The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-01-19
SAVING THE NATION.
Continued from list page.)
injured. A shell lodges in the rudder post,

injured. A shell lodges in the rudder post,
but does not explode.
The ships are going round in circle, both
using their starboard guns. Let US step on
board the Alabama. Capt Semmes is stand
ing by the mizen mast with his glass, look
ing at the Kearsarge. Mr.. Kell is his First
Lieutenant. Use solid shot, Mr.. Kell; our
shells strike and fall into the water" The
long 32s are not doing such damage as the
S-inch guns of the Kearsarge which make
terrible havoc on the Alabama. One shell
sweeps off nearly every one of the men of
the forward pivot gun. Another kills one
and wounds several. A third crashes through
the bulwarks and splinters a gun carriage.
The decks are beginning to be slippery with
blood. The solid shot from the Kearsarge
are boring great holes through the sides of
the ship, and the water is rushing in, putting
out the fires under the boilers.
The Alabama is beginning to heel to the
starboard. Her stern is settling. The engi-
neer comes up. "The engine wont work
the fires are out" he says. Lieut.. Kell goes
down to see how long the vessel will float.
He is In the Ngard-room, where the Surgeon
is dressing a wound; but the table and the
wounded man are instantly swept away by
a shell, which opens great gap in the side
of the Alabama. Capt. Semmes sees that to
escape he must rely upon his sails. They
are hoisted, but there is little wind; and the
Kearsarge is cutting off his chance of reach
ing the shore. For one hour and two min
utes the battle has gone on. Semmes sees
that 1T is lost; that the Alabama will soon
be at the bottom of the sea. It would be
Inhuman to continue the fight, and
GO DOWN WITH ALL ON BOARD,
when there is no chance of winning the vic
tory. Haul down the colors!n Hard to
give the order, but the colors come down.
The Kearsarge ceases firing But there are
two hot-bIooded officers on the Alabama
who had rather die than surrender. They
rush to the port guns, and once more open
hre. AT this moment, according to Capt.
WInsloW's report, there was white flag dis
played over the stern of the Alabama.
Amazed at what he regards as gross breach
OF honor, and seeing that the Alabama is
trying to reach the shore, the Kearsarge
once more opens fire. Semmes bitterly COM
piained of this breach of honor, as he regard
ed 1T, on the part of Winslow. The Kear-
sarge steams ahead and lays herself across
the track of the Alabama. There is no
chance of escaping. The boats of the Ala
bama are lowered. The wounded are placed
in them. French pilot-boats come The
boats of the Kearsarge are lowered. The
Deerhound steams up. Capt Semmes throws
his sword into the sea- He has surrendered,
but he does not intend to be taken on board
| the Kearsarge if he can otherwise escape.
| Capt WlnslOW requests the owner of the
Deerh0und to help save the crew of the
| Alabama. Semmes and 40 others are picked
up by that ship, which perfdiously steams
away to England. There was one man of
| high character on the Alabama-Lieut. VIII
| liamson-who refused to 90 on board the
Deerhound. He came on board the Kear-
sarge and surrendered his sword to Capt
| Winslow, feeling that he was bound in all
honor so to do. With the water rushing
through her sides, the Alabama at last goes
down, by the stern, to the bottom of the sea-
Seven times the two ships turned the cir
Gle IN the contest, a current carrying them
| toward the west The firing of the Alabama
was very wild. OF the $40 shot and shell
| fired by the Alabama
ONLY % STRUCK THE KEARsARGE,
and only half of these were in the hull.
| Capt. Semmes, in his account, said that the
| Kearsarge was in effect iron clad. and that
had he known abo94 the cables hanging
along the sides he slI4ald not have gone into
the fight. But only two Of the shots of the
!
covered by the cables The Kearsarge
fired only 173 shot and she'll How many
struck never will be known, but the vessel
was riddled by the shot; great openings
were made in the sides.
The loss in killed and wounded on the
Alabama was not far from 40, while on the
Kearsarge only three were injured one of
whom-Wm. Gowan-died. He was very
brave fellow. Doctor" he said, 81 can
fight no more; but it is all right / will
Willingly lose my leg, and my life, if neces-
sary." Lying on mattress down below, he
could hear the thunder of the great guns
above him, and the cheers of the crew when
they sent shot into the Alabama. He
joined in the hurrah with feeble voice, but
with his face all aglow with the enthusiasm
of victory. So at last the Alabama, permit
ted to escape through the dereiiction of the
British Government, the destroyer of Ameri-
can commerce, entailing a legacy of trouble
upon England, disappeared forever
| To be coptinuedl