The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-30
The Old Kearsarge.

| II the new hearSdrSe, the gredI D6ltle
ship that slid from the ways into the
| sea along with the Kentucky at Newport
News the other day. proves half as ef-
| fective, according TO her size, as was the
| historic kearsarge of the old navy, she
| will be worth the 100000 spent in her
construction many times over. Never was
there an American ship that had a warm
er place in the affections of patriotic peo-
pie than had the old Kearsarge. From
the time she whipped and sunk the con-
federate pirate Alabama, in the English
Channel, thirty-four years ago. till she
laid her own bones on the Roncador Reef
in the Caribbean Sea in 1894 she was first
IN the navy, and since that duel with the
Alabama, IL would never do to have an
American navy without a Kearsarge-
That is why the new vessel bears the
name-the only one Of the class known as
battle ships that is not named in honor
of some state
No ship in the American navy ever per-
formed a more laudable service than did
the old kearsarge and il was for that rea-
son alone that she did not share the fate
Of the others of the old corvette type and
end her days ingloriously by being dis
mantled and disme mbered in the navy
yard shambles. She was the last of her
type, but the navy was proud of her,
and 1t was always considered an honor
to command her. Indeed, at the time she
went to pieces on Roncador Reef she was
flagship Of the North Atlantic squadron
and had on board Acting Rear Admiral
Stanton, in charge of the fleet. A nation
mourned her when she was gone, and
now in her honor bestows her name on
one Of the most formidable fighting ships
that sail the sea. The country will feel
he l4fr
a record.
1t was desperate struggle the old Kear
sage had to send the Alabama to the bot
tom. The latter, as everyone knows, was
a confederate cruiser, blacklisted as a pi-
rate. She was under command of Cap
tain Semmes, who had been an officer in
the United States navy before the rebell-
Ion. She was manned principally by for
elgners, and was English built-sent. in
DEED, from an English port in violation
OF all rules of international law. She had
chased the stars and stripes all over the
seas, and had destroyed not less than
Sl5,OOO,C@ Of federal shipping.
The kearsarge came upon her in the
harbor of Cherbourg. on the north coast
OF France. The combat that followed was
naval duel TO the death. The yankee
had the better of the fighting from the
start out still was saved by most fortu-
nate circumstance. A shell that lodged
IN her sternpost failed to explode. If it
had the ship would have drifted at the
mercy OF the enemy. Captain Semmes
would have raked her fore and aft with
the guns of the Alabama and he and
MS pirate crew would have dined in Cher
bourg that ntght-heroes every one.
But that shell did not explode and in
spite OF the wagers that had been laid
that the Alabama would blow the Kear-
sarge out of the water, if the two ever
met, the yankee won. The story is not
unfamiliar. Nearly every one knows how
the eleven-inch guns of the federal ship
plowed holes through the starboard side
of her adversary till finally a great rent
was let in close to the water line. Cap
tain Semmes then tried to escape and get
back into French Jurisdiction, but before
he could get up steam the water put out
the fire in his boilers. He was forced to
strike his colors and display the white
flag, but a few moments after his ship
went stern first to the bottom, leaving
officers and crew struggling in the water,
except the wounded, who had previously
been taken on board the victorious YES
sci. Captain John A. Winslow, afterward
rear admiral, put out his boats to pick up
the crew of the pirate he had sunk and
rescued nearly all, except Semmes, who
was taken on board an English yacht |
that had watched the fighting and escap-
ed. 1t was that battle that put an end |
to the destruction of American shipping. |
and few months later Grant put an end |
to the war.
Considered in any other light than the |
sentimental the loss of the old Kearsarge /
was of small Importance to the navy Still !
L is true that there was not man in the !
service who did not feel a deep regret when |
she went to pieces. She had grown almost |
nto tradition and was not considered as |
IN actual vessel of war. Compared with |
he ships of the modern navy, her fighting |
ability was utterly insignificant. She was |
small, but she was serviceable in her |
lay.