The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-10-14
PAUL JONES VICTORY
By GEORGE l.. MoULToN.

under the command of Paul Jones
was sailing along the east coast OF
England before a gentle breeze. Of
in the distance to the south sal
hove in sight, followed by another
and another, until at length forty two
vessels could be counted from the
mast head of the Bon Homme Richard
Jones' own ship.
| These vessels composed the Baltic
fleet of English merchantmen and
two war vessels, the Scraps of forty
four guns and the Countess of Scar
borough OF twenty two guns.
The English were not expecting tC
meet enemies in that part or the sea
and did not at once try to escape. Blu,
when they made out the strangers to
be American vessels there was
great alarm and confusion, and the
merchant ships mace all haste to get
away, their flight being carefully pro
tected by the two stately British men
of-war
Commodore Jones' fleet consisted of
his own ship, the Bon Homme Rich
ard the Alliance, commanded by the
infamous Captain Landais, a French
man,who was very jealous of Jones
and would not obey orders; the Ven
geance and the Pallas.
The American fleet made all sail in
chase of the English vessels. Jones
slgnaled the squadron to form in line
of battle for an attack Landais re
fused to comply and with the swift
sailing Alliance swept forward to re-
connolter. As he passed the Pallas he
cried out that if the large English
ship was a forty four the only thing
for the American fleet to do was to
take instant flight
The result of Landais investigation
evidently convinced him that there
was no hope of beating the British,
for after taking a look at the enemy
he hauled off and stood away. The
Vengeance followed his example and
ran off to the windward, leaving the
Richard and the Pallas to pursue the
English vessels.
The merchant ship were so crowd
ed together that they could not get
away very fast and the American war
1 Ill.
When the English perceived that
escape was impossible their two men
of war prepared for action, and then
stood out to meet the Americans
Slowly the Scraps and Richard ap-
preached each other. At dusk they
were not near enough to commence
the action. The two vessels were so
close to land that hundreds of people
had gathered on the shore to witness
the battle.
Darkness fell over the sea and the
excited spectators on the land could
no longer see the vessels approach
each other. Breathlessly they listen
ed for the crash of the first brOadside
that should announce to them that
the battle had begun.
On board the war ships everything
was hushed. Slowly the two dark
masses approached each other. When
within pistol shot of the Richard there
was movement heard on the Scraps,
the deck ports were lifted, and there
was glitter and glare as the lights
from two complete batteries and a
well armed spar deck flashed over
the dark waters, showing everything
in perfect shape for action.
The Richard instantly followed suit
and triced up her deck ports. Then
came a hoarse cry from the Scraps.
What ship is that?'
What did you say?'' called back
Jones.
"What ship is that? Answer i'm
mediately or | shall fire into you"
Jones' reply was an eighteen pound
shot which went crashing tn rough
the side of the Scraps
+. Instantly both ships opened fire
with every available gun and two tre
mendous broadsides flashed forth.
One of the tiercest, bloodiest, and
most desperate sea fights ever known
was thus begun.
The first broadside of Jones was far
more disastrous to the Richard than
it was to the Serapis. On the lower
deck of the Richard was a gun room
containing six old eighteen Founders,
the heaviest and supposed to be the
most effective guns aboard the ship.
At the very first discharge two of
these pieces burst with a frightful
explosion. The great masses of iron
were hurled in every direction, killing
or badly injuring almost every man
IN the gun room, crashing through
| the deck above, and spreading dismay
throughout the ship, The cry was
raised that the guns were old and
worthless, and the crew became psnic-
striken.
Jones was The man for the emer
gency. He instantly ordered the
lower deck ports closed and the entire
battery abandoned Then he left the
quarter deck and sprang among the
men, cheering them on, and every
where inspiring them with his own
enthusiasm and courage
! From this accident and from the
fact that the Richard was an old and
rotten ship whose sides offered no re
slstance to the enemy's broadsi des,
which went tearing across the deck
creating frightful carnage, it looked
at first rs though the battle was go
ing decidedly against Jones.
1
tior and as she crossed the Richards
bows succeeded in delivering two
broadsides which swept the Ameri
cans deck from stem to stern.
Before the Serapis could get out oI
the way the Richard ran into her on
the larboard quarter and Jones called
away his boarders. At the same tim {
Captain Pearson, of the Scraps, die
likewise.
Each crew heard the command
given on the other ship, and eaci
waited for the other TO board. AnC
while they delayed the ships driftet
apart
Surprised at not being boarded ant
not being able to see the American
flag flying because of the smoke, Cap
n tain Pearson called out:
Has your snip strucke"