Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-08-11

Scn,mcS was born in Maryland in 1909
flnw; appointed midsipman when he
was :, in lS2i, but it was 1886 before hc
| entered the service. flc was made u lieu
tenant the next year and during tho siege
OF vera Cruz commanded Il battery He
received command of the United States
brig Sonsrs named after tho gallant hero
of Tripoli but tho Somcrs went down in
gale Sonicrs seems to be an Ill fatcl
name FOR American war vessels
Until tho civil war broke out Sevnncs
was inspector of lighthouses along the gulf,
Raphael Semmes started in ut once to
serve the Confedcracy IIo made !, trip
through the north and bought war MA.
trrial and hired mechanics skilled in the,
| construction of guns and ordnance Thou
sands of tons Of ordnance and powder were
shipped SOUTH and Scnlnlcs on his return
| received command of the Sumter. She was
blockadcd at Gibraltar, so he sold her and
went to tho Azores to take command Of
| the Alabama
Then started u career which can scarce
~ DC duplicated in the naval history OF tho
world For two years tho Alabam,. sailed,
sweeping the seas with II thoroughncss
| which amazed the world. With no ports
savo England's open to him he made /,
| cruise of nearly 10000 miles, and his
| cruise was marked and chnrtcd by burn
ing ships.
The Alabama was no formidable vessel
Her tonnage was but 200. Her speed was
Is knots, nnd her armament was one
inch shotgun nft, II : inch 100 FOUNDER for
ward and six b FOUNDERS. She cost $3.50
coo Her crew were mostly hardy British
| tnrS, but on the decks We're good Anleri-
cans, thorough scalncn and daring fight
crs Tho crew numbered So men. The
Alabama YVES furnished by an English
| member of parliament But her career of
| r.t.tt nsc,, Il I,.,, G,,.J
ture is u story that has no equal in the an
nails OF tho SEA save in the eighteenth cen
fury exploits Of tho frcchootcrS.
In September, 1862. tho Alabama, cap
turrd her first prize, the Oc.nulgcc !,
whalcr. The sea then was dotted white
with sailing vessels from New England
| They proved easy prey for Senilncs He
irSt plundcrcd ~ vessel and then burned.
her. The Alabama went everywhere Sho
sniicu and steamed up close to New York
anu there got newspapers from prizes
FROM these newspapers Somlncs took the
list of departing vessels and lay in wait
for them. BY means OF these newspapers
he also managed to clutlc tho fleet of pur-
sucrs -...
Scm1ncs' career filed England with
wonder AS report after report came in of
captures and fights as tho little sea hornet
dartcd here and there and left in it's wake
Il long line of plundercd ships and burned
| vessels tho English were filled with Il do
ssro to gain privately from Scnmcs' in
| trcpidlty and 1pckcssness. A syndicate
was formed to buy captured ships 1t was
proposed to land them on tho Hottcntot
coast. AS y surety good English gold was
given Scnlncs and his crow, but the syn
I'll ate got no prizes.
so Selnmcs made his $4,000 mile cruise
In two years. He had captured single
handed 63 American vessels Fifty three
Ind been destroyed. nine released on ram
SOM bonds and ono made into IL tender
The Alabama had inflicted an incredible
loss on American shipping. Suspected
Alabamas had been sighted by war vessels
from tho north time and again, but mover
the sight of the hull of the real vessel had
, been seem Merchantmen We're continual
ly on tho watch for this ubiquitous vessel
and they treinblcd ut tho sight Of every
unknown craft. 1t was an evil day for
shipping. This spcctcr of the deep swept
the seas everywhere, and there seemed to
be no safety whatever.
lsut on June II, 1851, tho Alabama was
sighted In tho hnrbor of Chcrbuurg,
France. The north thrilled with tho news,
) ana all manner of boats started in pursuit.
Tie kearsarge WAS at Flushing, England
and Captain Winslow steamed for battle
, Ii:c Alabnnl:! WAS both steam and sailing
vessel. Her screw could be hoistc.l out of
each method Of uron,,s,nn ,y.,s 49,"
dependent of the other.
scm,ncs might have escaped by flight,
not know II INF his nny.,;,r ,,s .a,1 ,, w,
damaged Ills shells Won. ,lcr,,.ti,., M.
would not rxrlodc His ,.,,I,s ,vnro ',3
and inc.ro,,, J,ut .n,,,.,n ,.,' ~;
hardened tnuyhcn.I cr,, II, 49,, ne
-ow II ability nId hn ,vonId n,t n;n,.i, M
Alabama orcncd win hrr s,,rI,lnrn -.
terry Scm,ncs tried 10 t),,s,. INT ,ho I'M.
wnrhs of tho Alabama ,v,.,, ,n,.,, ,,,,,, ~,
the niyot yup yy,S ,,is,Il..h M ,,';'. "i'..
began to leak. cLn hnr,}lv rnsr,,n,i,I 70
her helm. An II in,h sb.l, nx,I,.n,,a -,
the engine room. rhr Alnh,,,n. NV. tha
e;,ifs var, az .,
the French coast. where thousands were
! lined mn re- ca. iva ,vr,, 49,, 49,