New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1884-01-02
CHASE AT SEA.
Remarkable Escape Of Confederate
Privateer in 1866.

Il - 'SAsA4s
Remarkable Escape Of Confederate
Privateer 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 shell right I'M
DER her bow and nearly deluging the
. blockader's decks with water, but
doing no further harm. While we
were reloading the pivot she put her
helm hard a-starboard and ran across
our bow, heading directly for the shore
distant about mile and half APP
parently intending to run herself ashore.
Capt. Clare shouted: ..Put your helm
hard a-starboard, SIR lizard a-star-
board. . answered the officers at 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 direct
~ 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: '.Fire as
soon as you are ready and without fur
Their orders, only don't waste the am
munition. Pivot there. sir; fire care
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. Quarterback battery, take good
aim and fire as rapidly as you can;
aim at the wheel-house; don't let her
get away from us. !" A shell from the
rifle exploded over her; shell from
the eleven-inch burst close beside her,
and the three and eight-inch shell guns
were sending their compliments thick
and fast, but strange to say not a single
shot had struck her. She seemed to
bear charmed life. We were about a
half mile distant from each other and
about mile from the shore, when she
suddenly changed her course to south
west and started to run down along the
coast, heading directly for us. At the
same instant the leadsman in the chains
cried out:
''By the deep three fathoms!''
''Hard a-starboard, quarter-masterw
cried Capt. 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 bar between us. Our only
chance was to sink her before she got
in. The most tremendous excitement
prevailed on board of each vessel.
Capt. Clarey raved and swore and
stamped in an intense but subdued
tone, but all to no effect. Shot after
shot went over and exploded beyond on
the shore. We were now rapidly APP
preaching Galveston harbor, and it
seemed as if 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 cigar very unconcernedly;
but that there was a feeling that their
lives and property hung only on single
thread was manifest in the way those
wheels flew around, leaving track of
boiling, foamy sea far astern, and the
thick, huge volumes of black smoke
that poured out of the tunnels told q
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 es-
cape. What must have been the
thoughts of that 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 second or two
LOT Ay,in f0yr foat he
head! He never tiinched an inch or
changed his manner, but kept quietly
on as though it were an everyday affair.
The sight was one of the most pictures
que that I. ever saw-tbe fleet, about
two miles below, looking with eager
eyes to see us sink the flying stranger;
the bay gradually widening, with the
white sand hills in the distance; the
City of Galveston to the south, and its
piers filled with sympathetic specta-
tors; the fort in the bay, with the Con-
federate flag flying, and its ramparts
crowded with men watching and pray
ing for the success of the flying strang-
or; the two steamers flying through the
\water like hounds, ofttimes hidden by
y he smoke of their guns 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 pre-
vent her she reached the Bay of Calves
ton, which is nearly three miles wide,
and as. the channel is very dangerous
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. ID. r. Mackie, IN the
PhiZnfleLa2hin WpekI2Is Times