Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-10-23
AN EXCITING CHASE.
A GRAPHIC STORY OF ADVENTURE
IN BLOCKADE RUNNING.
Peited Persistently with Shells BY Foai
Big Yankee Afsn-of- War. with FIJI
teen Hundred Barrels Of Pow.
der In the Hold.
New orlean. rimes-pemocr.t.I

Dig AomReo mon-oh. Wors Wstu EAA
teen Hundred Barrels Of Pow.
der In the Hold.
New Orleans Democrat
81 was returning from Havana on . block
ade-runner bound for Galveston said Mr.
Frank Won Paul to group OF old Confsd
crate soldiers. @Ths captains name wa
Barnard, and he was from Philadelphia
We haulei out past the Moro castle just .,
day was breaking. Our course was laid q
as to strike the beach ch annsl at the end d
Galveston island, and after quick run NJ
found ourselves at it, entrance one night
about O'Clock without breath Of air star
ing. Il was dead calm We knew VI
were in sight Of the blockading feet out
side, and when daylight came they would
surely see us What made the situation all
the more exciting was the fact that tho lit
tie schooner had on board as her cargo
800 barrels OF powder, and with it ], 500
Enfeli rifles One shell striking US would
have ended the trip quite briefly.
perhaps for those who do not know the
old channel down there . brief description
Of it will make our jeopardy somewhat
palmer Running along the island about .
quarter Of mile of shore was what wa
known as the beach channel, and just out
side Of this ran SAM bar the whole length.
This dividing ridge, or bar. preclu1ei any
large es'el from running in directly across
the bows OF q craft in tbs channel Toover.
haul vessel once In 1t It would be necessary
to run down aui entsr as she did A chas-
ing ship could, however. come up abreast
outside the bar and be within easy range Oh
the craft inside.
-The captain was very uneasy all night,
He said we wers gone, for when daylight
broke they would open on US surely. From
cur position they could sse US plainly from
the masthead. We were about fifteen miles
from Galveston at this time.
Between IL and o'clock q stiff brsess
sprang up To take advantage Of 1t We set
every stitch of canvass and went boomingly
along handsomely. TIE wind that aided
Us. however. carried OF the fog.
SLOWLY the masts Of the blockadinX dset
began to rise higher on the horison. We
felt that our fate was approaching. It was
net ling before their bulls could be dis
cerned, four Of them, all coming directly
for u. BY this time we had made consider.
able distance toward Galveston. and were
well in the channel The heavy ships could
not head us of on account OF the bar be
tween US and them, so they ran in as close tc
the bar as possible, and lined up along f.
outside edge awaiting our passage across tho
line Of their fire
"Tlere had been heavy blow outside the
Say before and there was still rough ses
running, which was greatly in our favor as
it rendered their aim less accurate. Inside
the bar We were in smooth water This wa
the critical moment and the captain was on
the alert watching every man and every
rope.
ave went bowling along before the eight.
knot breeze, approaching tho line abreast
the first man-of war. Each stitch Of can.
vas was drawing and every rope was taut
The situation was anything but comfortable
This having over !, so barrels Of gunrowier
was sufficient food for reflection. As soon
as we came fairly abreast Of the first ship
there was huge cloud Of smoke bursting
from her side, and even before the deep
boom of the guns reached US her shot and
shell whistled overhead and went plunging
into the rolling sand dunes on the island.
TO make the scene all the more exciting
quite number of horsemsn had congre-
gated on the behch, ami were yelling and
whooping to US to 60 on, and to shake her
up They were keeping US company along
the shore when the first broadsids was de-
hvered, and when great volumss Of SAM
were thrown up by the shells the little
Texas ponie; disappeared behind the b is
in hurry. They reappsarei from tim
to time to encourage US on.
AS soon as the first vess.l hal deliver ii
her initial round she turn,i on her cable AMI
let Us have her other side This fell short of
US some distance Then she turned bow on
and gave US her bow gun. With this the
aim was better. for the shot went through
our mainsail Although it tore a great
hole, it did not diminish our speed much
ain few minutes we were in range Of the
seconi ship, and she gave US a salute also.
The heavy sea outside was much n our
favor, for they could not get the range well,
and either overshot or undershot US all the
time. The water around US was churned
with SHOT, and the shrek of she'll was not as
musical as some things l have heard We
were all thinking of that powder under
deck. However, there was no manifestation
of excitement in any one u the crew. All
we're as cool as il they had been raised OIL
board man-of-war
much quicker than it takes me to tell il
we cam, within the range OF the third ship
and she opened. And then the fourth. Then
AL ObuScih eh5h htc ou uA 10 ali
seemed full Of missiles Across the waters
came the deep below Of the guns, almost
continuous in their roll On shore now and
then horseman woull ride out from be-
hind tie sani hills AMI cheer US on. waving
his lat wildly and making his pony 60
through his cavortings and plungings
fragments of shell struck us In more than
forty places Luckily for us they were
mostly small bits. and did no particular
damage. Their bow guns always did the
best shooting, and q considerable portion Of
our rigging was cut up by them
AN short time the flagstaff Of South bat
terry showed ahead, and naturally we were
on the lookout for our friends to open on
the ships Yet on we went, nearer and
nearer, and not a gun was fired by the Con-
federate battery. We ooali see signal hags
waving from the several stations along the
beach a; we passed, and ais, signal officer
in the battery answering. but still no gun.
"A, we neare1 South battery the city Of
Galveston came into view. 1t was q grand
sight The heavy fire outsids had alarmed
everybody, and the people had turnsd out
en- masse, thinking pefaap' that the long
looked for attack ON tho city had commsncsi-
With our glasses we could distinguish
groups on the church spirs., on roofs, and,
IN fact. on every elevated point OF vantage.
Ii seemed as II the whole population was on
the hou etDps or on the beach. Going at
the speed we were it did not take
long for u; t. reach Fort Magru-
der As We neared it We saw . movement,
and while we were looking big columbiad
was run out OF a casemate and fiery cloud
of smoke belc1ed out from its mouth, fol-
lowed by desp re olnling "boom'
-Away out over the waves the heavy shell
sped AMI was seen to throw up the water
very cl1 to one Of this ships This was
enough for the feet. for Immediately every
= A. i ~ L.. a.. 4 Il
soon hull .iown in the distance.
at is heelless to say we received hearty
welcome waea we landed. Goa. lasrudor
sent down his congratulation' and invited
us 90 a receipt N that night Commodore
Snit1, think it wa, came down him elf
b. welcome Us 1t was from him that we
learned the reason WY the South battery
had not opened on the chasing vessels It
waS thought that by keeping silent the block.
aders mig 1t be lurei within easy range AID