The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-08
ALABAMA AND KEARsARGE
Their Terrible Duel at Sea-SFoIIow UE
to Sea; Wen Fight"
From tie Atlanta tGa.) Journal

to Sea; Wen Fight"
From the Atlanta (Gd.) Journal.
The fortuneof war was never better illus
trated than in the fight between the "Ala-
bams" and ''Kearsarge."
The grand duel between these two ships
in the channel off CherbOurg will go down
in naval history as one of the most famous
fights, even on that laureled sea-theater of
England. 1t was a conflict. the heroism Of
which was worthy the scene of English
triumphs. The mariners of England
''whose march is DER the ocean wave, whose
home is on the Deep" never displayed
greater skill or greater gallantry than the
men who fought under the confederate
flag, which from the mainmast Of the Ala
bama doated over the waters that had wit
messed the destruction of the invincible
Armada
The Alabama had sunk and burned
hundred ships along the ocean highways.
she had practically driven the commerce
OF the north from three seas; and here she,
the destroyer, was brought to bay and
forced TO fight an armored and superior foe,
or be cooped up i'll harbor by the federal
navy. OF course she fought. She must die
as she lived, on the free ocean, under a bat
tie flag and in the ecstacy of the fight.
II have no doubt" said Gen. Kell to me
several weeks ago, in a conversation ABOUT
the Sumter and Alabama, that the federal
captains had orders to sink the Alabama
wherever they found her."
Such, too, was the opinion of Capt.
SemmeS. All who saw the fight formed the
same opinion. The Alabama and her crew
had been sent to the bottom After she
struck her cOlors i've shots were fired into
her, to make sure of her fate. When she
sunk, and her men were tossing in the
waves and grasping at floating timbsrs and
the wounded drowning the Kearsarge made
no effort to save them. Had it not been
for Mr.. Lancaster and his yacht, the Deer
hound, Semmes, Kell and their brave sea-
men would have been allowed to drown
after their cOlors had been struck and their
ship had sunk.
But there is another incident Of the fight
which shows how futile are human skill
and human hopes
By the failure of a single cap to explode
the Kearsarge was preserved from the fate
her enemy met, and the triumphant career
of the Alabama ended in a watery grave.
1T was fate" said Gen. Kell.
AS told me at that time by the gallant
lieutenant Of the Alabama, the story of the
tight near Cherbourg was more eloquent
than it will ever be told again.
The Alabama had returned to European
waters from long and eyentful cruise in
the Indian ocean and the China seas. She
was battered and bruised, and needed re-
in Cherbourg harbor, however, when Capt.
Semmes recognized the presence of a foe.
The kearsarge steamed in and anchored
in the roadstead, off the lookout. There
was no running out to sea without q fight,
and fight with the kearsarge was better
than lying in port for ten months under
going repair, while federal ships should
make Gordon around the harbor.
Accordingly, with his famous southern
Obal 70
Kearsarge. If Capt. Winslow will follow
us to sea we will fight. The closest scrutiny
of the sides of the Kearsarge could not dis
cover that she wore chain armor, and other
wise the Kearsarge was not much the better
| ship. Her armor alone saved her.
1t was in the early morning of the bright
est June day that ever smiled on the vine
clad hills of France when the Alabama
| swept out to her heroic death, as though she
were the bride Of the sea. The nights
around Cherbourg were. covered with spec
| tators. Persons had come from Paris to see
| the famous Alabama in her last fight.
AS she steamed out of neutral waters she
fired the first shot of the fight. Capt.
Semmes mounted into the rigging; his gal
| liant lieutenant was at the guns Soon the
shots from the bows were succeeded by the
broadsides of the two ships.
| use solid shot, kell; our shells are drop
ping from her armor," shouted Capt.
| Semmes from aloft.
! That was the first knowledge that the
| Kearsarge had on concealed armor The
Alabama's shells fell from her sides as so
many paper pellets.
Solid shot was no better. The powder
was bad and the solid shot bounded from
| her iron ribs.
| The combatants were fighting in a circle,
| thus keeping their broadsides on each other.
| On board the Alabama was one rihed
| gun, hundred FOUNDER. She was trained
on the hull of the enemy and fired. True
to the gunnor's eye, the shell, one hundred
| pounds of iron and powder, flew to its goal
1t struck the Kearsarge near her stern posts
| and buried itself in the wood
| The hope of victory was gone. The per-
cussion cap which should have exploded as
| the shell struck the Kearsarge, had failed
The aim was true. Victory depended upon
a grain Of percussion powder being damp
| or dry. 1t was damp.
This was thirty minutes after the fight
had begun, and the Kearsarge should have
been on her way to the bottom with the
Spanish galleons and the French ships of
| TourviIle.
In an hour more of desperate duel. the
| Alabama was riddled like cullender, and
| was settling in the sea.
"How much longer will she foatm asked
Capt. Semmes.
''Ten minutes" responded Lieut.. Kell.
Then put the wounded in boats and send
them to the Kearsarge, and take down the
flag. We will not go down in the nineteenth
century OF Christs grace with wounded
men on our decks"
Down vent the flag The wounded men
were put in boat aud in charge of an Off
Ger sent to the Kearsarge But still the
murderous guns of the enemy poured shot
and shell into the sinking ship. Not until
the white flag was run up and the ship
swung heavily to her grave did the enemy
| cease firing.
The ten minutes had expired
Capt. Semmes and Lieut.. Kell leaped into
the sea, and, with a score of others. were
picked up by the English yacht Deerhound.
The kearsarge made no effort TO rescue
the drowning.
The Alabama had finished her cruise
Her career had been one of uneoualed
glory.
Horses Without Shoes.
M ID n