t,,r shore and aided in the escape Of
those who wcr.. lucky enough t" get On
j,n,ri ot her. Tie K-:.r<ars.c picked ~,
and h,l transferred t. her decks u fetal
Of ;iyc officers, sixty-thrtc men, nhti one
dead holy. :,SsliIi,lt.s. oa board the Deer
hound, reached southampton with tar.
t,..n vi i,i, officers and nearly thirty -:
his crew and petty officers: The plot
lnx,t landed quite hummer. All" TIC
killed and drowned Wcr.: never account
I'll for. Surge on AlvOrt! WAS IN the c'"k-
.,it when the vc~Sc! sank anu WAS uT-
drowned, ~ were the many
wounded who lay there waiting his nA'n-
istratiOn. OF the naiiE VIII" <7'''e on
i~ari a short tim. PREVIOUS to the action,
mo- r..,.ort has been issued that incltid-
oil either them or their fate. The action
l,.tcl a lit lie more than one iiour-
IH;lu.tcik,hiM Tines.