Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1904-07-13

lit completely deprived the guns Of
their crews, but he rightly Judged that
it would take all the men they could
muster to repel the coming attack, and
none but the main deck guns of the
Yarmouth would or could be fired, for
fear Of hitting their own men in the
melee on the deck. The Randolph was
a wreck below at best, but while any
thing held together above her plank
shears she would be fought The men
had reached that desperate condition
when they ceased to think Of odds, and
like maddened beasts fought and raved
and swore in the frenzy of the COM
bat The thrice decimated crew sprang
aft, rallying in the gangway to meet
the shock, Mason at their head. fol
lowed close by old Bentley, still I'M
wounded. AS the bow of the Var
mouth struck the Randolph with a
crash, one or two wounded men, I'M
able to take part in repelling the board
ers, but still able to move, who had re-
manned beside the guns, exerted the
remaining strength they possessed to
discharge such Of the pieces as bore, in
long raking shots, through the bow Of
the liner; 1t was the last sound from
their hot muzzles.
The Yarmouth struck the Randolph
just forward of the mainmast. The
men, swarming in dense masses on the
rail and hanging over the bowsprit
ready to leap, dropped on her deck at
once with loud cheers. A sharp volley
from the few marines left on the frig-
ate checked them for a moment, but
they gathered themselves together at
once and, CALAMITY led, sprang aft,
handling their pistols and pixies and
waving their cutlasses. Mason was
shot in moment by Hollins' pistol,
Beauchamp was cut in two by ire
mendous sweep of the arm Of the
mighty Bentley, and the combat be-
came at once general. Slowly, but
surely, the Americans were pressed
back, the gangways were cleared, the
quarter deck was gained. One by one
the brave defenders had fallen. The
battle was about over when Seymour
noticed a man running out in the fore
yard of the Yarmouth with hand
grenade He raised his pistol and
fred. The man fell but another reso-
lutely started to follow him.
Bentley and few other men and one
or two officers and midshipman were
all who were able to bear arms now.
'tGoodby, Mr.. SEYMOUR cried Bent
ley, waving his hand and setting his
back against the rail nearest to the
Yarmouth, which had slowly swung
parallel to the. Randolph and had been
dashed. there The old man was COW
cred with blood from two or three
wounds, but still undaunted. Two or
three men made rush at him, but he
held them at bay, no man caring to
come within sweep of that mighty arm
which had already done so much, when
a bullet from above struck him, and he
fell over backward on the rail mortally
wounded.
III Seymour raised his remaining pistol
and fred it at the second man, who
had nearly reached the foreyard arm.
Less successful this time, he missed
thesInan, who threw his grenade down
the hatchway. Seymour tainted from
loss of blood.
A4Bacl, men! Back to the ship, ali
you Ear1nouthss ~ cried Captain Vincent
AS he saw the lighted grenade, which
exploded and ignited q little heap Of
cartridges left by a dead powder boy
before the magazine Alas! There
was no one there to check or stop the
flames. The English sailors sprang
back and up the sides and through the
ports of their ship with frantic haste.
THE lashings were being rapidly cut by
them and the bracesehandled
"Cume aboard. men, while you can!S
cried Captain Vincent to the Ameri-
cams. ~Yolr ships afire! You can do
mo more; youth blow up In a moment"
The little handful of Americans were
left alone on their ship. The only Off
Ger still standing lifted his sword and
shook Ct 4mpotentIy at the Yarmouth in
Neply3 the rest. did not stir. The smoke
OF battle had now settled away, and
the whole ghastIy scene was revealed.
"A woman's cry rang out fraught with
agony, Seymour, SEYMOUR and again
was her cry UNDECIDED; her hover could
not hear She cried again, and then,
with frlghtful roar and crash, the
Randolph blew up.
"a sail coming down fast-the little
brig, sir" reported the officer Of the
deck to Captain Vincent. ssShall we
come about and give him a broad
sideY
''DEo. no; we dare not handle the
braces yet-not until the gear and spars
have been well overhauled.'
'Shali we use the stern chasers then,
STRIP
The Yarmouth had left the scene of
the explosion some distance away by
this time, but she was still within easy
gunshot. Captain Vincent earnestly
examined the brig. As he looked she
came up to the wind, hove to, and
dropped a boat in the water. There.
was bit of spar still floating there.
The captain saw that three or four men
were clinging to it.
mo; she's on an errand of mercy.
There are men in the water on that
topmast there Let her go Free" he
said generously. We've done enough
today to satisfy any reasonable man."
Tho r.,.o -xnr