The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-04-13
A FAMOUS NAVAL DUEL
Recalled by the Recent Disaster To
the Kearsarge.
The Memorable Encounter That Frs.,
Northern MerchantmeB from
Foe That Wrought Havoc
Among Them.

The Alabama put into the harlo- -
Chcrbourg. France, in june, 1864. r....z.
feet some necessary repairs. The K..-.-.
sarge. then in command of Capt T.r.-.
\ Winslow, appeared OFF the ha-r..-
on June Il. The Kear~arge. S;aT.- .r.
New York Times. cruiScd off Tile. .r.
trance To the harbor. but did not mai.
the mistake Of anchoring in th, u.-,
a that act would have given tho. .-..,.-
federate vessel a start Of twcu1t.fr-
hours whenever she might -h.s....
leave. IL being an international rs...
that heliGerent vessels anchoriuL- rr.
neutral port must not leave, y5rs.r
twenty-four hours Of each other n.
TuScarora had made that error a .r...-.
time before. and when she srs-r..8 10.
pursuit of the Sumpter from Soufr..-,.-.-
ton harbor she was promptly or.l..-..3
back To her berth toy the Rrirs-r .-,-
thoritles, and naval force su4....r.
To enforce the mandate was in r..ss-.
ness.
Capt Winslow made demonst-a-7rr.
which We're equivalent To a cha. .s,.-.....
and. knowing the character OF S,.rurr-,
he had little doubt that IL vvours l...-..
cepted. and set about PREPARING b-.
ship for action. The heavy ar.-..-
chains were gotten up ont Of the. ..f...r.
lo"Ner and suspended along rh,.~...-
of the vessel 50 a To protect The. MIA.
parts of the ship This chain ;,-r..-
was concealed by deal boards. which
We're nailed over it
The word was passed throus-b ,a.
ship on sunday morning. June Ig. -f.r
the Alabama was coming out v.-
decks of the kearSarge were ,I.a-.-f
for action and the drum beat l.. ur7,--
tiers. The two ships were almost even
ly matched as To size, the k,,ar~,r---
measuring l,OSl tons and th,. Ala
bama LOIS. In weight Of r,..,.r
thrown in a broadside. the Krar,l-.r..
though mounting one gun less rI.,7
the confederate vessel, had df~.fr--
advantage. the KearSarue thrown
$50 pounds 70 the Alabama-> = ..,sa. -ra-
battery of the latter vessel consisted
of six thirty-two Founders. loo -psuns..-
Blabely rifle, and one eight-inch shell
gun
The Alabama was the first L. omen
fire The kearsarge reserved hers nm
til the enemy WAS 1000 yards distant
e.
board battery. The big eleven-ineh rBr,
of the kearsarge did terrible ,.X,--u-
tion on the decks of the lahani... and
finally one of them planted a shell In
the Alabama which reduced that y,->-
sci to a sinking condition and made
surrender necessary
Capt Winslow then gave his ar,eu-
tion To the rescue of the A.ahaus.-
crew. The confederate admiral Vas
picked up 10y the English yacht Deer
hound, which conveyed him To En.-
land
Semmes claimed that the powder ~
the Alab anna had become ..cazv~ and
had lost its strength. ami that TIE
fuses of his shells were defective uu-
of the Ala bama's shells buried Itself %
the Stcrnpost Of the kcarSar--r Hu,
failed 10 explode Had the fus. acted
II Is said that the KearSarge would r,.--
tainly have been disa hled hv rhr lu>,
of her rudder. Th, shell i now in The
navy museum in Washington
Since that memora ble encounter th-
Kcarsarge had been almost can~taut.r
in service. She had had few o-ea~lul>
To visit navy yards, and had dI>plavri
her pennant IN nearly every impurr4l.
harbOr OF the world She had the rg,-
utation Of being always ready for slutg.
and lately had been husily emp.og--
in protecting American Interests lultz
West Indies and searching for dp-e
hcts on the North Atlantic
As a fighter She had outlived her u--
fuiness- Her two eleven-inch gun,
had been replaced by eight-Inch r5fs
of the muzzle-loading type Her spr-
in later years was much less than
was when the vessel fought the A.
hama- Then she was credited u-
fourteen knots an hour. Her Origin
boilers were taken out several Er4-
ago. and a set which was intended ir
the Nanta>ket. a much Slna .l,-r vt.>--.
was substituted. They were Not nrz-
ly 50 good as the old ones Ca-.
Elmer SAYS that in the period he c.-
manded the kearSarge he Wa~ unaa.
To get much more than eight knots e-,
of her
The vessel measured two huni-s
and ten feet four inches in length AL
had a beam of thlrty-three tert tl
inches She was bark riu-rrd hav.--
been converted from 4 ship. winch SIS
her rig when she fought the Alah4ll
She was built in the navy garl
Portsmouth, y H., at a cost Of -
5i4g9