Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-03-26

made by the representative of the
United states To- get the British gov
eminent TO prevent this ship from be-
ing turned over TO the c1nfederates.
The vessel was named the 200. There
was % story that this name was given
90 the craft because 300 Englishmcn
shared lu the building Of the boat, but
this is not correct. The name came
from the fact that the vessel was the
2g0th built by the firm.
II was intended that Capt. Bullock
should command the 29O and Semmes.
after comforting with him. sailed on
passenger steamer for Nassau. There
he received orders TO return to England
and assume command of the POO. his
success with the Sumter leading the
Confederate leaders 10 believe he could
do more execution with the vessel .hlu
any other man.
10 was by "a ruse that the $50 got TO
sea. IL was pretended that she was
going on trial trip. and lot OF wom-
en- were invited aboard. When the $50
was well Off land the women were put
on "a tug and sent back. The 290 pro-
ceeded 20 the Azores, where "A supply
ship was awaiting her with armament
and stores. There Semmes unfurled
the Confederate flag on her, christenei
the boat the Alabama and put her in
commission. The officers were south
erners. but the crew was made up al
most entirely Of sailors picked up In
the streets OF Liverpool Never did
the Alabama have more than half
dozen Americans aboard OF her. eXclu-
sive OF the Officers.
A TORCH OF THE SEA
The Alabama was as trim as a yacht
She was Of wood and could carry
enough fuel TO supply her engines for
so days. Her propeller could be
hoisted when steam was not employed
and she was as fast under sails as "a
clipper ship. She had enough OF
battery 90 make her formidable against
anything except a regular warship md
her collaborating capacity gave ner
power % cover wide range ~ 5el
without putting into port IL was i'm
August. 1862. that she began her raw
ages within a few weeks she had
burned D. Whalers and the whaling in-
dustry in the Azores was destroyed.
Then Semmcs struck terror In the
north by hurrying across the Atlantic
TO the ucigiborho1d OF New York, cap
turing and burning every American
merchantmen he encountered. Be
tween October Q and "a he burned a
large number OF grain laden ships. lie
came within 100 miles Of New York
in order to send one Of the captured
vessels into New York bay with
threatening message TO the Chamber OF
Commerce. Before he left the neigh
horhood OF New York he had destroyed
l6 American vessels.
tTu 90 the Newfoundland banks he
went next to break up the fishing in
dustry there So far as American craft
were concerned and before the war
ships sent after him could get on his
track he was bound south. At Fort
de France. Martinique. the United
states frigatc San Jacinto blockaded
..n hn
cinto. through the rankest piece of
stupidity. allowed him 20 escape
A tender had been sent from England
with n coal supply for tho Alabama
and. after coaling at Blanquill, Semmes
took up a position between Hayti
and Santo Domingo to pounce on treas
ure laden clipper ships. He captured
the big steamship Ariel but as she had
600 passengers ne permitted her 10
proceed under bond
SINKING THE HATTERAs.
lie had heard OF an expedition under
command Of Gen. Banks destined for
Galveston. and he conceived the dar-
ing project of swooping down suddenly
on the feet of transports In the night.
setting the vessels on fire and escaping
| before the warships could catch him
Luckily for the northern cause. the
plans of Banks were changed. and
five United states vessels OF "a block
aiding squadron were on duty When
the Alabama was sighted Commodore
Bell sent the Hatteras out to investi-
gate. Scmmes lured the Hatteras 20
miles of shore and then engaged and
sank her when the rest Of Commodore
Bells fleet searched for the Hatteras
next morning they found only her spars
20 mark her grave. Semmes had taken
Capt Blake and the other survivors of
A few days later ne landed the prison
ers at Port Royal Jamaica.
Late IN January 1858. Semmes sailed
/ from Kingston, jamaica. for the Bra
LILLIAN coast. on this cruise he destroy
| ed 20 vessels one clipper ship lie con
vertcd into "a Confederate cruiser and
/ turned loose IN prey upon American
commerce. This vessel the name Of
/ which had been the Conrad he rechris
l tened the Tuscaloosa.
when his depredations IN the Brazil
I ian field had started another squadron
/ OF warships after him he turned east
| and on Africa burned two American
| SHIPS. Then he went up into tho
] China Sea and burned two American