The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-08-22

deck; but, manned and bleeding to
death, he spTang to his feet, cheering
on the seamen. The vessels We're now
almost touching, and putting his helm
a-weather he ran the Wasp aboard of
her port quarter, while the bOarders
gathered forward, TO try it with the
steel. But the Carolina captain had
prepared for this with cool confidence.
The marines came aft; close under the
bulWarkS crOuched the bOarders, grasp
ing in their hands the naked Cutlasses,
While behind them were drawn the
plkemen. As the vessels came grind
ing together the men hacked and thrust
at one another through the open port
holes, while the black smoke curled up
from between the hulls. Then, through
the smoke appeared the grim faces of
the British seadOgs, and the fighting
was bloody enough, for the stubborn
English stood well in the hard hand
play. But those who escaped the deadly
IRE of the topmen, escaped only to be
Tiddled through by the long Yankee
pixies; so, avenged by their own hands,
the foremost of the assailants died, and
the others gave back
The attack was fOiled, though the
RENDERS marines kept answering well
the American fire. Then the English
captain, already mortally wounded but
with the indOmitable courage that moth
ing but death could conquer, cheering
and rallying his men. himself sprang.
sword in hand, into the rigging to lead
them on, and they followed him with
a Will Al that instant a ball from the
Wasp's maintOp crashed through his
skull, and, still clenching in his right
hand the sword he had shown he could
wear so WOrthily, with his face to the
While above him floated the flag
for which he had given his life.
No Morse Viking slain over
shield ever died better
AS the British leader fell and his
men recOlled, Captain BlakeIy passed
the word to board; with wild hurrahs
the boarders 'swarmed over the ham
mock MEETINGS, there was a moments
furious struggle, the surviving British
We're slain or driven below, and the cap
taln's clerk, the highest officer left. sur
rendered the brig at 3:44, Just TWENTY
seven minutes after the Reindeer had
hred the first gun, and just eighteen
after the Wasp had responded"
It certainly was a savage fight. The
Wasp lost liz killed and wounded TWEEN
ty-siX. Of the Renders crew of 118
men, thirty-thTee were killed outright
or died later, and thirty-four were
wounded, nearly ali severely. Never
was boat more valiantly defended
Every officer killed and the vessel sur
rendered by the captains clerk! Surely
Britain has nothing TO be ashamed of in
TINS battle, But while all fair men give
the full measure Of praise to CAPTAIN
Manners, in giving it they bear testi-
mony to the valOr of the victor. Feni-
more Cooper says it is difficult to tell
which vessel fought the best in the short
but gallant combat Roosevelt saws. Il
doubt If the war produced two better
single ship commanders than Captain
Blakeiy and Captain Manners. and an
equal need Of praise attaches to both
crews"
Blakely made an effort to get the
REINDEER into port, but it was no use
Putting the wounded prisoners on board
a neutral vessel, BlakeIy set fire to the
wreck and then sailed for Torrent for
repairs.
And Next the Avon.
In August he was out again spreading
terror through the channel. In the first
three days he took two prizes. Then,
when he encountered the Armada, one
of the biggest of the British line of
DatUeships, conveying a fleet Of mer-
every effort the captain of the line of
battleship made to chase him off, and
at last cut out and sank the richest
prize Of the feet, a vessel laden with
military stores Of great value.
As if the destruction Of this craft did
not suffice for a days work, Blakely. a
lew hours after sinking the prize, went
IN pursuit of the nearest one of four
ships that he sighted off his bow. Ap-
parently it did not matter to him
whether ali four were cruisers. The
Wasp was so fast that he felt capable
of GLIDING almost anything in the chan
mel II 1t came to flight.
The ship the Wasp was pursuing was
the Avon, of the same tonnage as the
Reindeer, but throwing considerable
metal in her gun fire. As the Wasp ap-
the Avon began making night
signals, but Blakely did not respond and
the Avon opened fire After pouring a
broadside into the Avon-s quarter the
Wasp ranged up alongside and a furious |
engagement ensued.
The darkness didn't seem to bother |
the Americans to the degree that it did |
the British. Most of the rigging Of the |