The National tribune., 1910-11-17

kearsarse's shells were sweeping away
the Ma abama's gun crews and bsttering
in her sides the Alabama's shots We're
doing comparatively little damage. One
shell killed n man and wounded two
others, one shell started n fire and one
shell landed in the sternpost but failed
10 explode. This was the most dan
gerous missile that struck the I<ear-
sarge.
At noon Semmes saw that the fight
was decidedly against him and he or
dered his sails set in an effort to run
ashore. Winslow saw this and put his
vessel squarely across her way. where
he was about TO pour in raking fire,
when the Alabama hauled down her
flag. Winslow ordered his men to get
ready to go to the assistance of the
crew, when the Alabama reopened her
fire and the Kearsarge replied with
thee or four guns. This ended the
fight. The Alabama was seen to be
settling by the stern, and in few mo-
ments went down. throwing her bow
high in the air as she did. There We're
only two serviceable boats left on the
kearsarge and these were at once sent
to save the drowning sailors. The Brit
ish yacht Deerhound. which had come
out to see the fight and the COnfeder-
ateS sink the Yankee ship, came near
and capt. Winslow requested the com
mander to help save the drowning
crew The Deerhound picked up AZ
men. including Semmes and II officers.
Instead of turning these men over to
the Kearsarge the DeeThound edged
away and ran over to England. where
Semmes and the rest were set at liberty,
in spite of the protest OF the American
Minister.
Mr.. Prentice examines Capt. Semmes's
allegations that he was not given fair
fight because the Kearsarge was viz
H., i or
having her chains arranged on the out
side so as to protect her machinery
and that Semmes' powder had become
defective Semmes could have ar
ranged his chains the same way. This
chain plating was only struck by two
32-pounder shots. neither of which
would have inflicted any severe injury
had it not been stopped by the chains.
The chains. moreover, only gave a pro-
lection which had been lost by the
Kearsarse's shortage OF coal. 1t Is sin
gular that Semmes did not know of the
chain plating, as it was new device
which had excited the interest of naval
officers in all the ports of Europe
which the Kearsarge visited and was
IA matter of common knowledge. The
Alabama's powder had been found
quite good two months before when 1t
had been tested upon the Rockingham,
one of the merchant ships which the
Alabama had captured. The French
maritime papers say that the victory
was won by the skill of the Federal
gunners, whose guns were pointed
with patience and accuracy" Mr.. Bull
lock, the Confederate Agent in Europe,
confirms this testimony. He says:
1.-The result OF the action was deter
mined by the superior accuracy of the
firing from the Kearsarge. The dam
age she inflicted upon the Alabama was
more than sufficient to have destroyed
her; and inasmuch as the Kearsarge
received no mortal wound and came out
of the engagement with no material in
jury. it is only fair admission to say
that the result would probably not have
been different under the existing cir
cumstances, even if the Alabama had
been a larger ship and more powerfully
armored."
At $40 D. m. the Kearsarge steamed
into Cherbourg and was soon surround
ed by boats of every description filled
with excited people. The French Ad-
miral sent ambulances to the landing
to receive the wounded of both ships,
who were taken to the hospital and
every arrangement made for their care.
Capt. Winslow paroied all the officers
except four. One of the dramatic in
cidents of the fight as told by Surgeon
John NJ. Browne, of the Kearsarge, is:
'The Kearsarge's colors were stop