Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-17
IN THE WAKE OF JOHN PAUL JONES.

''The British coast has been bombarded for
the first time in naval history,' said the Asso-
ciated Press yesterday. Strictly speaking, this
is true so far as history tells, but it is not the
first time this part of the English coast has
been threatened by hostile warships
1t was not far from Scarborough that Ameri-,
ca IS first great sea fighter, the brilliant and i'm
mortal John Paul Jones, fought his most men,
orabe engagement within sight of England's
shores-fought and won a remarkable victory.
And this same daring sea-captain had already
terrorized English and Scotch waters by his.
sudden raids and uniform successes.
In 1778 and 1779 JONES' captain in the Con
tnental Navy cruised the British waters,
1 harassing the enemy's commerce, meeting his
twar-vessels and emerging victor everywhere,
/ In the ship-rigged corvette Ranger, of 300 tons
I and carrying 18 6-pounders, he made abortiveI
attempts to burn the shipping at Whitehaven1
and to capture the Earl of Selkirk at Saint
] Mary's Isle In April of that year he won his
first signal victory over the sloop-of-war Drake,
/ fighting her to finish in a little more than an
hour
In 1879 Captain Jones took a condemned
i East Indian trading vessel, converted her into!
y
largest of which were 1S-pounders-and re-
named her the Bon Homme Richard in honor
of Franklin. In this inadequate vessel he en-
/ tered upon career of even greater daring
cruising around England in company with the
American -buil Frenclre commanded q frigate
Alliance the French corvette Pallas, the brig
Vengeance and the cutter Cert. His officers
and men were quarrelsome and mutinous, his
ships much weaker than those of the British
navy and his troubles many, but the indomita-
4 BILE Jones made up for others weaknesses by
| his own strength. s IS At. ~ a.es,4o ~ i
On the evening Of September 23s1779; Jones
lmet the English Baltic convoy off Marlborough
head, eighteen miles south of Scarborough.
where the Germans struck yesterday. In this.
battle Jones had the Bon Homme Richard, the
Alliance and. the Pallas. The Baltic convex
was protected by the new and powerful double
! banked frigate Scraps of 800 tons and the
Scarborough, the latter more than an equal for
i the Pallas The two English ships in every.
way had the advantage of the others.
4 The echoes of this battle have come down
& IN history and stirred the blood of every
american schoolboy. The Scraps literally
blew tile little Bon Homme Richard to pieces.
EI1Cfs Sues were SILaSheu uHlil Uue Coulu lOoh
4 through the hull to the water beyond. The
1 number Of killed and wounded was enormous.
Il The Alliance, commanded by Frenchman not
Il only did notaid the American, but twice poured
Ebroadsides into her. Yet John Paul Jones kept
4 on bathing After several hours of this ter
rifle struggle, Capt. Pearson of the Scraps
called on his adversary to yield. And it was
4 then that jones' from his sinking vessel, sent
|, across the narrow space of wreck-strewn waters
!. that defiant and confident cry which rings in
American history, 81 have not yet begun to
fghti', ."..
Captain Pearson surrendered. Jones was
/ the victor
4 These same waters were visited yesterday by
the Germans. It is not of record that Jones
ever bombarded the English coast but history
agrees on the facts Of the fight off Marlborough
head fewsmiles from the town bombarded
yesterday by the Teutons.
& The most decisive personal influence" fol
, Uncle Sam to use on the Mexican generals
would be that of properly placed howitzer.
i However, there seems to be some new vigol
!, in the collection of overdue taxes.
sl North Sea insurance rates established high