The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-04-08

he reported the capture Of The Fly,
after a chase of eight hours. Shortly
after this C capture he vas transferred
TO q larger and better shin with which
his fame is connected, the Wasp, then
under construction 1T Portsmouth,
New Hampshire.
The Wasp was one Of the new yes
sells authorized by act OF Congress,
January 2, 1873. and was to be one
of the finest ships in the navy. Two
other ships, afterwards famous, au-
thorized by the same act, were the
Frolic and the Peacock. Blskeley
was of course in hig spirits at his
promotion, for he felt that in the Wasp
his dreams Of fame and honor would
be realized. He was however deep
~ chagrined when the Enterprise.
two weeks after he quit her. fell in
with and after a spirited action, cap
tured the Boxer. Blakeley thus Ia
ments his ill-luck.
Il shall yer view as one Of the
most unfortunate events Of my life
having quilted the Enterprise at the
moment did. Had 1 remained in her
a fortnight longer. my name might
have been classed with those who
stand so high. 1 cannot but consider
it a notifying circumstance that I
left her but q few days before she
NCAA ASAA AN Why C1ACIIty O1 NiIS
station with which she could credit
ably have contended. I confess I felt
heartily glad when | received my or
der to take Of the Wasp.
concerning that there was no hope of
doing anything in the Enterprise.
But when l heard of the contest Of
n latter ship and witnessed the great
delay III the equipment Of the former,
l had no cause to congratulate myself.
The Peacock has ere this spread her
piumage TO winds, and the ErOlic will
Q AXE her revels on the ocean. but
the Wasp will, l fear, remain for some
time a dull, harmless drone in the wa
tiers or her own country
How little the young officer could
then foresee,' comments Hill, that
the dull. harmless drone' under his
was destined to class his
name among those that stand so high
IN the naval annals of his country as
a splendid seaman and q most gal
liant officer"
Blakeley underestimated his own
anlilty. He pushed the work on the
wasp with all the energy Of his rest
less ambition and soon had her ready
Tor sea. She sailed from Portsmouth
on May Day. 1914, with a crew Of 173
men, almost exclusively New Eng
iandeTs. Roosevelt writes: '"There was
SAID not to have been q foreigner on
board. 1t is at all events certain" he
ADDS. that during the whole war no
vessel was ever better manned and
than this daring and reso-
ute cruiser" With an armament of
twenty 32-pound carronades and two
long lSS, n ran off the coast. slip
ped unpreceived through the blockad-
ing squadron, and sailed straight into
Inc mouth Of the English channel.
right In the thick Of the English
cruisers" Here she remained several
lays burning and scuttling man
Ships"
While engaged in this work the
wasp encountered, June Is, the Brit
lsn brlg-sloop Reindeer, IS. Captain
william Manners, with a crew Of 118
a men as ever sailed or fought
on the narrow seas" Captain Man
ners was a scion Of the Ducal House
or RUTLAND; and there was no more
gallant seaman in the whole British
navy, fertile as 1t was In men who
cared little for odds OF size or
The weather was fine, the
Wind hght, and water exceedingly
smootn Tor that sea. After some time
lacking for position. the Reindeer
Mnen the vessels were not more than
sixty yards apart, opened fire with A
shifting 1%2-pOund carronade. loaded
WITH round and grape. The Wasp was
no able to bring q gun TO bear and
was compelled to reserve her fri
"hlle the enemy "again loaded and
nred, with h utmost elaboration:
tnis was repeated five times. and
would have been a trying ordeal to
a crew less perfectly disciplined than
the Wasp's."
When the Wasp finally opened fire
the two ships lay abreast, not twenty
yards apart. Roosevelt's description
or the nghting that followed cannot
be improved. THE carronade." saws
ne, was terribly destructive. The
conclusion Of the explosions almost
deadened what little way the vessels
a on, n the smoke hung over
them hike a pail. The men worked
at the guns with desperate energy. but
the odds in weight of metal 6 to 81
were too great against the Reindeer.
where both sides played their parts
SO manfully. Captain Manners stood
at MS post. as resolute as ever, though
wounded again and again. A grape
/ ShOt PASSED thrOrpb hoSb ~. 49,