The Irish standard., 1898-01-22


their places.
There was one Of them-a captain of
captured ship-who did not believe
the story. He climbed through thu
ports to the Scraps" and told of the
hopeless condition Of the American crew.
But his story was discredited because Of
an extraordinary occurrence on tho
Scraps"
AS the ships lay together the MAIN
yard of the "Bonhomme Richard"
stretched far over the main hatch Of
the Scraps" Noticing this fact. a
bright marine in the maintop of the
"Bonhomme Richard" took advantage
of it. The marines in the tops had bean
OF the utmost service in clearing The
decks OF the enemy already. but this
man. with a leather bucket of hand
grenades and a candle. climbed out vn
the mainyard until over the hatch Of
the Scraps" and then, securing his
bucket to the sheet-block, he began
dropping the lighted grenades into her
hold.
The hand grenade Is shell near the
weight of a baseball. The first one he
dropped exploded on great heap of
gun cartridges that had accumulated
along the lower deck behind the guns.
A tremendous explosion followed. Some
twenty Of the British were fairly blown
~,
set the Scraps" on fire
That was the decisive moment of the
battle. While the British had been dis.
aiding all but three or four Of the guns
on the upper deck Of the "Bonhommc
Richard" the men in the tops of the
Yankee ship and the murderous fire CT
the nine-pounders. which Jones himself
had worked, had gradually driven al!
the men off tho upper deck of tbs
Scraps" That Captain Pearson had
escaped injury is a marvel. for he hal
with undaunted courage directed the
battle from the quarterback. But
as the smoke Of the great
explosion rose through his matches.
he found himself practically
alone while Jones, with a cooked pistol
in hand, was rallying his men success
fully to increase the fire Of his upper
deck guns. Going to his flag
that had been nailed to the mast, he
tore it down with his own hands.
AS soon as the flag was dragged down
on the "Serapis,' John Paul Jones Or
dercd Lieutenant Richard Dale on board
of her to take charge.
AS he made his way aft he saw a soli-
tary person leaning on the taffrail in a
| melancholy posture, his face resting
upon his hands. 1t was Captain Pear
son. He said to Dale:
Tho ship has struck While hur-
rying him on the 'Bonhomme Richard
an officer came from below and observed
to Captain Pearson that the ship along
side was going down.
We have got three guns clear, sir,
and they'll soon send her to the devil
"'rhe captain replied:
| g It's too late, sir Call the men off.
The ship has struck
I'll go below. sir, and call them off
| Immediately and he was about to de-
scend when Dale. interfering, said:
mo, sir; IL you please. you'll come
on board with me-
The above Is quoted from the Britis!
Journal OF an old date. Dale was of The
opinion that. once that officer got below
| he would have disregardc:. tine surren-
der that he would have used the three
guns to send the "Bonhomme Richard"
10 the devil. as he had ryoposed 10 10.
l'hi< he might have done so is not
| doubted
And then came John Paul Jones to re-
ccivo the sword of the defeated Pear
son. According to the older accounts
or this fight, Pearson said, as he handed
his sword to his conquerer.
1T Is painful to deliver up my sword
to a man who has fought with a haltor
around his neck"
10 this, 1t Is said. Jones replied:
'Sir, you have fought like a hero. and
| make no doubt your sovereign will
reward you in the most ample man
ner"
brief statement OF the comparative
strength of the two ships is essential
Tho 'l'onhommo Richard entered Tho
ilgnt with forty-twO guns. wulch could
throw 557 pounds of propectilcs at a dis
charge; the "Serapis" carried nftv
throwing 600 pounds After the first
broadside the ''Bonhomme Ricnnrd" had
no eighteen Founders in action. while
the Scraps had twenty. The crew IF
The American ship had been reduced 10
''o4 by the drafts made In manning
prizes. and Of these no more than ona-
third were Americans. The "Seran,,"
carried 800. chiefly picked men. So cf-
feetivc had been the work of the craw
OF tho Scraps" that at the end of m
hour any ordinary man would have sur
rendered the "Bonhomme Richards" Int
John Paul Jones was of different char
acter from ordinary men. With n
tenacity Of purpose that has never been
surpassed. he continued the fight and
won. The number of killed on each shin