Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-12-31

The keeuest eyed on the frgate were
kept constantly on the royal yards on
the lookout. If the St. Lawrence did not
catch anything, it would not be the fault
of her captain. SO soon, therefore, as
the approaching sail had been sighted. she
was recognized as a small top-sal schoon-
er. just the size and description of the
PetreI.
lnasmuch as it was highly improbable
that any vessel of that size, save such an
armed vessel. would be in those waters in
war time. especially one heading towards
the open sea- it was more than likely that
the sail sighted was the Petrol. Original
ly the Petrol had been the revenue cutter
Aiken. very swift goer-so swift that
although she was not a steamer, the Con
federateS had determined to risk her on a
cruise. That the St Lawrence "A heavy
old ifty-gun frigate. could overhaul the
light. dancing schooner was an impossi-
bility.
Commodore Paulding, a reSourCeful old
seaman. had been considering the matter
since he had received the flag officers no.
tice. and he had determined to effect by
strategem what he could not hope TO ac-
ing 10 be on deck when the sail was re-
ported, so soon as, through the officers
whom he had sent aoft for the purpose,
he had verified the report that indicated
that she was the Petrol he resolved to run
away.
Feeling sure that his great ship must
have been observed from the small schoon-
er, Commodore Paulding brought his frig-
ate TO the wind on the port tack and
struck off at a broad angle from his for
mer course directly away from the schoon-
er, to the great astonishment of officers
and crew. The evolution was observed
from the schooner, which Immediately
changed her course 50 as to keep directly
In the wake of the frigate.
"Wot's the old man up to-" growled old
Bob Gantlin, chief boatswains mate
Here we air, arter two months out. an
not a shot O prize money in our locker /.
An the fust time we raises a sailin' yes
sci an gifts a chance We ups with our
starn an runs away from her y
The commodores mysterious move was
presently elucidated. for the men were
sent to quarters, the guns were run in,
loaded and secured nboard, the port shut
ters we're dropped the openings for the
gun muzzles tightly closed; the men, save
a few necessary hands, were sent below.
The commodore and his aides on the poop
deck removed their swords and uniforms,
the yards were braced in and cock-billed
slightly, and in a thousand little ways
not ineligible to any but practiced,
trained observers the great frigate was
given the appearance of numbering old
merchantmen. Observing too that he was
not being overhauled so rapidly as he
wished. the captain got out drags astern,
which materially decreased the speed of
his ship. He told the helmsman not to
keep too tight luff on the frigate, but to
let her go off to leeward gradually. Then
everybody knew what was intended.
The manpuver-the ruse. rather-was
completely successful. The Pc rel was not
manned by body of experienced man-o'-
warsmen, whom it might have been diff
cult to deceive. and seeing the old St.
Lawrence numbering away from them, ap-
parently making every effort to escape,
her people-long- shore, fresh-water sailors
came to the conclusion that rich. old
fashioned merchantman-some Of the East
India ships at that time carried single
topsail yards-was theirs for the taking.
They cracked all sail on their little
schooner, therefore, and drove recklessly
after the flying frigate
There was a long twenty-founr FOUNDER
mounted on the Petrers forecaste and
two smaller guns six FOUNDERS, in broad
side. Under the circumstances, the chase
was neither a long nor stern one. Be
l,.,1 L
within range Of the frigate Not gun
could be seen on the st. Lawrence and
but few men on her decks. Those aft
were in their shirt sleeves and wore straw
hats and sea boots, like merchantmen.
Ranging along to widward of the chase,
as the Petrol did. there was nothing to
he seen of the main deck of the frigate,
anyway. on account of her heavy keel 10
starboard Confident of their prey, the
men on the Petrol cast loose and provided
the long Tom forward quite after the
manner of the old-time priyateer, and sent
a shot sharp across the fOrefoot of the
supposed trader.
No attention whatever was paid to this
threat by the st. Lawrence. and when it
was repeated, although the ball came per-
ilOuSly near 10 nlIIlnS tHe DoHs Va the on
frigate. she still remained silent. BY this
time the Petrol was we'll abreast and
SLIGHTLY 10 windward of her supposed
nrev. Her men must have been a very
s,upid lot, for at that distance it should
have been impossible to escape the con-
rIusion that they had a huge, old-fashioned
man-of-war under their lee. Possibly
they had so thoroughly absorbed the idea
that they were chasing a merchantmen
IN the ardor of their pursuit that their
Judgment was blinded At any rate, the
pptrel. confident of success. put up her
helm and sweeped down towards the frig-
ate. The ports Of the latter were thrown
open as by magic. Huge black guns
thrust their i1uzzles out over the sides,
some of them speaking grimly and to a
purpose. Two heavy bolts from long
tbirtv-twos of the main battery ripped
through the hapless Confederate cruiser.
An eight-inch shell from the forward pivO,
eyploded Just as it struck the Petrel's
side tearing a hole in her big enough to
drive a wagon through. The schooner
wa. total and absoute wreck. She ca
reened and sank in less than four min
utes. The St Lawrence stopped firing
Immediately she saw the plight Of the