The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-03-28
A FAMOUS. NAVAL DUEL.
Recalled by the Recent Disaster to
the Kearsarge.
The Memorable Encounter That Freed
Northern Merchantmen from q
Foe That Wrought Havoc
Among Them.

Among 1hem.
The Alabama put into the harbor of
Cherbourg, France, in June, 1864, to eff
feet some necessary repairs. The Kear-
sarge, then in command of Capt John
A. Winslow, appeared off the harbor
on June IA. The Kearsarge, saws the
New York Times, cruised off the en-
trance to the harbor, but did not make
the mistake of anchoring in the port,
as that act would have given the CON
federate vessel start of twenty-four
hours whenever she might choose to
leave, it being an international law
that beligerent vessels anchoring in a
neutral port must not leave within
twenty-four hours of each other. The
Tuscarora had made that error a short
time before, and when she started in
pursuit of the Sumpter from Southamp-
ton harbor she was promptly ordered
back to her berth by the British au-
thorities, and naval force sufficient
to enforce the mandate was in readi-
ness.
Capt. Winslow made demonstrat tions
which were equivalent to d challenge,
and, knowing the character of Semmes,
he had little doubt that it would be ac-
cepted, and set about preparing his
Ship for action. The heavy anchor
chains were gotten up out of the chain
locker and suspended along the sides
of the vessel so as to protect the vital
parts of the ship. This chain armor
was concealed by deal boards, which
were nailed over it.
The word was passed through the
ship on Sunday morning, June 10, that
the Alabama was coming out The
decks of the Kearsarge were cleared
for action and the drum beat to quar-
tiers. The two ships were almost even
ly matched as to size, the Kearsarge
measuring 1,O31 tons and the Ala
bama 1,016. In weight of metal
thrown in broadside, the Kearsarge,
though mounting one gun less than
advantage, the Kearsarge throwing
43O pounds to the Alabama's S $50. The
battery of the latter vessel consisted
of six thirty-two Founders, 1O0-pounder
Blakely rifle, and one eight-inch shell
gun.
The Alabama was the first to open
fire. The Kearsarge reserved hers un-
til the enemy was 1000 yards distant,
then gave a. broadside from her star
board battery. The big geleven-inch guns
VI OiAC AACdA NAANi OC4l4D1C C-ACOu-
ton on the decks of the Alabama, and
finally one of them planted a shell in
the Alabama which reduced that ves-
sci to sinking condition and made
surrender necessary
Capt. Winslow then gave his atten-
ton to the rescue of the Alabama's
crew. The confederate admiral was
picked up by the English yacht Deer
II -
land.
Semmes claimed that the powder of
the Alab anna had become ''eaky'' and
had lost it's strength, and that the
fuses of his shellswere defective. One
of the Alabama's shells buried itself in
the sternpost of the Kearsarge. but
failed to explode. Had the fuse acted,
it is said that the Kearsarge would GER
tainly have been disabled by the loss
of her rudder. The shell is now in the
navy museum in Washington.
Since that memorable encounter the
Kearsarge had been almost constantly
in service. She had had few occasions
to visit navy yards, and had displayed
her pennant in nearly every important
harbor of the world. She had the rep
utation of being always ready for duty,
anu udO -OCClA OuoAAy OO
in protecting American interests in the
West Indies and searching for dere-
llcts on the North Atlantic.
AS a fighter she had outlived her use
fulness. Her two eleven-inch guns
had been replaced by eight-inch rifles
of the muzzle-loading type. Her speed
in later years was much less than il
was when the vessel fought the Ala
| bama. Then she was credited with
fourteen knots an hour. Her original
boilers were taken out several years
ago, and set which was intended fol
the Nantasket, much smaller vessel
was substituted. They were not near
ly so good as the old ones. Capt
Elmer says that in the period he com
manded the Kearsarge he was unable
to'get much more than eight knots out
of her.
The vessel measured two hundred
and ten feet four inches in length ant
had beam of thirty-three feet tel
inches. She was bark rugged, having
been converted from a ship, which wa
her rig when she fought the Alabama
She was built in the navy yard a
Portsmouth, N. H., at cost of $272,
514.99.
The MouiIk Gar.
Alexander III. seems determined e