The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-17

the Wasp and of the men he was train
ing to handle the ship. There never was
a better vessel of her inches built. he
believed, and ne wished she could see It,
She wished 1t too.
Day after day during that Boston visit
the Captain was a caller upon Jane
Hooper. Each day she seemed more
winsome, charming and lovable to him.
He wondered why she never had we'd
ded, she who might have chosen where
she wished.
When he went back to Maine it was
with a party OF her friends who, like
her. were eager to see the Wasp.
1t was IA joy to Blakely to take Jane
Hooper all over the ship and show
everything and explain everything to
her. When he showed her the cabin
that was to be his she asked that he
leave her for few minutes.
The few minutes were long ones. or
seemed so to him. When he went to
seek her there was "A redness about the
eyes that suggested tears and he asked
IL she had been weeping. She told him
she wished to be alone To say the prayer
| she had spoken of in Boston.
Sailors by nature of their calling
have to make short work of courtship.
When Jane Hooper stepped from the
| deck of the Wasp she had promised to
he the wife of Johnston Blakely. He
went back with her to Boston. pleading,
| urging. insisting on an immediate mar
riage. And he had his way.
Within month of their marriage the
Wasp was away To sea. Never was
| there a better manned vessel nor a bet
ter commanded one in the American
| navy. That opinion has been given by
| Fenimore Cooper. 1t has been given
too by Theodore Roosevelt In his His
tory of the Navy"
OF the crew of 173 all knew the sea.
All were New Englanders. most of them
had smelled powder in encounters with
privateers. pirates, Spaniards, French
English or Malays.
| News travelled slowly enough In that
| first quarter of the nineteenth century
under the best of conditions, but trav-
elled stih more slowly in the war period
More than four months had elapsed
after the departure of the Wasp before
the first news came of her. Then 1t was
a tale that thrilled the nation.
| It was that In getting away from
Maine Capt. Blakely had cleverly eluded
an English fleet and then had scooted
across the Atlantic. taking up a cruis-
| ing position near the western entrance
| to the British Channel on July 2S he
| had encountered the British brig slooI
Reindeer. of which William Manners OF
| the ducal house of Rutland was com
| mander. The Reindeer was equipped
| with shifting ~ pound carronades. Will,
| the guns of the Wasp were stationary
The shifting guns gave the Reindeer
the advantage Of nine minutes OF FIR,
before the Wasp could get in proper
position to return shot.
So well trained was the crew of thu
Wasp that this attack was received
without sign uf dsmay. Men fell anC
others came forward to replace them
The minutes dragged slowly, each on
bringing death and destruction, whil'
the Wasp was being brought around
At last she was in place and then sh,
opened fire, In nineteen minutes q
such accurate fire as British ship nevc
had been exposed to before the Rein
deer was cut to pieces. Every office
was killed or so severely wounded tina
he had been taken below. The shil
was surrendered by the captains clerk.
That fight stamped Johnston Blakel,
as the best single ship commander @
the War of 1872 and so he is ranked b.
historians to-day.
From L'Orient Bakely's bride got
} letter telling her of the contest. 1t toll
her too that he had taken the Was
I there for repairs. which he was pushin
| with all speed as he was eager for NOR
? action,
= on August ~ he was out agar
, Within three days he had captured tw
) prizes and had the who,e British mcr
e chant marine alarmed, Then he GU
p out from a conway o" 'r = | 10y soy
, enty-four line of battle ship q yer
valuable transport load Il with war ma
terial.
The same day he attacked The BIRTHS