New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-05-12
The Sinking of the Alabama.
ohn NJ. Kell, in April Century.

John NJ. Kell, in April Century.
ssWhen the firing ceased, Captain
Semmes ordered me to dispatch an
officer to the Kearsarge to say that
our ship was sinking, and to ask that
they send boats to save our wounded,
as our boats were disabled. The
aingey, our smallest boat, had escaped
damage. dispatched Masters Mate
Fullam with the request. No boats
appearing, l had one of our quarter
boats lowered, which was slightly IN
jured, and I ordered the wounded
placed in her. DR.. Gait, the surgeon,
who was in charge of the magazine
and shell room division, came on
deck at this moment, and was at once
put in charge of the boat, with orders
to 'takethe wounded to the Kearsarge.'
They showed off just in time to save
the poor fellows from going down in
the ship.
II now gave the order for every man
to jump overheard with a spar and
save himself from the sinking ship
To enforce 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
Semmes with one or two OF the men
and his faithful stewart, who, poor fell
low! was doomed to watery grave,
as he could not swim. The Alabama's
stern-port was now almost to the
waters edge. Partly undressing, we
plunged into the sea, and made an Of
fling from the sinking ship, Captain
Semmes with life preserver and 1 on
a grating.
"The Alabama settled stern fore
most, launching her bows high in the
air. Graceful even in her death strug-
gle, she in a moment disappeared
from the face of the waters. The sea
now presented mass OF living heads,
striving for their lives. Many poor
fellows sank for the want of timely aid.
Near me I saw a float OF empty she'll
boxes, and called to one of the men,
agood swimmer, to examine it; he did
so and replied, 1T is the doctor, sir,
dead Poor Llewellyn! he persisted al
most in sight of his home. Theyoung
Midshipman Mafit swan to me and
offered his life-preserver. My grating
was not proving livery buoyant float,
and the white caps breaking over my
head we're distressingly uncomfortable,
to say the least. Mafit said: Mr..
Kell, take my life-preserver, sir; you
J are almost exhausted The gallant
boy did not consider his own condi-
ton, but his pallid face told me
that his heroism was superior to his
bodily suffering, and refusedit. Aft
er twenty minutes or more l heard
near me some one call out, There is
our first lieutenant and the next mo
ment [ was pulled into boat, in
which was Captain Semmes, stretched
out in the stern-sheets, as pallid as
| death. He had received during
the action a slight confusion or
the hand, and thestrugge in the water
had almost exhausted him. There
. were also several of our crew in the
boat, and in a few moments we were
alongside a little steam yacht, which
had come among our floating men
/ and by throwing them ropes saved
many lives. Upon reaching her deck
ascertained for the first time that
! she was the yacht Deerhound, owned
by Mr.. John Lancaster, of England
In looking round saw two French
pilot boats engaged in saving our crew
and finally two boats from the Kear
sarge"