The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1893-08-30
A HISTORICAL BARK.
THE OLD MEMNoNH HAS REACHED THE
END OF HER CAREER.

"A Sailing Vessel That Ran Away From the
Famous AIabama-Story of the Race.
History of the Bark Since the war-Con-
signed to the Flames.
The old bark Memnon. one of the most
ancient craft on the Pacific coast, will
go to sea no more. She has fought her
last battle against wind and water and
will be lowed to the marine crematory
at California City, where she will be con-
signed to the flames.
The Memnon was built in Boston in
1858, and when she started on her first
voyage was one of the finest vessels ahoat
Of her size. For several years she was
The pride Of the western ocean and could
show her heels to any craft in the trade.
She was one of the very few American
vessels that when chased by the pirate
Alabama succeeded in making an es-
cape. The Memnon was on her way
from Liverpool to Boston at the time
and fell In with The ALABAMA when about
half way across the Atlantic.
The Alabama concealed her identity
until she got within half q mile of the
Memnon, when the Confederate flag was
hoisted to the peak and the astonished
crew of the Yankee bark began to realize
the true character of the strange steam
or. The captain Of the Memnon called
all hands aft, and in very few words
told them that capture meant many long
months in a prison, and that he proposed
to escape If possible.
The crew were no more anxious to
visit Confederate prison than the cap
tain, and when he gave the order to square
away the yards the command was obeyed
in very short time.
1t was blowing gale from the north
west at the time, and the bark was under
her topsails, but as soon as the yards
were squared the men ran aloft, and sail
after sail was loosed and set. The men
took no time to cast off the gaskets. Ev.
erything was knife work, and in almost
less time than it takes to tell it the daring
Yankee was flying away to the eastward
under o cloud of canvas that threatened
to tear the 1nasts out of her every minute.
Captain Semmes Of the Alabama had
no idea that the bark would try to es-
cape and was below when the pros
pective prize changed her course and
began to make sail. He was quickly OH
deck, however, and sent shot after shot
at the flying Yankee in hopes of Grip
ping her. At the same time the Ala
bama crowded on all steam and sail, but
stern chase is q long one, and in n
breeze like that the Yankee bark was as
fast as the Alabama and just trifle
faster.
In spite Of everything Semmes could
do the Memnon slowly but surely drew
away from her pursuer, and as the Ala
bama dropped further and further astern
the hopes of the Yankee crew revived.
The chase lasted until night, and then
the pirate steamer gave it up and hauled
off to hunt for something not quite SC
speedy. But if the Alabama gave up the
race the Memnon did not, for she never
started tack or sheet until she had put
several hundred miles of ocean between
the Alabama and herself.
She then resumed her course for New
York, where she arrived after rough
passage of 81 days.
After the war she was placed in the
East India trade and then was sent out
to this coast. She has traded to China
and the Australian colonies and when
too old for that was engaged in the coast
wise trade.
She has also made several voyages up
to Alaska and has always made money
for her owners.
Many a fine ship has ended her career
over in the marine crematory at Cali
fornia City since Captain Boudrow be-
gan operations there, and some of them
were once the pride of the United States
navy,
Here the fine old steamer China of the
Pacific Mail company went upin smoke,
as did the steamers Antelope and Barila
The barks Frazer, Lady Bowen, Rosie
Sprague and the whaler Shooting Sta,
also ended their careers there, and 81
did the old warship Cyane.
Captain Boudrow has been located a
California City about five years, and fol
10 years before that he ran the crematory
at Tiburon. 1t was in the Tiburon yard
that the mail steamers Montana, Arizona
and Constitution were cremated, and
the torch was applied to the John L,
Stevens, Orifiamme, Great Western, Bue-
ma Vista, Maria Murana and Colorado.
Seven of Uncle Sans old fighting ships,
the Nyack, Saco, Tuscarora, Naragan-
sett, Alaska, Benecia and the old mon
itor Northumberland their careers
and yielded up the vast amount of iron
and copper in their hulls in the Tiburon
yard, and they made grand bonfire.
The Monadnock, being constructed al
most entirely of iron, was Of course
fireproof and had to be broken to pieces
with dynamite. Francisco Chroni
Gle.