Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-02-23
THE KBARSARGB LOG@.
THEOLD WARsdIP FOUNDERS
OFF RONCADOR REEF.

She Was on Her Way From POrt-au-
Prince to Nicaragua to Protect
American Interests There-AH Of
the Officers and Crew Saved-Hcr
Famous Battle With the Alabama
The most famous ship of the United States
naval service-the old corvette Kearsargc-
has gone to the bottom. The story of her
loss was told to Secretary Herbert in brief
cable message which he received from Lieu
:enant Frederick Brainard, officer of the
vessel, dated at Colon. Lieutenant Brain
ard reached Colon and Immediately sent
the message to the Secretary, in substance as
follows
''Kearsarge sailed from Port-au-Prince,
Hayti. January 80. for Bluefields. Nicaragua.
Was wrecked on Roncaior Reef February q
Officers and crew safe"
Immediately on receipt of the cablegram
Secretary Herbert sent e. message to Lieu
tenant Barnard directing him TO charter
vessel at Colon and proceed at once
to the assistance of the shipwrecked
men. An answer came quickly from
Lieutenant Brainard that the mail steamer
CITY of Para was available, and 1t is sup
posed at the Navy Department that the
vessel is already on her way to the relief OF
the shpwrecked men. Lieutenant Brsinard
was directed to engage the mail steamer to
stop at the reef and take the men off. or
to secure any available vessel witt out de-
lay Ronoador Reef is about $50 miles
from Colon, q days journey for the City OF
Para. It is expected that the steamer will
have Admiral Stanton and his men In some
port within two or three days. There is no
anxiety at the Naval Department over the
safety of the shipwrecked people. There
is plenty of provisions in the wreck OF
the Kearsarge, which is probably high
and dry on the reef. Old Providence
Iclo 10 Snvoptv-dVa milpG only from
Roncador, and could be reached
easily in small boats or, if it were missed,
the Kearsarge's men could get to the Mos
quito coast, a belt of the Nicaragua coast
line. 1t was on Roncador Reef that tho
steamer Aguan was wrecked while the Hon.
Warner Miller and other Nicarauguan Canal
capitalists were on board.
The Kearsarge has been continuously in
the naval service for thrtytwo years. She
was built in Kittery, Me-. in 1861, and was
commissioned the next year.
The Kearsarge was the flagship of the
North American station, to the command OF
which Acting Rear Admiral Stanton. who was
detached from the command OF the South At
tartic station for saIuting Admiral Mel!o in
Rio harbOr, was assigned.
The kearSarge was one OF the historical
vessels Of the American Navy. She it was
which, on Sunday, June 10, 1854, fou ghr and
sunk the Confederate priVateer Alabama off
Cherbourg, France.
Inc Alabama, WL1cn was COMMANDED DY
Captain Semmes. had captured Or destroyed
q large number OF Union merchantmen.
Finally the pursuit of her became
50 hot on the American coast that
sne sailed for the Cape of Good Hope
and crusei in the Eastern seas. Subsequently
sac returned, arriving in the English Chan
mel i'll June, 1864, and on the 18th of that
month she entered the French port of Cher
bourg to retit and supply nersslf with stores.
Within a few days the Kearsarge arrived.
She was commanded by Captain Winslow, a
former shipmate Of Captain Sammes.
The KearSarge made Il demonstration Off
the port which the commander Of the Ala
bama took to be a challenge He sent notice
to the United States Consul that he would
sail out and fight tho Kear5arge. The two
ships in appearances were not unequally
matched. but the Kearsarge had a larger crew
and was better armed than the ALapama.
She was besides protected amidships by
armor. The fight took place on Sunday,
June 10, off CherbOurg, all inhabitants Of
that place watching it from the neigbboring
heights.
The result of the battle is we'll known. Be-
fore the contest had lasted an hour Captain
Semmes found the ship sinking and gave Or
ders to haul down the flag. The boats were
got out and the wounded placed in them,
but before the Kearsarge could come to the
rescue the Alabama went to the bottom.
The boats ofthe Kearsarge saved many Of
the Alabama's crew. Others, including Cap
tain Semmes, were picked up by the English
yacht Deerhound, which had been allowed
by the Captain of the Kearsarge to help in
rescuing the Alabamas crew