McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1883-11-15

dogs were barking. One by one the
mourners were departing. As stood
there wondering what it all NIGH
mean, the sorrowing father, turned te
me and remarked 90 Oar, dat Munge
has freed another coon. He's de bes
tcoon dog on dis yere ribber.' The sub
sequent proceedings were very short
l. "A Stirring Chase at Sea.
J. =. Maokie In Philadelphia Weekly Times.
| We were now within less than two
miles OF the flying stranger when we
opened fire on her from our eleven-inch
pivot, exploding shell right under her
bow and nearly deluging the block
ader's deck with water, but doing no
further harm. While we were reload
ing the pivot she put her helm hard-a-
starboard and ran across our bow,
beading directly for the shore-distant
about a mile and one-half-apparently
intending to run herself ashore. Cap
tain Clarey shouted: "Put your helm
hal d-a-starboard, sir.'' "Hard-a-star-
board, sir" answered the officer at the
wheel the same moment, putting the
wheel sharply about, and the ship turn
ed 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 a
mile off, bringing our whole battery of
FIVE guns to bear on her. The captain
called out to forward rifle: s'Flre as
soon as you are ready and without fur
Their orders, only don't waste the am.
y,,,,,HSfins, pivot fhorn civ. fro
fully and aim at the wheel-house and at
no other place. Sink her if possible; ;
go.ahead and show us what you can
do. Quarter battery, take good
aim and fire as rapidly as you can aim
at the wheel-house don't let her get
away from u.s. A shell from the rife
exploded over her; a shell from the
eleven-inch burst close beside her, and
the three and eight inch 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 a
mile distant from each other and about
a mile from the shore, when she sud-
denly changed her course to southwest
and started to run down along the
coast, heading directly for Us. At the
same instant the leadsman in the chains
cried out:
s.By the deep three fsthoms!"
s'Hard a-starboard, quartermaster J"
cried Captain Clarey, and as the ships
head swung to port he remarked: "By
God, we'd been ashore in another sec
ond!' The Seminole was drawing six
teen feet and deep at that.
1t was now nip and tuck. The
stranger was going to run for it and
had the oar between us. Our only
chance was to sink her before she got
in. The mos. tremendous excitement
prevailed on board each vessel. Cap
tain Clarey raved and swore and
in an intense but subdued tone,
but ell to no effect. Shot after shot
went over and exploded beyond on the
shore. We were now rapidly approach
ing Galveston harbor, and it seemed as
if she was going to getaway in spite of
us. Her captain for the last hour had
been walking the bridge between the
with both hands in the
pockets of his pea-jacket, smoking a
cigar very unconcernedly; but that
there was feeling that their lives and
property hung only on a single thread
was manifest in the way those wheels
flew aronnd, leaving q track of boiling,
foaming sea 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
channel 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 the captain
as he walked to and fro on that bridge,
with the air full of flying missiles, now
hid in their smoke, the next minute
drenched with their spray; again, in a
second or two later, one flying few
feet above his head. He never fiinched
an inch or changed his manner, but
kept quietly on as though it was an
every day affair.
The sight was one of the most pictur-
esque that [ ever saw-the feet, about
TWO miles below, looking with eager
eyes to see US sink the flying stranger;
.he bay, gradually widening, with the
white sand-hills in the distance; the |
,ity of Galveston to the south and its
piers filed with sympathetic spectators;
he fort in the bay, with the confeder-
ate flag flying and its ramparts covered |
With men watching and praying for the
success of the flying stranger; the three
steamers flying through the water like !
hounds, ofttimes hidden by the smoke
If their guns as they were loaded and
ired But fate decided in favor of the
lying steamer. In spite of every effort
hat could be made to prevent her she
cached the bay of Galveston, which is
nearly three miles wide, and as the
channel is very dangerous to vessels
lrawing more than ten feet of water,
md as we were getting into three faith