The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-02-18
pvD0F THE ALABAMA
,rnEI. PIRATES O4RDAT IN
TIE TER FIRST FIGHT.
.., Disastrous Encounter With
the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
by w. e. Howard. one
OF His Men.

oh. vessels were ~ near evenly match
i A. p,,<siIle, the tonnage OF G'th oeine
"a I, :" Equal. The Alabama drew mort
so .e,.r tam the kearsarxe, owing tn the
way. that her csal-bunkers contained q
's r,i' ,ar,cr supply Of black diamonds
% nue. a,aain ofthe kearsarge had, how
l. "r taken the i'rccautiOn to protect the
s. .'.krst s,Dt-ilis empty bunkcrs-antl
xes ".I c.,l,Ic chain up and down the en-
tia ..,;.,. the star'Narxl side being the
tIls r. W." ID. visible during the action. The
on. :.i rem,rts credit the Kearsarge will,
ol' Ii.;url, rifle guns, which did terri
M"'",x..,;ion one :sLpOund rifle, and
hN. .,,t ~, FOUNDERS, smooth, making
'ou' .n ,,,,u- in all. The Alabama had
.t .., in armament. Her hat
iir" ..v,.-t..l of one 1Mlrif'e.l pivot :
III: G,.,r,,,,.!cr and six g.. oun.lers,
'm '".;nr eight guns, whose united cali
'''. ..r,,.-l. .l her opponents. The Kear-
S sr,. in her official report Of Captain
W;n.i"w. numbered 1G5 men. The
,,'.I.r ,.;ainus! by Captain SeHlnles is
'' "".ii,l;ny, one report making less than
."n ,ll told. and another statement I.
I;,,i,. above that number. Actually,
. .n', WAS little ifany difference in the
."n,l.r ;.f IN. crew. The Alabama, be-
~. .,,i,,.w:.: the faster vessel, c.,.lipc,-
~" I'D for her apparent disadvantage of
,'";n,, heavier laden. Both command
:. w,r,. on their lncttle. The officers
':r.,.;, vessel were alert and active.
T,.. r,-,a4.tive crews were eager to
mn, i,,e.ii,n worthy os their steel; but
m. cayrr,,c:ss obtained in tiIt. different
.n.w. and apparent III their subsequent
,ct;on .nrunS from entirely different
"u,ir,... W'hil. On the O!;u side the fire
,Tn,,rinsi.m and Il desire to annihila,e
,r;r country; foe ncrvcd their hearts
and ann, and prompted - heroic deeds,
a., i;w other. disgust with the service,
l..,..yaiin,i, reckiessllgsss and the
ner,. animal feeling cf cOln'x,tivcl,css
Under excitement were tho only in.'en-
ives This was plainly Illustrated in
the subsequent engagement. The rap
IL almost ai,lIi..>~, ser:iII:: 9: the guns
en- ,i.. one side was in striking contrast
with the stc:.,!;, terrible effectiveness Of
,hr other. i.E.>ilil,cll that while little
m,,r,. tia, u O,lp-l,ulf the number Of shots
were ;ircsI I,y the crew eli the kears;sy.;e,
,h- earnest purpose with which tn, y
wrr. directed Indicated the feelings
wi,rl, animated the men.
The first crew Of the Alabama w;s
,.,;,,n,.ss chiefly Of Western Ocean
,ncket rats, cuil.sl rom the purlie,s Of
ihnni>4,n street. Liverpool and shipped
# 4 hsi. rate Of wages. These men pro-
yil..l is crinps Of the stripe Of JOHN
u, Costa ~ noted American shipping
agent in I.i:prns'l), were numerically
I. NV'ul..I> fes1Nssn .iH..
,rsni, 'Iril..<lIOre,llcn, or ''tl.Nk-wallOp-
er," n they are called, and 4 few good,
,alnb" South S,Mincrs, or men used to
d,.p-watcr sailing and long voyages.
