The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-10-01

/ age and her fire was proving most destruct-
! tive TO the enemy.
Another of the Alab3ma's guns was tenn
| porIriIy siIcnced. She settled somewhat in
! the water and lahored heavily. A moment
/ later she hoisted her .iih aud mansail, turned
! her PROV away from the Kearsarge and
made for the coast Of France, when the rebel
| flag again disappeared.
THESE INDICATIONS OF DISTRESS
were hailed by the Union crew with OK
| carnations of delight and yet they We're
regarded with dstrHst. The trick played
upon the HatteTaS Is remembered.
To protect herself against any fUSc dc
/ gutrre, the Kearsarge steamed across the
/ Alabama's bow, the 1l-inch DahIgrens, the
:}2-pounders, the bow rifle and the h0witzer
helching forth their suIphurous fire more
/ rapidly and dcStTu"tively than before
a 2S-pound rifle shell struck the Alab3ma's
main-t opmast; the 1i-inch shell aud smaller
shot ridded her side from stem to stern and
swept her decks with death and destruction
great gaps opened in her side, which no
/ plugs could fill, and the salt brine of the
English Channel rushed through them in
irresistible torrents.
The rebel ship continued to settle. The
/ KCarsarge laid across her bow, and while
preparing for n raking shot at closer quar-
! ters with shrapnel and grape, the enemy's
colors again came down by the run.
At about the same moment the KearSargc's
/ battletlag, which had been tied or stopped
up while the Alabamas had Haunted def
antly at the masthead, was cut by n shot
fired by the enemy and the Stars and Stripes
unroling to the breeze as the rebel flag
came down, indicated to the distant specta-
tor on which banner victory rested.
Thus by firing the first gun, she announced
| her daring challenge to the encounter, and,
as if with the hand of fate, she unturled
| the Union flag at the masthead of the kear
sarge, she proclaimed her irretrevable de-
feat
The Alabama was silent As the battle
clouds tioated away the unmistakable sign of
surrender could he seen hanging over her
stern. Some one shouted
"sHE SHOWS THE WHITE FEATHER!
There's a white flag" and then the whole
crew united in the cry, She's surrendered"
But these shouts of triumph suddenly
| changed TO 0aths of sullen anger as the
Alabama wore round and treacherOusly fired
two more shots. Another broadside from
the Kearsarge in reply, and the fate of the
800 y was sealed.
Capt Semmes dispatched boat in conf
mand of an English officer to request Capt.
/ WinslOw's immediate assistance, for the rca-
son that the Alabama was rapidly sinking.
The English officer asked for and received
| permission to assist in bringing off the Ala
! bama'S crew.
About this time another boat was lowered
| at the Alabama's side; number OF her
wounded were placed in it, and in moment
more the rest OF the vauquished crew leapcd
almost AZ one man into the chilling waters
which flow down from the Northern seas.
THE SPECTACLE WAS UEARrRESDING.
! The wrecked aud battered hulk Of the con-
quered ship settled rapidly by the stern and
GATED; her mainmast, cut by shot, tum
! bicd down over her side; her bow rose high
! in air, as if preparatory to a suicidal spring,
aud the greatest curse TO which American
commerce had ever been subjected was ell
| quilted in the unconipassiOnate waves of the
ocean.
One of the crew was cIinging to a floating
spar; another to a board another to box !;
another to IN eXtemporized raft, on which
sat the drummer boy with his meiodOus
/ drum, while others were struggling with the
rolling waves for life.
The boats of the KearSarge which had not
been destroyed by shot were hurricdly sent
to the rescue. Altogether 70 men were
taken on board the Kearsarge. When the
Alabama sank the little English pleasure
Yacht Deerhound was noticed tor the first
time since the commencement of the fight
as she swept under the stern of the Rear
sarge, and Capt. WinsIow shouted from the
slarboard quarter, . Will you assist III res
cEing the drowning crew."
The answer was, | will, sir" AID the
yacht sped on toward the struggling crew
| About this time the boatlo9d of wounded
"A,
Of MI Wilson, whose division was so nearly
annhilatcd, and the only officer who hon
orably delivered up his sword after his ship
surrendered.
The English officer who was released to
rescue his more unfortunate companions
rowed to the Deerh0und, jumped on board
| that craft, and boldly set his boat adrift.
Another boat containing number of the
Alabamas officers came alongside and asked
permission to join in the general rescue
| The request WAS granted, and they steered
directly for the English yacht, which they
boarded then stove hole in their beat,
turned her adrift, and left their comrades
to the tender mercies OF the waves and the
"vandal Yankees"
1t was reported that the carpenter of the
Alabama shot and drowned himself rather
than suffer capture, but the romantic story
| IS SpOl!eu by the TACT liiil MS ut3'l DOGGY WAS
recovered in nude condition and without Il
| scar.
The wounded, bemoaning their fate with
pitiful groans, were carried below TO the
extemporized cock-pits
THE CAPTURED OFFICERS
were admitted to the officers messes Of the
| Kearsarge and warmed with wine and dry
| clothing, while the rescued crew were hud-
died under the forecastle without shackIe
| upon one Of them.
The waters of the channel were now quiet
as when the sun that morning first shed its
rays over the scene of the late naval duel.
The valiant Semmes, having dropped his
sword into the sea, stepped upon the Deer
hounds deck, uDarmed, shiyering from cold,
with a bruised hand, and his wet clothes
clinging like cercments to his gaunt form.
In this pitiable condition, 1t must have
| been with a touch of dramatic pathos that
he exclaimed to Mr.. Lancaster, For Gods
sake, sir, don't put me under the Yankee
flag! Protect me under the cross of St.
George!"
II was probably in answer to this appeal
that the Deerhound steamed rapidly away
for Southampton, where Ar. Semmes figured
as the hero of the hour, and was welcomed
with feasts and speeches and presentation
sword and, perhaps more gratifying than ALL
Inv q letter of cnrgratulatiOn from Miss