The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-29
SINKIAG or ALABAMA.
How the Confederate Pirate Was
Sent to the Bottom
PORTLAND MAN WHO WAS ON
KEARSARGE TELLS ABOUT IT,

Memorable Sea Fight-Joshua e. Carey
of This City Adds to History Many
Incidents of the understanding
About Mr.. Carey's Early Adventures
When Capt Rafael Semmes of the Con-
federate navy started out from England
in handsome vessel, built by England's
ship. carpenters, fitted out with the best
that England's markets could afford,
manned by British seamen for the most
part but differed by Confederate renegades
from the Union Navy the United States
had more merchant vessels afloat than
any other nation on the earth, not except
ing England which then claimed to be
the monarch Of the sea. Two years of the
Alabama and kindred privateers, which
were commissioned by the Confederates,
epHtheAmerican merchant vessels from
the ocean and this country has never re-
covered from the damage wrought by
Capt. Senmes and his piratical ship.
This is matter Of history and nowhere
is it better known than in Portland
where many ship owners were well nigh
ruined by the loss of their ships at
Semme's hands. Every one knows how
the Alabama at last met her match in the
old Kearsarge and with her flag still fly
ing from her mast head and with her
brave seamen still at her guns she sank
beneath the waves off the coast of France,
becoming the tomb of the men who had
made her name dreaded the world over
and relieving the ocean of a scourge it
has never since known.
Every school boy in the land has read
the story over and over again and this
memorable sea fight will always stand
pre-eminent on the pages of American
history, but how many are there left who
remember the thrill of joy which swept
over this country when the fate of the
piratical Semmes and his Alabama be.
came known? How many are there left
who can remember the day when the
noble Kearsarge sailed into the harbor of
Boston with the brave old Commodore
Winslow and his crew OF heroes on board,
and were welcomed with all the joy and
thanksgiving that was shown the immor-
tai naval commanders of the war of 1912?
Few who are now living can recall these
days but still fewer are the men now
living who manned the guns of the
Kearsarge on that memorable 18th of
June.
Portland has, however, well known
citizen who helped to rid the ocean of the
pirate Alabama and yesterday afternoon
he told the story of that fight and of
the old Kearsarge and her cruise about
, the world in search of Semmes. His name
is Joshua E. Carey and he lives at 16
Madison street. Mr.. Carey is a wonder
full man and though he is now "A years
old and his hair is as white as the driven
snow he recalls every incident of that
duel between the Alabama and Kear-
sarge and adds to history many points
which have never before been published
The survivor of the Kearsarges crew
has had a most interesting career and
the exciting incidents he has
witnessed in his life would fill volume
of interesting matter. Unfortunately
space forbids the relating of many of the
things which Mr.. Carey has done and
seen, but in order that you may fully
appreciate the man who has lived in these
"a years more then most men could crowd
into century 1 must tell you little
about his early life.
Tt is needless to say that Mr. Carey is
of Maine birth and parentage for Maine
men, as the world knows, make the brav-
est of sailors and wherever they go have
the faculty of becoming at once the CEN
trail figures in allEevents. Mr.. Carey was
born in Freeport and went to sea when
he was nine years old. From the day he
first felt the qualms of a sickness until
he left the old Kearsarge in Boston over
80 years later he visited all parts of the
world and passed through many remark
able adventures. Five times was he ship
wrecked and barely escaped with his life.
He fought in the Mexican war and par
ticipated in some of the stirring events
of that period. He has been miner in
California and made fortune at the
Scotch River diggings returning to his
home with wealth enough to keep him
in luxury all the days of his life but
like all sea faring men, he thought that
no property was worth owning unless it
,floated and the vessels in which he in
vested his hard earned wealth were one
after another lost at sea-
Mr. Carey was in New Orleans shortly
after the outbreak of the Mexican war
and left the ship Somerset on which he
had just completed long voyage to en-
list in the navy. The old frigate Iowa
was the ship to which he was attached
and strange to say young lieutenant
on board of the same vessel was the same
Capt. Rafael Semmes who afterwards
left the stars and stripes for the stars and
bars and became known as the greatest
dare devil that ever commanded a ship.
Mr.. Carey took part in the assault ON the
castle of San Jun de Ulloa in which 500
blue jackets participated and was one Of
the few survivors of the naval battalion
which encountered the murderous fire of
the Mexican artillerists. At the end of
the Mexican war he again went back to
the merchant service and cruised to all