Some oi tl,..-s. had an inklin@ Of the
character aud ultimate purpose Of the
vessel. Others, induced by the high
rate Of pay offered. were careless where
the shipped to ar for what. while others,
having struggled with &, ltss per month
"r years, saw nothing INT a sudden Nc
t,>>inM of wealth, in the o!!tr Oi !cc3 los,
II, and in some instances IIiOrs. money
ior capable steady S..aIllen; the. com
rie,.nnt q! Incl: was shipped 10 differ. ut
lu,in.>. whence they were again for
VARIED to their vessel, and in course Of
-irrt time u full complement Of lis
meh was enrolled during her career vt
ial.;n- AMI often blOnlsllc'i. Many Of
'.,r original crew became disg,I'!ut with
tn. service AMI deserted ut different
paris. and their places were supplied
with others who were willing t" accept
"ig money aud ask no questions, $" that
toward the termination Of her career i
nwr. heterogeneous SGT Of nitN il would
ir h ri Ia got together, AMI scarcely ev-
S,s... kANnnn AsvN
Near :: every nationality was rc?:.""nt.-
~. E;:.!is:.Nncn from every shire had
':'r;r repre- -cntativt~. The bread s:i:s-
krt "i the l.airs.sl,ive man and the burr
:" the S"lncrSctSilire altcrnatut VIII,
lhr on'knry Is,tois and the Northern
!ia!.,I>. Wci>hn,cn, Worth an.. :'t;i.h:
c''nmy Sro>. AMI nal:vrsof the Emerald
Isle were n:->>.~! together. and Russians
ana Nrr"E:i,s, Ercnchnirn and italians,
\"rwryia:i.; aid Swcsit< sOrIiltsi no
':r.: portion of the crew, while y
>'':'inA'in= ri ;'hiliams, P"rtu::'ls.'t and
>icni.,ri~ served :s u flavor. The "iIi-
r,:>. ;!:,kri hy Captain SrnI:ncS. ami
his rx,~i.t;v-. J. NJ. He'll, or kill-or-
''r'. rs H." !n.ys ca:it-l hin, IA very able
h,in we. rnil:In,>,sl Oi Americans ana
fh-.is'''"n. The warrant officers ami
t"iE Officers were almost entirely f:Nr-
's:'n-. The Engine and Fire Deimrt-
i!rHi We're rcl,.g,!cL to Scotch m,x.iIan-
:I'alid siokcrs -: m!Xss! nationality.
E"H,ur. which never can tx cl"S"'i.
Lad SPREAD abroad the fact that II was
vi" Intention M s;en,nIcs t" fight MS
>hir. the .':~i.vt ~ u fair fight was
>'c!"li'iny /" l:.'k forward 70. On the
''cnn. %: jung 18th. tn. lmckiny-t'aseS,
containing ch:.n:'nleterS and other val
";;Airc. anil the private appropriation"
=. 'i"'.r IN authority. were tr.:ns!rrred,
i'ri':'' cn Mn.r.i Oe the yacht Deer
.m,ais's :.I.' The rest Was seni on shore.
L." .M!".ri"ns day ut len.:th dawned::
H.. j. :ni .-l,ri:ri<. Tine sim t'c:'n'ci
~ ''r' '.,r!H,r. \ slight liax" I" sea-
"''';r: the !r.:tkwat..r ami ~ gentle
Westerly VIM: i>>i;m;"! amy excess :"
ZEE. \: r:"!y ..ayl,rc:.k boats from the
.;"r'. L." yacht DrcrllOUnd amt the
''"'":. war vessel COu,"nnc We're
.':''i- ~. and the a!ter-c:,hin trcnei
','i: visitors. 1lamni.Hh; were slower
''''"'' 'i,i'iiIgs tl.e men were pll.' Il
~ ~. ':!;l,i. anil ut 5 30 the ere" IN
..'";e'; al quarters. The guns were
i''"ri ~ >!ar!xmr,l. the magazines
"""''. and everything cleared for ac-
,''. his lnk..! like business, anu cA-
.slS:,' IA a tl,., (sANo