The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-01

and in Campbells rough phrase, Every
mon for hirnser, an the dell TAX the
hindermost.' 1t would have been pleas
ant to approach and attack the French
in accordance with scientific naval tao.
tics. but what could be done when they
refused to wait for that sort of thing3
Their mad fight toward Quiberou
Bay precluded anything but the chase
which was now going on.
The French liners were probably faster,
ship for ship, than the English, but, as
always happens when two fleets are OPP
posed, the fastest ships of one fleet in.
Variably have, the heels of the slowest
ships of the other. and in general chase
some of the pursued are at last over
hauled and attacked in force. The de-
cision is thus forced upon the fleeing
commander either to abandon his ships
which have been attacked, or to join
battle to save them, thus defeating the
purpose of his fight. Therefore the Eng
lish van, just as the French rear passed
Point de rEchelle, the eastern end Of
Belleisle. and hauled up for the entrance
to the bay, drew within long gunstot OF
the rear ship. T.
1t was not because his flag fioated over
a slow keel that Rear-Admira1 St Andre
du Verger in the mighty Formidable as
sumed this dangerous position; but his
native gallantry and heroic resolution
made him interpose his strong ship be-
tween the rest of his division and their
relentless pursuers in the hope that ne
might thus effect their escape. Of the
French captains engaged that day, he, de
Kersaint, and possibly one or two Others
came out of the conflict with honor not
only undimmed, but having written their
names high on that roll of heroic men
which is the joy and pride of nations.
| For du Verger and his stubborn fighting
| in the Formidable undoubtedly did much
| to save the French feet from annihila-
| ton.
| Just ahead of him were L'Heros ard
| lie Magnitude, seventy-fours, lie Juste
and LIE Superbe,, seventy-gun ships, lie
Glorieux, lie These, LIE REQUISITE, and in
| the, lead of the division the ship of de
| Contains, lie Soleil Royal. To leeward Of
this division, in a huddle, were LIE Ton
| nant. the flag ship Of de Beauffremont,
speed enabled them to attempt the pass.
| All order in the French fleet. as in that
| Of their pursuers, had necessarily been
| abandoned long since.
| As the afternoon wore on the wind in-
| creased in violence until it vas now blow
| ing whole gale, with prospects rather
| worse than better. The November temp
est swooped down from the west-north-
west, and was driving the waters crash
! ing upon the ircn cliffs and jagged reefs
with which the shore abounds. with ire
mendous force. The breakers writhed
| and tore about the splintered needles of
| rock which pointed warning fingers to
| approaching mariners; and, perhaps more
| dangerous to the ships because less known
| and not noticed. the seas rolled and
| foamed over low banks of sand which
| were hidden from view until the observer
was almost upon them. 1t was cold and
| raw. and the men were chilled to the
bone until the excitement Of the conflict
Esoa ehea ted them that they forgot these
things. Before both fleets, and in plain
sight from the decks, lay that deadliest
| of per1ls to mariners, stern lee shore
On this gray, gloomy November day,
in these perilous waters. amid these
CHASTITY dangers. the two fleets. aggregat-
ing forty-four great ships, carrying 5000
guns, and manned by upward of 80, 900
men, the one fleet flying in mad
terror, which appeared to deepen with
every moment-the penalty of flight-the
other pursuing with grim determine ton
(which the ever-lessenipg distance between
them and their prey heightened and in
tens1fed-the reward of pursuit-prepared
to engage in mortal combat. Nature pro-
Ivtded grand yet terrible scene for the
action. fitting setting for the horrors Of
the battle.
/ Under ordinary circumstances no COM
imander would have dared to attempt to
make the harbor with a fleet of ships in
such weather, but in the face of the howl
ing gale then blowing would have beaten
Inerve in a resolute endeavor to make an
ofhng, and thus enable his ships to escape
from the perils of that lee-shore But the
circumstances were not ordinary. Hawke
felt that he must destroy that fleet. and
destroy 1t then. If he lost the opportunity
NOW, he might never have another chance,
$50 he relentlessly hurled his great ships
upon the flying French crowding together
at the entrance Of the bay.
Il ken they're gangin' In all right re-
marked the old captain to his admiral;
} 1.-The van must be off the west end OF
Haedik moo, sir
} Yes, where else would they go? De
Contains evidently hopes to get his fleet
. past the entrance and then ratch up I'M
der the lee Of the islands and force US
to follow him in succession, and fight him
to windward of US
'Tis vera pretty plan, indeed, if he
could max it, ~
: .'He can't though" said Hawke Look
at the Warspite. and the Magnanime. and
the Dorsetshire, and the Torbay. They
are close on the heels of the French rear
: now BY heaven. did ever man have q
nober band of captains than those? Ha.
What's that?''
The French are beginnin' to bark. I'm
5 thinkin','' said Campbell. puff Of
: smoke broke out on the Formidable. fol-
5 lowed some moments after by dull roar
coming family against the wind. AS the
4
] OF de Contains they turned their broad
: sides a little toward the approaching
( English to windward and some of their
guns bore Presently L'Heros spoke. and
then LIE These. But the English ships
kept on in grim. dour silence. So splen-
@ did was the discipline enforced upon them
: by Hawke that not one of them ventured
to make any reply whatever. although the
constraint put upon them by the admiral $
a failure to signal them to begin the game
= was Misunderstanding.
.Mightn't it be we'll, Sir Ed ard asked
= the old captain, who was privileged
: character, Ito give 'em taste O. our
. metal?'
: mot yet. Campbell said Hawke. they
= haven't done any damage yet. Wen let
the van get a little closer before-ha.
!, there they go again. This grows interest
? ing" remarked the admiral, as the guns
. Of the French rear reared out once more.
4 (To be continued tomorrow
: BUT IT WAS NOT iNcANDEscENT.