The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-09-30
A HISTORICAL BARK.
THE OLD MemNoN 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 20 the FLAMES.
The old bark Memnon. one OF the most
ancient craft on tho Pacific coast, will
60 TO sea no more She has fought her
last battle against wind and water and
win be towed TO the marine crematory
at California City, where she will be con-
signed 20 the flames
The Memuon was built In Boston In
1868, and when she started on her first
| voyage was one OF thefinest vessels ahoat
Of her size. For several years she was
/ the pride Of the western ocean and could
show her heelsto 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 mile Of the
Memnon, when the Confederate flag was
hoisted to the peak and the astonished
crew Of the Yanke6bark began to realize
the true character Of the strange steam
er. 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 be 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 timo.
It was blowing a 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 gasl1ets. Ev
erything was knife work, and in almost
less time than it takes 10 tell it the daring
Yankee was flying away 10 the eastward
under n cloud Of canvas that threatened
to tear the masts 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 10 make sail. He was quickly on
deck, however, and sent shot after shot
At the flying Yankee in hopes Of Grip
pling her. At the same time the Ala
bama crowded on all steam and sail, but
a stern chase is a long one, and in a
breeze like that the Yankee bark was as
fast as the Alabama and just trife
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
1 off to hunt for something not quite 80
speedy. But IL 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 a 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 up in smoke,
as did the steamers Antelope and Barila.
The barks Frazer, Lady Bowen, Rosie
Sprague and the whaler Shooting Stal
also ended their careers there, and SC
did the old warship Cyane.
Captain Boudrow has been located at
California City about five years, and for
10 years before that he ran the crematory
- at Tburon. 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, Oriflamme, Great Western, Bue-
ma Vista, Maria Murana and Colorado.
Seven of Uncle Sans old fighting ships,
the Nyaol, 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
1 yard, and they made grand bonfire.
The Monadnock, being constructed al
most entirely of iron, was of course
freproof and had to be broken to pieces
with dynamite.-San Francisco Chroni-