Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-02-03
AFirchrand OF thc Sea.

crate warship Shenandoah, and of the
adventures encountered by the daring
men on board, formed the chief feature
of a very interesting entertainment Civ
en- by the Catholic Club in Baltimore
Wednesday night The address was
delivered by Mr.. John Il. Mason, of r..
who was one of the officers of the Shen-
andoah, and was replete with remini5-
cences of that daring raid on American
| whalers in the Arctic seas. The hall
was packed to overllowing, and many
noted people were present.
The story of the Shenandoah's raid
upon the whalers in the northern Pa
ciGc, which was continued for sever"l
months after the close of the civil war
as Captain Waddeli was in ignorance
of the state of affairs at home, forms
one of the most picturesque chapters OF
the history Of the late conflict. Start
ing upon her mission Of destruction dur.
ing the dying hours Of the Confederacy
and manned by portion of the crew
of the ill-iated Alabama, the Shenan-
doah, in six months, inflicted millions
of dollars of damage to American ship
ping. OF the $l5, 100000 paid by Eng
land under the Geneva award, six mil
lions was for damages done by the
Shenandoah after she left Melbourne,
from which time only WAS England held
responsible, and which was within a
few months of the close of the cruiser 5
career. Mr. Mason, who lectured Oh
Wednesday night, was a midsbipman
on the vessel.
Mr.. Mason, while yet boy, at the
beginning of the war enlisted in Eir-
ginia infantry regiment and served in
the first battle OF Manassas. He was
then transferred to the navy as mid
| shipmau, and was with the James river
squadron until April, 1863, being en-
gagged during that time in several warm
engagements. In 1868 he Was sent
to Europe to join one OF the
cruisers being fitted out there,
but complications arose with the
French and English governments, and
it was not until October, 1864, that the
agents of the confederate government
could smuggle the Shenandoah out OF
an English port and get her unmoiest-
to the Madeira Islands. There she was
received by Lieutenant Waddell, hei
| commander Lieutenant William Whit
tie, her execut We officer, and stores and
munitions OF war put aboard. The
largest crew that could be mustered.
however, was nineteen men, and thus
equipped, the vessel started on her
memorable cruise, with a total OF forty
three souls on board.
"The Shenandoah, said Mr. Mason,
twas full-rigged ship of excellent sail
ing qualities She carried cloud OF
canvas, and was we'll spared. She was
wooden ship, with iron knees and
frame, iron masts aud steel yards, and
all of her standing rigging was of wire.
She was of the class of ve sels known
as auxiliary screws, having propeller
that could be bosted out of the water
when not in use and a funnel that shut
down like telencope flush with the
ships side. Her engines were small,
being only intended TO assist the vessel
through the calm belts, and she could
only steam eight knots an hour. She
was fast sailer, however, and logged
oil more than seventeen knots an hour
on more than one occasion. Our ar
mament, which was mounted under
many difficulties during the first two
days after leaving MADEIRA, consisted
ofsix guns-tworifled thi,ty-two pound
ers forward, and four eighs-inch shell
guns amidships. Lieutenant James l..
Waddell was from North Carolina
He had been an officer in the United
States navy at the beginning Of
the war. Lieutenant VIM. G. Whittle
ir., was from Virginia. son of Com
modore Whittle, of the old navy. The
other lieutenants were John Grimball,
of South Carolina; Sidney Smith Lee,
nephew of General r. Il. Lee +. I.
Chew, of Missouri, and Dabney Cuvier
Scales, of Mississippi. Our master was
Irvine S. Bullock. who held the same
position on the Alabama when she was
sunk. The remaining officers were
Surgeon, Chas. E. Lining, South Caro-
lima pavmaster, W. B. Smith chief
engineer, NJ. O,Brien, both of New Or
leans: passed midshipmen, o. A
Browne and John T. Mason, both OF
Virginia. In addition to these, we had
three assistant engineers, three master
mates and the forward otlicers-boat,
swain. gunner, carpenter and sail
maker.
although everything was in confu-
sion and the ship strange to us, we
went to work with will, and in the
course of Ten days had things in pretty
good shape-port-holes cut, guns
mounted, magazine built and ammuni-
ton stored-and everything snug fol
) the voyage. The ship was heading
southwark, the object of the cruise be-
ing to destroy the American whaling
fleet, more particular in the North Pa
cific ocean and Arctic sea. On October
%, Just ten days after starting, we cap
tured our first prize, the bark Alivl. o
Searsport, Me-, loaded with railroad
j. iron. The vessel and cargo were valued
at S95, 900. All neutral ports being
closed to us, and our own closely block
AIDED, we had 10 alternative but to de
strov, so the Aliva was scuttled
OF the crew OF nine men, SIN
at once joined US and made,
most welcome addition TO our slen
der crew. During the next few weei:
wa croSSa6 me eDuadOr and made