The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-24

red flash, and soon after got soundings.
Ran in for the light under low steam. and
at 7 a. m. we were within four or FIVE miles
Of II. The morning was dark, and wet, and
gloomy. We fired q gun and hoisted the
ceived one on board, we ran into the har-
Dor and anchored. AS We approached the
day. The city of Cadlz is a perfect picture as
you approach it, with domes and towers, and
minarets. and Notwithstanding. houses Of
a beautiful white stone. The harbor was
crowded with shipping, very thinly s~prinkled
with Yankees, who could get no freights,
and q number Of villagers lay around the
margin OF the bay, and were picturesquely
half hidden III the slopes of the surround
ing mountains, all speaking of renegade Old
of her most famous Province of Andalusia."
After several notices to leave by the Span
ish authorities and much encouragement
in his attempts to repair and TO coal,
Semmes made his way to Gibraltar. There
the Sumter was welcomed by the British
Il landed at the arsenal writes Semmes.
"and called upon tbs commanding naval
officer, who received me very poIileIy; I
asked the loan of an anchor, having out
one, and the captain promised to supply
me with one If there should be no objection
walked from the captains little oasis.
scooped out, as it We're, from the surface
of the rock. with a nice garden plot and
trees and shrubbery, etc., down into the
town, and called on Lieut.. Gen. Sir William
j. Codrington, X. G. b. the Governor, an
81 afrs ssonf fyty to of a IN angi's year gsn Of age.
" \ 1ALNJ
The Governor rendered me the facilities OF
the market, ETC., and in the course Oh MS
conversation said he should object to my
making Gibraltar a station at which to
lie at an anchor for the purpose OF saliying
out into the strait and Selling my prey 1
told him that this had been settled as con,
trary to law by his own distinguished
judge, Sir William Scott, sixty years ago,
and that he might rely upon my taking no
step whatever violative of the neutrailty
of England so long as l remained IN ner
port"
The Sumter. under the British guns of
Gibraltar. underwent a complete overhaul
ing. But when she was supposed 10 pc
ready for sea duty it was discovered Ihal
her boilers were little better than useless.
under Instructions from the conIedeTale
authorities in London the further operation
of the p~riyateer was abandoned and Semmes
and his followers took passage to Great
Britain to get out the Alabama, then near
ing completion.
One of the last entries in the diary is
this: "A beard of survey to-day condemned
the boilers and SO the poor old Sumter
is to be laid up. Well, We have done the
country some service, having COST the
United States at least $1,000, 900 in one way
or another"
Another of the closing entries is inter
esting: Visited the Warrior. The Governor
and suite and a number of naval and otnef
officers visited her by appointment at the
same time. The Warrior is a model OF mod
ern naval architecture, and for the first ex-
pertinent may be called a success. she Is
a monstrous, floating, impregnable fortress,
and will work a thorough revolution in snip
building. Wooden ships, as battle ships,
must go out of use. With this single ship
| could destroy the entire iankse neet
illustration j could give of the necessity
of the revolution / speak of in shipbuilding.'
Six weeks after SemneS wrote this in MS
berlsnd and the Congress and two gunboats
at the mouth of the James.