Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-03-04

into preparing a ship Tor battle.
The Macedonian's men, though OF
the most part strange to one an
other, were too old to man-of-war
duty not to work at such times
Quickly. The Macedonian was ready
for the fight in three minutes Her
people then went to the guns to the
long roll of the drums. The frigate
was now under foresail, fore, main, and
mizzen-top sails, main clew garnets
hauled up, royal yards in the rigging
and topgalIant sails furled. Her jib,
foretopgallant staysail and spanker
were set. The strange frigate was
now distant about 1000 yards and
flying American colors Capt. Car
den thought he recognized the United
States but was not sure Both YES
sells were gradually closing, both
wary. On the Macedonian the Cap
tain and executive officer had just
made a tour along the decks, with
pleasant words right and left to The
men. 1t is known that the British
Captain felt at this moment the lack
Of training in target work which his
hurried and early forced departure
from Portsmouth had brought about,
but nevertheless felt a certain reli-
ance in the training the maturity of
the men had had before coming
aboard.
At distance of 1900 yards from
the American the officer IN charge of
the pivot gun forward received per-
mission to open up with shot or two.
The fight was short, and Capt. Car
den ordered the firing ceased. The
Macedonian now edged in little
closer and opened up with three guns
of the port battery. The fire was
short Again Garden edged in, the
United States also closing in. When
at a distance of l, 900 yards the Amer
lean opened fire from his gun-deck
battery. His fire was directed at the
sails and the sound of his shots was
not unlike the swish rip Of canvas
rending.
The Macedonian was now firing
from every gun that could be brought
to bear, but without apparent effect
Garden ordered the firing ceased and
the vessel run closer in. At 500 yards
she again opened with every gun.
Ten minutes. later and the miZzen-
topmast went by the board. The
enemy's fire now appeared to he
directed at the mainmast, for the
slaughter among the marines drawn
up in the waist was beginning to be
something frightful. Garden ordered
the marines shifted forward and then
dispersed as SharpshooterS The
maintopmast now went by the board,
and wreck clearers were called away.
The lighting at this point was some
thing terrible. The American fire
from being directed at the mainmast,
was now playing along the gun deck.
Its effect was not unlike the crash
and booming of a thunderstorm. The
whole heaven was obscured by smoke,
and from the American ship the con-
slant stream of fire made that vessel
look as if on fire.
On the gun deck of the Macedonian
mad killed outright and wounded
seven men. A sponger in handing
his hammer to his opposite was cut in
two. Two powder monkeys rushing
to the ammunition hatch together
were bodily lifted by shot and their
mangled and lifeless bodies dashed
against the carllns overhead. One
bluejacket stopped over a group of
seven dead men in his search for
mate, and after turning each body
found the object of his hunt at the
bottom of the heap He gave one
cry of "Oh, Toni" when his division
officer ordered him back to his gun
with the shout to avenge his mates
death. On the main deck some
thirty marines lay dead or wrlthing
in their wounds about the mainmast,
while down in the cockpit the
wounded lay in heaps about the door,
their yells and cries reaching clear to
the quarterback, despite the terrible
roar of the guns
Throughoutita all the British Captain
stood his post on the quarterback
giving orders. He felt that the only
hope for the Macedonian was close
action. The guns of the enemy were
too heavy for him and her crew too
well practiced IN their service to ad-
NIT of long-range work. With this
belief in mind the Macedonian's
Captain kept constantly closing in,
with the American keeping well of.
The sea and wind were in the Mac
edonian's favor, and Decatur, fearing
that the latter might get too close
aboard of him, shot out of the smoke
ahead at time when the Macedonian
was distant not more than pistol
shot Every sail on the British ship
was completely gone except the fore
sail, and Decatur. with the view of
destroying this canvas ordered Sec
tions of chains and bags of bolts fired
through it This was done by some
of the forward guns of the United
States, with the result that the fore
sail was completely blown to pieces
Having the Macedonian. thus crippled
Decatur luffed up into the wind and
shot under the stern of his adversary