The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-05

j. /. MseAie. i ths PhilsaeIphia Time
We we're within less than two miles
of the flying stranger when We opened
IRE on her IRON our eleven inch pivot
exploding she'll right under hcf b0N
and. nearly delnging the blockader'a. :.
deck with wateE. but doing 40 tnfther
harm. While We were Ke-leadin9 the
pivot, she put her helm hard-s FtaEboard
and ran across our bow, heading direct
II for tie shore distant about 4 mile
ard 1 half~-au aupaEenfly inaeuding 70 run.
herself ashore. Capt.- clarav shonte4
ssPnt your helm har-a-stard board. -
ssHard h-stafb0ard, Sit, answered the
officsr at the wheel sharply about, and
the skip turned her heel asif she knew.
what was expected Of her and started
directly for shore with. the stranger,
now right abenm, starboard side about
1 mile oE, bring our whole battery 0f
i've guns 20 bear on her. The Cap
tain called out TO forward rife; Sire as
soon as you are ready, and without
further orders. only don't waste the am
munition. Pivot there, sirs Gre careful
II and aim At the wheel.house and at no
other place. Sink her IL possible; 90
ahead and show rs what you can DO.
Quarterback battery, take good ain,
and Ere a. rapidly as yo1 can; aim at the
wheel house; do not let her get away
from us A swell from the rife ex-
ploded over her; shell from the eleven
inch burst close beside her, aRd three
and eight-inch shell guns were sending
their compliments thick and fest, bur
strange to say not q single shot had
struck her. She seemed 70 bear a
charmed life. We were about half a
mile from each other, and about q mile
from the shore, and when she suddenly
changed her course 70 souEh-southwest,
and started to run down along thecoast,
heading directly for US. At the same
instant the leadsman in the chains cried
out:
s'By the deep three fsthoms!
II vas no9 nip and tuck. The
stranger was going to run for it and had
the bar between ns. Our only chance
was to sink her before she got in The
most tremendous excitement prevailed
on board each vessel; Capt. Clarey
swore and stamped in an intense but
subdued tone, but all to no effect. Shoi
after shot went over and exploded be
yond the shore. We were now rapidly
approaching Galveston harbor, and i
seemed as il she was going to get away
IN epite OF us. Her captain for the las
hour had been walking the bridge be
tween the wheel-house with hands IN tn
pockets OF his sea jacket smoking eiga
very unconcernedly; but that there wa
a feeling that their lives and propert
hung only on q single thread was mani
fest Ia the way those wheels few around
leaving a track of boiling, fOany sea ia
astern, and the thick huge volumes 9
black smoke that poured out of the fur
nels told that it did not need trumpC
to announce. The channel now bega
| to widen, and if she could onl
hold her Swn for twenty minutes ct
would escape. What must have bee
the thoughts Of that captain as he wake
to and fro ON that bridge, with the o
full of flying missiles, now hid In the
own smoke, the next minute drencht
in their own spray; again, in a secor
or two later one flying few feet a6o'
his headi He never finched an inch
changed his manner, but kept quiet
on as though it was an everyday afial
The sight was one of the most gpl
turesque that / ever saw--the flee
about two miles below, looking vii
eager eyes to see us sink the hyll
stranger: the bay, gradually widenlL
with the white sand hills in the d
tance; the city of Galveston to Il
south and its piers filled with symp
thetic spectators; the fort in the ba
with the Confederate flag flying and
ramparts crowded with men, watchll
and praying for the success OF the II
ing stranger, the three steamers ilyll
through the waters like hounds, ottim
hidden by the smoke Of their guns
, they were loaded and fired. In spite
, every effort that could be made to Pr
vent her she reached the Bay OF Ga
weston which is nearly three miles wild
and as the channel 10 very dangerous
: vessels drawing more than ten feet
water, and as we were getting into thr
fathoms again, with intense chagrin y
gave up the chase, sending as q partll
. compliment an eleyen-inch shell vi
our regrets.