The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-06-19

I formed into one, whose guns lay dis
mounted on the deck waiting to be re
| mounted, and have port-hoicS cut. through
which to prOtIu,!c Their grim UluZZir.'
whose ammunition WAS piled in prumSc,I
| Gus heaps until Il magazine could be con.
StrJIctpd to receive it. and manned aim 81
| exclusively by officers. few. ii any Gi
| whom, had ever performed Il days manual
labor. vino thus boldly put 10 sea. trust ~
! to provide themselves with a crew from
vessels yet to lie captured from the enemy
Confusion worse coufonnded seemed Il
! reign OH board the Shenandoah aS we got
under way, and, hoit-handed as we were
, 1t seemed Il task little less than hercuicau
to reduce such chaos to order. But that
Patience and perseverance will accomplish
much, is as true as tritr. Every one per.
fet!!y understood that if we fell i'll with
; IL United States steamer as we were then
clrcun!Stanced- cur race WAS run: and as
:s;,ch an abrupt terminus to our career
was the reverse of desirable. every NAH
from the Captain downward. went Icso-
lutely to work, and ere long our combined
eNcrtiOns began to pred luce palpabic lc-
suits.
We left on the 2Gth of Octcbcr. and tie
F., next day we had mounted two S-incll
shell guns. and one 32-poandcr Whitwoi tn
rife. At the expiration of another u
hours. two more Sinch shell guns were
! in position. and also the mate to our
| WhitwOIth rife. This constituted ON
Founders aft, of which. however. we d d
not expect 10 make much use except III
I bringing ships to.
The carpenters also had pierced the
sides for the portfolios. and things allow
and alOft began to look Ship-ihape Still,
there WAS much to do i'll temporarily dis
posing Of the ammunition in Il place 81
fntr In Oh al,
ing NJ.
On the morning Of the 2Sth. the look
out aloft reported IL sail. In an instant all
was excitement
| WHERE away" bawled the officer OF
the deck. as he hurriedly threw his glance
| around the horizon.
about two points on the Ice bow, sir,
standing the same as we are"
Can you make her out?''
Aye, aye, sir. square rugged vessel
We appear TO he raising her fast. see
her letter no". balquc with long mast
heads, and looks Ike an American"
Very good. Let me know when she
shows her coIors''
| II would be difficult to convey an idea
Of the interest this brief colIcquy occ;,-
stoned. From every part of the ship
Swarmed up the little company that com
| posed her crew, and enSconccd themselves
in the rigging. and wherever there was
favorable point for observation. VIII IL
SpI-SiasSes TaSSCd from hand to hand,
and opinions were anXiously intcrchangcd
| as to what the stranger might prove to be
| In the course of an hour We could dis
tinsuish the English ensign flying from
| her PEAK, bnt her appearance WAS 50
thoroughly American that we concluded
TO board her and have Il look at her pa
| pers.
y blank cartridge was fired across her
1 fttn hint Il Il
hove to, after which an officer was dis
| patched on board 10 ascertain her true
| character
! She proved to he the barque Monule
American built. but she had been sold Ia
the English, rs many others had been
before, for fear of the Confederate
cruisers. The Captain had his wife and
family with him, and they seemed 50
eoscr and contcntcd in their little home on
The sea. that ] was half glad to find they
were really entitled to the protection of
the Tag they flew, and safe from capture
SATISFIED that she WAS no longer IN
American vessel, and consequently not
game for our net, we steamed off to tn,
southwark. leaving her to proceed on heI
voyage. which | trust was successfully ac
| compIlShcd.
| The following morning the lookout al
masthead reported two sails in sight, one
ON the port beam, the other on the star
DoaFu quarter. but rs yet, we were scarce
ly in proper condition to take the offensiv,
where any doubt existed as to the charac
ter of our antagonists. Our number only
sniiiced to work two of our eight-inci
guns, which would leave twO-thirds of onl
battery entirely unnamed. So, as IN,
probabilities were that either of tn,
strangers was far stronger numerically.
we reluctantly permitted them to pro
coed on their way unmolested.
Il OUR FIRST PRIZE
On the Both, about 0 o'clock in tn,
morning. another sail was reported abou,
three points on the port bow. 1t proved
to be barque, standing to the south ward
and westward.
/ We Immediately got up steam, and pro
ceeded in chase, and in about two hours
brought her to in the usual manner, by
firing blank cartridge across her bows
AS she displayed the American flag from
her peak, boat was lowered, and q prize