The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-10

|
give her r., and let her sor' he
| cried as hc Er!pped Scmmcs hand
| with bound the Confederate cruis-
eT leapcd tho bar and rode in the toss
ing waters OF the gutt--tac Stars and
i'ars were at last affoat on the high
! seas for the FIRST time!
! The brooklyn" had ovcrcstimatcd
Der reach, and tho sumter slipped
| past iust out of Bun-rangc. and rapid
| ~ left the old blockadcr far hciind.
| ammunition was too precious for IL
salute In honor OF the launching OF
.ne sumter on her career of icstruc-
| tion--hut the crew swarmed into th;.
| rigging and lined every spar. while
three ringing cheers echoed over the
water as the bunting whipped In the
! SpahElnG breeze from tho peak
Lie In the Old Navy EiHy Years Ago.
| The next morning dawued bright and
ciear: n gentle breeze blow abcam. rho
lookout at the masthead carefully
! scanned the horizon. Awnings we're
spread TO protect the crew from the
tropical sun. The usual routine of n
man-o'-war at sea commenced AT q
ociock the boatswain pIpcd the men
70 quarters: one division taking posi-
non behind q gun and going through
the drill while the old salts produced
Their bags and began to overhaul their
posseSsions-sccinE that their tobacco
ton for a long oruisc
me gallant ship plougncd steadily
through the gulf. the waves softly Ian
ping against the sides the Drppellor
| sounding it's steady and monotonous
peat NJ thc stern. At regular intervals
a INC day the hoatswain stood
erect and piPed on his whistle the
Calls Tor dinner. groe. or watches.
The Sumter" doomed along. until
on the Sd of July. she was reaching
inc waters where the pirates OF olden
uayS wcro wont to loot tho Spanish
'abeons on the Southern coast OF CUBA.
IN the middle watch OF the afternoon.
the crow was brought TO deck by thr
lookout's cry:
sail ho"
Searching for the roc ON the ,,,pb
Seas.
Wo white splotches showed anon
TIC tossing waters, and Scmmes soon
made oht that they were heading his
way. IN short time the first vessel
Was Aocam, and hauled to. She broke
our the Spanish colors. Tie boarding
officer reported her a Spanish shin ana
she was allowed TO pass
the second ship looked .iuvc nromis
ihs' AS the Sumter" fired "A run
across her bows. the stars ana Stripes
,iu'tefcd gracefully In tho breeze.
Mingled emotions swept the command
under
nc had sailed for many years and nov.
ne was duty-bound TO haul II down
ms own flag replaced the Union Jack
~ England which nc had been living
Ihe master of the bark, the Golden
rocket. came abroad and handed over
ms papers. cNcla!ming:
FIRST Copture Under the southern
Fling.
~ clap Of thunder in cIoudlcss
SKY could not have surprised me more
'han the appearance OF the conreacr
ate nag in these seas"
MY duty is painful one" replied
! 'Henfhes' TO destroy so monte n shin
"s yours. but must discharge il with
oht vain regrets; yourself ana your
crew will he well treated OH board my
, ship "o"' my
Night had come before all ,bo cord
ase' paints. sails and provisions had
peen removed TO the hold OF the ..Sum-
'er' II was night, as tho sailors
characterized it, that could b. cut witn
| Il knife. VIZ"
AS me torch was placed to The doom.
ca oarh, the rails of the cruiser were
lined with the crew Not a Soma 49,
heard. Though the bark was :. scant
'hrcc hundred yards away not even /,
spar could he seen in the impenetrablc
! nhrkhesS. The silence was suddenly
| broken by an awcd cry:
There is the hamc! She Is on fire."
GORGEOUS Spectacle or Ship burning
| mt Sen
| Ihe decks OF the ressel were OF nine.
oakun caiked the seams: the tiinbars
We're like finder from the SEASONING
OF many voyages on the tropic seas
! James leapcd from three apcrturcs I'm
| me deck at once. spreading into the
rigging and along the yards. Clewed
mp Sasls. ahlaze, whipped out hat In
| INC breeze, and then settled slowly into
The sea. 10 be followed by the Yards
| Which went overheard with n shril,
| MSS Masts followed one another in
| 10 the water: the main mast falling
! iast with roar of Il forest giant I'M
! DER the iunI5crman's axe. The crew of
t"e cruiser We're silenccd by this spec
| taclc or awful grandeur
| bN the light of this fambcau tho
! sumter moved slowly away. leaving
the snip 10 sink to her lonely grave
unseen. The signal qunrtermaster had
taken the iaS OF the bark as "A trophy
ana marking the date, the longitude
ana latitude of the scene, carefully
placed II in bag thar ne had fash
ioned for just such a purpose. whose
sides were destined to be swelIod with
me numerous other trophies captured
| from the foe during the voyage of dc.
structiun.
such We're the adventures of tho
famous old fighting ships. During the
Following two days seven more prizes
were gathered in by the Sumter
Fhesc wci@ not destroyed. but were
'"ariHa BY prize crews and sailod In
10 Inc cuban port of Cienfucgos to be
heId Tor adjucation by the admiralty
court. In the course of time these
ships were returned to their original
owners AT Clcnfucgos the Sumter"
TOOK on weeks supply of coal--alI
saat the little snip could carry at ono
'ime-h'd in this fact Captain Semmes
was 10 meet his greatest foe
FROM Cuban waters, the cruiser sail
cd to Venezuela and attempted to Sc
cure another supply of coal Here
Semmes met in his first clash with a
United states consul The latter, when
nc learned the nature OF the ship and
us GRAND, threatened the Venaaueleans
j lrlfN III n III 81 ~ .iI.