The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-08-26

.OHlCeIb anu DedUlcu Ol Nue Ala
bama: You have at length another
opportunity of meeting the enemy
the first that has been presented to
YOU since you sank the Hatteras! In
the meantime you have been all over
the world and it is not too much to
say that you have destroyed, and
driven for protection under neutral
flags, one-half of the enemy's com
merce, which at the beginning of the
war covered every sea. This Is an
achievement of which you may well
be proud, and a grateful country will
not be unmindful of it. The name
! of your ship has become a household
word wherever civilization extends!
Shall that name be furnished by de-
feat? The thing is impossible! Re
member that you are in the English
Channel, the theater of so much of
the naval glory of our race, and that
the eyes of all Europe are at this mo-
ment upon you. The flag that floats
over you is that of a young republic,
which bids defiance to her enemies
whenever and wherever found! Show
the world that you know how to up
hold it! Go to your quarters"
The Duel Begins.
In about forty-five minutes we were
somewhat over a mile from the Kear-
sarge, when she headed for us, pre-
senting her starboard bow. At a dis
lance of a mile we commenced the
action with our 10O-pounder pivot gun
from our starboard bow. Both ships
were now approaching each other at
high speed, and soon the action be-
came general with broadside batteries
at a distance of about FIVE hundred
yards. To prevent passing, each ship
used strong port helm. Thus the
action was fought around a common
center, gradually drawing in the
circle.
At this range we used shell upon
the enemy. Captain Semmes, stand
ing on the horseback abreast the miz-
zenmast with his glass in hand, OBJ
served the effect of our she'll He
called to me and said: Mr. Kell, use
solid shot; our shell strike the
enemy's side and fall into the water"
We were not at this time aware of the
chain armor of the enemy and at
tributed the failure of our shell to our
defective ammunition. After using
solid shot for some time, we alter
mated shell and shot.
The enemy's eleven-inch shells were
now doing severe execution upon our
= quarter deck section, Three of them
successfully entered our eight-inch
pivot gun port; the first swept off the
= forward port of the guns crew; the
second killed one man and wounded
, several others; and the third struck
the breast of the gun-carriage, and
: spun around on the deck till one OF
i. the men picked it up and threw it
, overheard. Our decks were now GOV.
= cred with the dead and wounded, and
| the ship was careening heavily to
e starboard from the effects of the shot
holes on her water line
= Captain Semmes ordered me to be
ready to make all sail possible when
! the circuit of fight should put our
head to the coast of France; then he
, would notify me at the same time to
, pivot to port and continue the action
with the port battery hoping thus to
, right the ship and enable us to reach
the coast of France. The evolution
was performed beautifully, righting
the helm, hosting the head-sails,
hauling aft the fore try-sail sheet,
|, and pivoting to port the action con-
tinuing almost without cessation. This
evolution exposed us to raking fire,
but, strange to say, the Kearsarge did
not take advantage of it.
Throwing the Dead Overheard
The port side of the quarterback
was so encountered with the mangled
trunks of the dead that | had to have
them thrown overheard, in order to
hight the after pivot gun, | abandoned
the after 92-pounder, and transferred
the men to fill up the vacancies at the
pivot gun under the charge of young
Midshipman Anderson, who, in the
midst of the carnage, filled his place
like veteran.
AT this moment the chief engineer
came on deck and reported the fires
put out, and that he could no longer
work the engines. Capt. Semmes said
to me, Go below, SIR, and see how
long the ship can float" AS l en-
tered the ward-room, the sight was
indeed appalling, There stood Assist
ant Surgeon Llewellyn at his post, but
the table and the patient upon it had
been swept away from him by an H.