Daily Honolulu press., 1885-11-05
AN EXCITING CHASE.
A GRAPHIC STORY OF ADVENTURE
IN BLOCKADE RUNNING.
Pelted Persistentiy with Shells by Four
Zig Yankee Men-of- War, with Fif-
teen Hundred barrels OF Pow
der in the Hold.
INew Orleans TImes. Democrats

we haulet out past the MORO castle Just as
day was lrsaking Our course was laid so
rs to strike the leach ch annel at the end Of
Galveston island, au after quick run we
found ourselves at its entrance one night
about o'clock without a breath of air STIR
ing IL was de nd cam. We knew we
were in sight OF tho blockaiing fl'et out,
side, and when daylight came they would
surely see US What made the situation all
the more exciting was tie fact that the lit
tie schooner hal ON board as her cargo
500 barrels OF powder. and with it 1,5J0
Entell rifles One shell striking US would
have ended the trip quite briefly.
"Perhaps for those VINO do not know tho
old channel down there q brief description
Of 1t will make our jeopardy somewhat
palmer. Running along the island about
quarter Of n mile or shor3 WAS what wa
known as tho beach channel, AMI just out
side OF TIL. ran q san bar tho whole length.
Thi. dividing rilg', or bar, preclu lei any
large yes el from ru ming in directly across
the bows of n craft In ths cha1n,l To over
haul vessel once in it it would be neces 'ary
to run dowh an entsr as shs did. A chas-
ing ship could, however como up abreast
outside the bar and be within easy range Of
the craft inside.
"Thc captain was very uneasy all night,
f1e shiu we WtTo BOne, Wueu uuN
broke they woull open on US surely. From
our pc ition they cou see us plainly from
the masthead. We were about fifteen miles
from Galve ton at ths time.
"Betwesn ~ and o'clock stiff breez,
sprang up To take advantage OF it we set
every stch OF canvass an went bo)mingly
along handsomely. Tle wini that aided
u.s. however. carried OF the fog.
"Sowy the ma e. Of the blockading feet
began to rise higher on the horison. We
felt that our fate was approaching. 1t was
not long before their hulls could be dis
cerned, four Of them, all coming directly
for II. BY this time we had made consider
ablo distance toward Galveston, and were
we'll in the channel The heavy ships could
not head us of on account OF the bar be-
tween us aud them. so they ran in as close 10
the bar as possible, and lined up along its
out-ile edge awaiting our passage across the
line of their fire
"There Lad been heavy blow outside the
day before and there was still rough sea
running, which was greatly in our favor as
it rendered their aim less accurate. Inside
the bar we were in smooth water This was
the critical moment aud the captain was on
the alert watching every man and every
rope.
"We went bowling along before the eight.
knot breeze, approaching Tho lins abreast
the first man-of. war. Each stitch of can :.
vas was drawing an every rope was taut
The situation wa anything but comfortable.
This having over l.5)J barrels Of gunpowder
was sufficient fool Tor reflection. A' soon
as we came fairly abreast of the fir ship
there was n huge cloud OF smoke bursting
from her side, and even before the deep
boom of the guns reache Us her shot and
she'll whi i,tled overhead and went plunging
into the rolling sand dunes on the island.
ITO make the scene all tho mora exciting
quite number Of hor,emsn had congre-
gatei on the behch, AMI were yelling and
who0ping to Us to go on, and to shake her
up Tney were keeping US company along
the shore when tn, first broai,ids was de-
liverei, and when great voum,s of saul
were thrown up by the shells the little
Texas ponies di.appe red behinl the hills
In hurry. They rsappearoI from tina
to tims TO oncourigs Us On.
"As soon a. the first vess,l hal delivered
her. initial rounl she turn ,i on her cable and
lot u have her other slle Tnii fell short o
us some distance. The1 she turned bow on
and gave Us her bow, gun With this the
aim was better, for the shot went through
our mainsail. Althou IN it tore great
hole, 1t iii | not dimini IA our spsed much
an few minuts' we wer3 in range of the
secon ship, an she gave Us n salute also.
The heavy sea out 10 was much in our
favor, for they could not get tho range we'll
and either overshot or under,hot u3 all the
tim, The water aroun us was churnel
with shot, and tha shrek of shell was not as
musical as some things have heard We
were all thinking of that powder under
deck However, there waS no manifestation
of excitement in any on, of the crew. All
were as cool as IL they had bsen raised on
board man-of-war
"Much quicker than IL takes ms to tell Il
we cams within the rangs Of the third ship,
and she openel. And then the fourth. Then
all concentrated thsir tlrs on U.s. The air
seemed full of missiles Acros, the waters
came the deep below of the guns, almost
continnou in their roll On shore now and
then horssman woul ride out from be-
hind the sani hill AMI cheer us on, waving
his hat wildly ani making hi, pony 20
through his cavortingi AMI plnnyinys.
"Fragments OF shall struck US Ia more than
forty p.acss Luc6ily fot u, they wsrs
mostly small bits, and dill M particular
damag'. Tne bow guns always did the
best shooting, and considerable PORTION OF
our rigging was cut by them
HIna short tins the Flagstaff of South bat
OF tee hok- ut or onr frisn Is TO opsn on
this ships YeG on we went nearer an
nsarer, nd not a glr was Are by tue G m
federate battery We coul | soc signal II Is
waving IRON tue several stations along the
beach a. We pa 90 |, ais a rignal flic.r
in this battery answering. but still no gun.
"As we nears South battery the city OF
Galveston came int view. 1t was grlnl
sight Tne heavy lire outside had alarmei
everybo ly, an the p,opo nal turned out
en- masse, thinking perhap that the long
look d lora attack on tho city ha commenced
With our glas es we could distinguish
groups on the church sprs, on roof, and,
In TACT. on every elevate point OF vanta 70.
lt seemed rs L. tue waols population was on
the hou et0pi or on the beach. G. ling at
the speed we were It did not take
long for u TO roach Fort Magru-
der As we nearel 1t we saw a movement,
and while we were looking a big columbiad
was run out OF a casemate and a fiery cloud
of smoke belchei put from its mouth, fol-
lowed by a deep re ioun ling "boom.n
"Awsy out over the waves the heavy shell
sped and was seen 20 throw up the water
very clio 70 one Of tho ships This was
enough fol the heet for Immediately every
We sci headed of shore AMI put to sea, baing
soon hull down in the distance.
at Is heolcs 10 ,ay we received hearty
welcome wlen we landed. Gen. Magruder
sent down his congratulations, and invited
us 70 receipt N that night Commo lore
Smith, think iJ was came down him elf
70 welcome u.s. 1t was from him that we
learned tue reason why the South battery
had not opened on the chasing vessels. Ii
was thought that by keeping silent the block
aders migat be lured within easy range and
some substantial damage done to them"
Distin gulshed Cnnines.
Lchlcago HeraldI
Ti.. h<nixo ~ tho In ~. ootIa.k..g.