The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-11-29
A STIRRING CHASE AT SEA,
The Remarkable Escape az Is Confederate
Private In 1865.

We were now within less than two
miles of the flying stranger when we
opened fire on her from our eleven.inch
pivot, exploding a shell right under her
bow and nearly deluging the blockader's
decks with water, but doing no further
harm. While we were reloadng the
pivot she put her helm hard Il starboard
and ran across our bow, heading directly
! for the shore-distant about n mile and
half-apparently intending to run her.
| self ashore. Captain Clary shouted:
Put your helm hard.a starboard, sir"
lizard .starboard, sir" answered the
officer Mt the wheel, the same moment
putting the wheel sharply about, and the
| ship turned on her heel as if she knew
what was expected Of her and started
| directly for the shore with the stranger.
now right abeam, starboard side about
mile OIL, bringing our whole battery of
five guns to bear on her. The Captain
called out to forward rifle: "Fire as
soon rs you are ready and without fur.
ther orders, only don't waste the ammu.
milton. Pivot there, sir fire carefully
and aim at the wheel house and at no
other place. Sink her if possible 90
ahead and show us what you can do.
Cluarter.d deck battery, take good aim and
ilre as rapidly ms you can; aim at tho
wheel.h house: don let her get away from
u.s. A shell fro the rifle exploded
! over her shell ON the eleyen.inch
burst close behind her, and the three and
eignt.inch shell guns were sending their
compliments thick and fast, but strange
to say not single shot had struck her.
She seemed to bear charmed life. We
were about half mile distant from each
other and about mile from the shore.
when she suddenly changed her course
to south.southwest and started to run
down along the coast, heading directly
Tor US. At the same instant the leads.
man in the chains cried out:
"By the deep three fathoms I"
rd'a'starboard, quartermaster
cried Captain C!sry, aud rs the ships
head swung to port he remarked: "By
God, we'd been ashore in another sec.
ond !" The Seminole was drawing sixteen
feet, and deep at that.
1t was now nip and tuck The stran.
ger was going to run for it and had the
bar between us. Our only chance was to
sink her before she got in. The most
tremendous excitement prevailed on
board each vessel. Captain Clarey rayed
and swore and stamped in an intense but
subdued tone, but all to no effect Shot
after shot went over and exploded be.
yond on the shore. We were now rapid.
ly approaching Galveston harbor, and it
seemed rs il she was going to get away
in spite of us. Her captain for the last
hour had been walking the bridge be.
tween the wheel houses, with both hands
in the pockets of his pea jacket, smoking
d. cigar very unconcernedly but that
there was feeling that their lives and
property hung only on single thread
was manifest in the way those wheels
flew around, leaving q track Of boiling,
tonmy sea far astern, and the thick, huge
volumes Of black smoke that poured out
of the tunnels told story that did not
need trumpet TO announce. The chan.
mel now began to widen, and if she could
only hold her own for twenty minutes
she would escape. What must have been
the thoughts Of that captain rs he walk
ed to and fro OH that bridge, with the
! mir full OF flying missiles, now hid in
their smoke. the next minute drenched
with their spray; again. in second or
two later one flying n few feet above his
head? He never flinched an inch or
changed his manner, but kept quietly on
as if though it was an every day affair.
The sight was one Of the most pictur-
esqe that ever saw-the fleet, about two
miles below, looking 10 see us sink the
hylng Stranger; the pay, gradually wide
| ming, with the white sand hills in the
distance; the city Of Galveston to the
south, and its piers filled with sympa-
thetic spectators the fort in the bay.
with the Confederate flag flying and its
ramFarts crowded with mon watching
and praying for the success of the flying
stranger; the three steamers flying
through the water like hounds, oftimes
hidden by the smoke of their guRs as
they were loaded and fired. But fate
decided in favor of the flying steamer.
In spite of every effort that could be
made to prevent her sine reached the bay
OF Galveston, which ID nearly three miles
wide, and as the channel is very danger.
GUS to vessels drawing more than ten feet
of water, and as we were getting into
three fathoms again, with intense cha.
grin we gave up the chase, sending as a
parting compliment an eleven-inch shell
with our regrets.-IhiiadcLphia Times.