West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-05-07
me ALABAMA.


Her sinking Described by the second
onicer Ina Command.
When the firing ceased. Captain
Scmmc, ordered me TO dispatch an
officer to the Kcar,argc TO say that our
ship was sinking, and to ask that they
send boats to save our wounded. as our
boats were disabled. The dingev. our
smallest boat, had escaped damage I
dispatched Master senate Fullam with
the request No boats appearing, had
one of our quarter boat, lowered. which
was slightly injured, and ! ordered the
wounded placed i'm her. DR.. Gait, the
surgeon who was in charge of the mag
aZnc and -hell-rOOm division, came ON
deck at this moment and wa, at once
put I'm charge of the boat. with orders to
take the wounded To the Kcarsarpc.
They showed off just in time 10 save the
poor fellows from going down in the
ship.
now gave the order for every man
to jump overheard with spar and save
himself from the sinking ship" To en-
force the order, walked forward and
urged the men overheard. As soon as
the decks were cleared save OF the
bodies of the dead, / returned to the
stern-port, where stood Captain Scmmcs
with one or two of the men and his
faithful steward, who. poor fellow! was
doomed 10 watcry grave. as he could
not swim. The Alabama's stcrn-port
was now almost To the waters cd~c.
Partly undressing We plunged into the
sea, and made an Oiling from the sink
ing ship, Captain Scmmes with life
prcscrver and | on Il grating
The Alabama settled stern foremost.
launching he bows high i'm the air.
Graceful even i'm her dcath-Strugglc.
She IN a moment disappeared from the
face of the waters The sea now pre-
scntcd mass of living heads. striving
for their lives Many poor fellows sank
for the want of timely aid. Near me |
saw float of empty shcll-boXcS and
called to one of the men, good swim
mcr, to examine it; he did So and re-
piled: lit is the doctor. sir, dead. "
Poor Llcwellyn. he persisted almost i'm
sight of his home. The Young Mid
shipman Mallit swan to me and offered
his life-prcscrvcr My grating was not
proving very buOyant float, and the
whitccaps breaking over my head were
diStressingly uncomfortable. To say the
least. Mailit said: Mr. Kcll, take my
lite-prcscrvcr sir; You are almost cN-
haustcd. The gal ant boy did not
consider his own condition, but his
pallid face told me that his hcrosm was
superior to his bodily suffering. and |
refused it, After twenty minutes or
more | heard near me some one call
out: "There is out First Lieutenant
and the next moment / was pulled into
boat in which was Captain Scmmcs.
stretched out i'm the stcrn-Shcets, as
pallid as death. He had received dur
ing the action slight confusion on the
head, and the struggle i'm the water had
almost exhausted him. There were
also several of our crew i'm the boat.
and in few moments we were along
side little steam yacht, which had
come among our floating men, and by
throwing them ropes saved many lives.
Upon reaching her deck, asccrtaincd
for the first time that She was the Yacht
Deerhound, owned by Mr.. John Lam
caster of England. I'm looking round
| saw two French pilot-boats engaged
I'm saving our crew. and finally two
boats from the Kearsargc. -LieutcHajtt
hrI. iH CcHiiIrY.