Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-11-24

/ btflklpg chase AZ sea, ana tue story oil
the remarkable escape Of a Contede-
rate steamer at Galveston. | was in
command of the ship at the time"
The reporter recognized al once an
old Savannahian, Captain Charles w.
Austin, who is now in the government
employ, and who figured in many thrill
ing adventures in the war, hut came
out without scar. you had a mar
row escape, Captain, tell us something
about the affair. n
said, it was some time in the
fall of 50. had made four or five
successful trips from Havana, bring
ing arms and munitions Of war, but
this trip very nearly wound me up.
The Susanna, which the writer in the
News referred to as the privateer
was a stanch, trim built vessel, With
capacity for from 400 to 1900 bales
Of cotton, and with 90 average speed
OF fifteen knots an hour. She was
built in England on the Clyde, as 0
blockade runner, and lay low in the
water, with harlong black hull hard.
y visible except in broad daylight
She was about 225 feet long by 30
beam, and being new vessel, | felt
her equal to anything in a chase. We.
lett Havana with a crew of twenty
seven men, well Offered By men who
knew their business We had fine
weather, and calculated to make land
inside the blockade under cover Of
night between / and 3 O'clock in the
morning. However, as luck would
have it an accident at seattle Civ.
ling way OF some Of our machinery
detained us several hours and brought
US to land in open daylight, about 6
o'clock 10 the morning BY this time
we were in plain sight of the block
aiding squadron, but as yet we're unOb-
Tho entrance to the harbor was
flled with gunbcats. 1t was near the
close Of the war, and the blockade at
other points on the coast having been
raised, nearly all the Federal cruisers
were concentrated at Galveston. The
situation was perilOus one, and there
was but one thing to be dOno. If We
could evade the enemy until nigbtlall
and then pass tho squadron aud enter
the harbor unobserved, We would be
all right Calling the men aft to the
bridge | gave them their orders, and
the ship wassoon heading toward land.
We stood well to the eastward close
under shore, with the intention of
seereting ourselves until blight. We
were yet some distance out and haul
ing in rapidly, when about 8 o'clock |
discovered cruiser bearing down on
US. All hope Of making land was then
abandoned, and the only chance for
escape was to put TO sea. Having full
confidence In my men, and knowing
the speed Of my ship,I did not fear the
result. HA I
calling to the engineer through
the pipe, l discovered that after maxi
ing twelve hours run off shore and
back again, | would not have coal
enough 10 carry me back to Havana as
there was more to be had in Galveston.
was in quandary; but no time was
to be lost. Give her full head /
shouted to- the engineer, and casting
my glass across the harbor / saw the
Federal cruisers preparing for action.
There was only one alternative, and in
forlorn hope / took the desperate
chance OF running the squadron and
preaching the blockade 1t was then
about noon. headed the ship for
Galveston and passed over the outer
bar into the swash or beach channel,
hauling IN south by west, in the very
teeth Of the guns on the gunboat Sem.
mole, which had already opened Ere.
AT this point the chase began, and for
an hour we ran under heavy fire
from tie guns Of three Of the squad.
ron, which were bearing down on us
all the time.
Push her hard T | shouted again
to the engineer, All right, sir, came
the reply, and the huge, black vol.
umes of smoke poured out Of our
tunnels and lay in clouds on the
water; Che throbbing Of the engine in
the hold; the straihing of the wheels
as they flow around blowing the water
and leaving track of boiling, foaming
sea far astern, told that be was doing
his duty. 1t was an exciting time,
but every man was at his post aud mot
word was spoken. The she'll whizzed
over US and splashed and drenched
our decks as they fell close under our
sides Two solid shots passed through
our tunnels as IstOOd on thebridee,
and the fragment Of a shell shattered
our bow above water, but otherwise
we were unhurt. | could watch the
movements Of them on the cruisers
through my glass. as | stood on the
bridge, between the flashes of the
guns and the clearing away of the
smoke.
We we're even now about half mile
distant from each other and about a
mile from the shore. All right be.
lovr | inquired again through the
Pipe. Albright sin, was the answer
and the ship rushed through the water
as the shot fell thick and fast; but the
chase was about up. The bar was
between usand the gunboats and the
distance grew greater as the channel
widened In ten minutes more wa
were out Of their reach, and running
the ship under Pelican Point We were
under cover Of our own guns and
sheltered from the ensmy's FIRE.
We were now safe. The open bay
was before us, with the white sand
hills beyond The feet was lying be-
low about two miles, and the fort aud
wharves along the city were lined with
thousands Of spectators who had wit
messed the chase and who received
us With open arms.
III was a nip and tuck race, Can
tain, remarked the reporter. "How
did you feel with the she'll bursting
about your
We'll, about as do now" was The
reply, as the complacent Capkaip stood !
with bis hands In bis pockets, quietly
smoking MS cigar True, there were
about 200 pounds of powder undert The
bridge, where stood, butt all 10 a |
lifetime. There's no use getting exS |
cited"
We lay in port about eighteen |
days, he resumed, "discharginR our |
cargo and reloading with cotton, when
we again put to sea and passed the /
squadron without being molested or
interfered with. Everything went
smooth until about sixty miles Of |
Cuba, when we broke our Drank pin
and 50 disabled were picked out by |
the Federal cruiser Metaoomot, com
handed BY Captain Jewett, and taken
to Philadelphia, | was tried there In
the Federal Courts, and the Susanna
Was condemned as government
prize
The Seminole, which figured in the
above affair, was employed BY the |
United States government during The
war 10 cruising along the South Al. |
IonNau a Il IN..N 10 Z s"