The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-09-02

the sea. stern foremost. leaving lot of
her officers and crew foundering in the
water.
THE RESCUE OF sEMMEs.
The Kearsarge only had two boats. the
launch and the second cutter, fit to float;
her other boats had been ruined by frag-
ments of shell thrown from the Alabama.
These two boats were launced to pick up
the drowning men. and the Alabamas boat
was sent back for the same purpose. An
English yacht, the Deerhound. which had
been standing off about mile watching
the combat. and probably with the pur-
pose in view which il finally carried out.
steamed up under the stern OF the Kesr-
sarge and offered it's services at rescuing
the Alabamas men, an offer which Capt
WinslOw accepted, feeling that 1t was
humanity to do so. as his own boats were
totally inadequate. The DeerhOund picked
up the arch-traitor Semmes and some of his
officers. and then. with finger on it's nose.
gleefully called for the English coast.
leaving Captain Semmes's other faithful
men struggling for life in the water. IL
was dastardly thing to do. but il matched
mp with the other incidents in the career
of the rebel pirate. Through the selfish
ness of Semmes, who begged the commander
of the DeerhOunG to save him and let the
Others go. ten of the Alabama's crew were
in the fight. On the Kearsarge three men
were wounded one so bsdly that he died.
The Alabama fired $40 shots, thirteen or
fourteen struck the Kearsarse about the
and rigging. The Kearsarge fire 173 shots.
less than half the number fired by the
Alabama. with guns manned by trained
guDners from the practice ship Excellent
little credit to the school in which they
had been educated.
-Semmes took every opportunity to give
out the idea that the Kearsarge was q
larger boat, chain armored and speedler
than his own, when figures show that the
Alabama represented the best maritime
effort of the most skilled English work
shops. Her battery was composed OF the
well-tried thlrty-two-D o-DOunders of 300
weight. of the famous sixty-eight-pounder
of the British navy. and of the only success
ful rifed one hundred FOUNDER CT produced
in England" The Alabama carried eight
guns. the kearssrGe seven. The Kearsarge
was the speediest, but in tonnage the two
were about even. The Kearsarge had 163
officers and men, the Alabama 149. If the
Alabama had had a few more guns she
! would have failed IN hitting the kearsaree
at all If her efficiency decreased In propor.
tlon to the increase In her battery.
IMPORTANCE OF THE VICTORY.
The Alabama went down in forty.fve
fathoms of water. but the only treasure she
colors which Semmes had collected In his
piratical career. The Secretary of the
Navy wrote to Captain Winslow as follows
concerning the escape OF Semmes: That
the wretched commander OF the sunken
corsair should have resorted to any dis
honorable means to escape after his sur.
render; that he should have thrown over
board the sword that was no longer his;
that before encOuntering an armed antag-
onlst the mereenary rover should have re-
moved the chronometers and other Stolen
plunder from peaceful commerce.. are not
matters of surprise, for each act IS charac-
terIstIc of one who has been false 10 his
country and fag." No victory of the war
gave the North deeper satisfaction; no de-
feat of the Southern Confederacy more
deeply chagrined its ally. England.
At the outset of the war Queen
Victoria issued proclamation say
ing that England would preserve
a strict neutrality between the contendIng
parties, and her ship builders then proceed
ed TO constitute themselves committee on
naval affairs for the Southern COnfederacy.
1t Is senseless TO deny that England aided
the seeding States in every way possible
because she acknow led aed lt In O way that
nearly broke her parsiiaonions old heart
when Great Britain, as a result of the Ala
tama claims commission, paid TO tho
United States the sum OF Sl5. 900, ,00J as in-
demnInoatiOn Tor the damage inflicted on
United States commerce by confederate
cruisers that were buildcd and equipped In
England for the coDfederates.
The keaTsarge Is the gallant ship which
the naval veterans chose to represent their
arm of tie civil war IN the National Eu-
campment at Washington last year, and
the feature proved such an attractive one
that IL was decided TO make the same dis
play here. So the timbers of the Wash
ington kcarsarge were brought here. and
are now put uD in ship shape" on the Cap
itoi grounds for the headquarters. recep-
tions ETC., of the naval veterans.
The ship itself still rides the waters as
proudly as of old. though not in deep sea
service. IL has for some years been used as
training ship for naval students and lies
great deal of the time IN the blue waters
/ of the Chesapeake. off the shores of Mary
land. In front OF Annapolis. Its dark hull
outlines itself as stardily against the wa
ter. and Its bic black gun frowDs as heavily
over the side as It aid thirty years ago
when its belching tire knocked the spots
off the Southern Confederacy. 1t Ia not q
pretty boat. like the Dolphin. or the New
| York. or the Minautonomoh. bnt it has
seen lot more service. and there has been
| some talk of putting her in commission
again. after repairing her and rettt,ng. and
! IContinusu Seventh Psge.l