The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-03-26

loom up in the darkness directly in our real
but big black cut-water of some steamer
She was coming directly upon MS. The Ka-
tahdin sat well down in the water, and The
tail hull of the on-coming boat stood high
above u.s.
In the twinkling of an eye, bang went
one OF our guns from our stern. The
stranger Immediately turned; so did the
Katahdin, but not to an encounter, for IN
the dense darkness We had parted Think
ing hat perhaps she might have been ont
for the purpose of boarding us, we did the
best we could to find her, as we were after
just such opportunities as this TO show our
valor.
Very quickly Capt. Irwin made up his
mind to steer towards Havana, thinking
20 sight the enemy possibly by daylight
Havana being the port mostly desired iy
Texas blockade runners, so the Katahdn
made for Cuba, expecting that next morning
would show a strange sail at least on some
quarter
We were not disappointed. "Sail, o."
was reported ut break of the day. Not one
sail, but three OF them, all dead ahead, and
blockade runners at that, laden with cotton
The Harriet Lane once the pride OF our
little Navy IN the days of President Buchan-
an but which had been captured by the
ConiedeTates early in the war; the big
steamer Matagorda side wheel, and
another, supposed to be the Isabella, an
English steamer. All had run out from Gal
weston the same night
The morning was a beautiful one. and the
spirits Of the crew Of our vessel were away
up in c." With thousands of dollars of prize
money right in sight, who wouldn't be joy
Gus. The en1ine-room Of our boat was a
hot and busy spot. The Engineers were
dong Their bes TO make all the time it was
possible TO do. Up from ID hold came the
pork barrels; into the engine furnaces they
went. We were gaining on the runners
ahead. Hello, they are throwing cotton
5verb0aTd,' exclaimed a sailor Hundreds
Of bales were duiung along as we rushed
through the sea. On every ba e discovered
the two letters y. c." j said That means
Ben Cronc,' our pilot. Those cargoes surely
belong II Us. We must catch Them"
The Katabdin WAS now making nine and
half knots with both steam and sail We
expected TO yet the Lane" at this rate of
speed before the end Of the day. A long
rope with timber attached TO it was seen
floating past evidently made to catch our
bow and interfere with our speed. The lisa
bella was fast craft, and running out OF
sight. The Matagorda had altered her
course and was steering to the leeward. She
probably Is trying to decoy Us from the
Harriet Lane, but the game wouldn't work
The Lane" we must have
Jusi here IL is interesting 10 note that it
was reported by desertcrs previously that 1t
was The intention Of the Coniederates al
Galveston 10 fit out the Harriet Lane as a
prlyacer, and 10 make her rover after
commerce on the high seas, and Capt. Irwin,
OF the katahdin, was very anxious TO capture
her n0w.
The Lane gained slowly and surely on the
Kaiahdin. and ii was then that our crew
prayed for faster vessel on which to do
duty. Two knots more and we might have
captured The three strangers Evidently
the Lane was to be lost TO as, as she con-
tinued to gain on our speed.
The order was given then: " Hard aportl
Al hands make SAIL" and we started for
the Maiagorda, which was then about 10
miles away. She saw us alter our course
aud make for her, and She instantly changed
her course to wudward and compelled us to
take IN sail. This was al 1870 a. M. I'm tax
ing lu sail the KatahdiB was COMPELLED &c
steam against a head wind, our poorest point
CT steamIng, rs al Of this class OF vessels can
90 but very little against a head wind 1T
sea. The Captain Of the Matagorda must
have known this, for he steamed his ship
scross our bows at distance OF not more
than three ~ les But she had 10 do this
for il she had kept on her previous course
the katahdin would have run her down in
less than three hours
As She crossed the bows Of the Katahdin
several shots were fired from the rifle Par
rott, some Of them almost striking her walk
lng-be1m, and striking so near her side as to
splash the salt water thereon. Ii there ever
was an excited crew on board a man-of-war,
ii was on the Ratahdln at this hour when
We were steadily gaining on the valuable
prize All THIS time pork was being crammed
INTO the furnaces TO make steam, and the
batahdins Engineers were dong heroic