Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-09-25
ON THE KEARSARGE
PAYMAS7ER SMITH, U. S. N, TELLS THE
STORY OF THE FIGHT.
A Thrilling Narrative Of the Great Naval Battle
in Which the Alabama Was Sunk-Sscrstary
Tracy Makes Brief Spssch-Ohsr In
sidents Of the Occasion.
Washington Post.

been more delightful than the confer
ences OF yesterday on board the ''coun-
terfeit presentment" of the old Kear-
sarge. Certainly the jolly tars had their
innings on that occasion. 1t was an
nounced that the President would come
aboard with some members Of his Caoi-
net before noon, but he was unable to
appear. Some distinguished guests,
however, did come, among the arrivals
being Vice President Morton, Secretary
Tracy, Surg. Gen. Brown, Commander
Melville, Of Arctic exploration fame;
Rear Admiral Almy, Rear Admiral Dahl
gren, Senator Henderson, Paymaster
General Stewart, Hon. Charles Cowley,
Of Lowell, Mass, who was judge adve-
cate of Admiral Dahlgren's staff; Capt
Charles B. Dahlgren. and many others
OF naval prominence, besides quite
number Of ladies.
There were two men aboard who
were the lions Of the occasion, ex-pay-
master General J. A. Smith and Austin
Quinby, OF Salem, Mass. To them the
audience gave an unlimited degree OF
hero worship, for both Of the aided in
winning the great victory Of the Kear-
sarge over the Alabama, Quinby firing
the first and last shots at the enemy,
and PaymaSter Smith dropping his
usual business to man gun. The
Marine Band was on hand with some
enliVening airs, the yards were manned,
and the moment the Vice President and
the Secretary Of the Navy stepped on
board the big gnns Numbered forth the
regulation welcome.
Ex-Paymaster Smith was then intro
duced as participator in the memOra-
bic conflict, aud who would, as the ora
tor Of the day, describe the conflict. A
great many people may fancy they
know something about the engagement
Of the Kearsage and the Alabama, and
more than one tolerably interesting
story has been. told concerning 1t, but
the men and women who were so fortu-
nate as to hear the ex-paymaster, saw
the fight, so clearly, wildly, and ele-
gantly was it described. He not only
recounted the action itself, but gave a
succinct narration of the history OF the
Kearsage from the time she was built
in the shipyards at Kittery, Me-, to that
supreme day off the harbor Of Cher
bourg. In the short space Of ak months
she was built. rugged. armed, manned,
and crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and she
is to-day, declared Mr.. Smith, the pref
test and most effective ship OF her class
on any sea.
She carried 1872 men, and they steamed
| first to Madeira. encountering furious
gales, thence to Cadiz, which they
| reached March 4. 1862, in search Of the
rebel boat Sumter. During long peri
cd OF inaction, while the Kearsarge was
engaged in watching the movements Of
the Sumter, member OF the English
Parliament, one Laird, Confederate
sympathizer, was engaged in construct
ing d ship that would be able to cope
with vessels like the KearSarge. He
! first called II the 1900" but the name
was changed subsequently to Alabama.
/ She was ,040 tons burden, more than
the Kearsarge; her frame Of wood, like
the Kearsarge; engines OF 5000 horse
power, carried one more gun than the
Kearsarge and one more gun In broad
| side, was rugged as a bark, had large
fore and aft sails, and was very grace
full and symmetrical. On her wheel was
the legend, "God helps those who help
themselves"
All this while the Kearsarge had en-
countered difficulty in coaling, yet the
English had repeatedly and literally
supplied the Alabama. The hostility Of
some members Of the English govern
ment to the Union ship was bitter and
undisguised, Notwithstanding we had
some SINGERS friends. The English ad-
miralty even refused to allow a toDmast
to be replaced that the Kearsarge had
lost in a gale. Laird and certain Lon
don papers urged the government to
arrest Capt. Winslow for enlisting men
in the Union Navy. Mr.. Smith said:
Meanwhile our government was pass
/ ing through its darkest night and our
men louged to strike good blow for
the Union cause. The opportunity was
near. While we lay at Flashing tele-
! gram came from Minister Dayton at
/ Paris announcing the arrival OF the
"20O' at Cherbourg. The crew was
elated at the news, and when Capt.
Winslow read the dispatch how the
boys cheered.
Cherbourg lay down the channel some
/ 500 miles, and on July 18th we sailed for
the French coast, reaching Dover on
the 18th, and on the 14th got near
enough Cherbourg to see the rebel nag
| hylng above the Breakwater, Indicating
that the Alabama was in port. Capt.
/ Winslow called on the admiral in COM
mand of the harbor, and found him
chiefly soIicitous for the dignity of
France. He assumed the dignity Of
France was about nine miles in dame
ter. and insisted the Kearsarge should
keep that distance from the port, which
was done. For five days we kept close
watch on the foe. Visiting pilots told
us unusual preparations were going on
| board the Alabama, even to the laying
in OF 200 handouts for expected prison
erS of the Kearsarge.
The enemy was powerful and deter
mined. His crew had been carefully
selected, and portion of them had
been trained on board Her Britannia
Maiesty's ship, the Excellent. His am
munition, his guns, his ship, were OF
English manufacture and OF the best
/ opslitv. Semmes himself had been an
! officer 10 the United States Navy. He
was confident OF victory, and remarked
70 a visiting friend that he was going
! ont To bring the Kearsarge In
az new corsair. Reverses had
befallen the Union armies In
Quick succession, and all accounts OF
6nr adversities had been exaggerated
in the European press. Il is difficult
Dnder such circumstances to measure
the importance of the impending battle.
| II the KesrparEe should meet defeat 1t
was probable that the Confederacy
would be acknowledged by several
European powers and some OF them
| r,tgbt render aid to the South. Paris