The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-01

- Jared by the way III WHICH
L. Germany's elusive cruisers have
been sinking British ships or
,rnaa. The Emden has bagged a score
a. them in the Indian Ocean, and the
speedy Karlsruhe has captured some
thing like fifteen merchantmen in the
waters OF the North and South Atlantic.
And the work OF destruction goes on
despite the fact that the Karlsruhe, EN-
den. Dresden and Leipzig are hunted
by no fewer than seventy ships OF war
sailing under the fiags OF France, Russia
Japan and England.
This nautical game OF hide and seek
may easily run on for months TO come
because the seas and oceans are wide
and the German cruisers have out OF
the way rendezvous for their golfers
and there are plenty OF Ravens among
the remote islands where a halt can
ue made, some repairs erected ana
coal taken aboard from waiting craft
Indeed. this matter OF golfers Is an
''-T.r nroof of the loosentss of com
,,,rr,.a' morals and the laxness OF pa
,r.,rsu IA time of war. 1t 10 quite
...... that tramp steamers sailing I'M
... the nass of the allies are actually
.up.ovcd IN keeping these German
..l srrs mt tor their work. Again. the
,...s captured or destroyed are also
III means Of providing fuel, provisions
and other needful operative stores.
Tr.. excitement in British maritime
..,...s = hut n repetition of what hap
... 4 m the United States during the
..tr. Of the civl war; and once more
,a, Germans have proved themselves
mora profitable students of naval MS
tory The Kaiser's strategists planned
for this mode of warfare when they
bull, their speedy cruisers or small gun
mower. Professedly, these vessels were
FOR routine police work in far away
seas. As a matter Of fact. they We're
deliberately designed to prey upon tne
defenceless merchantmen OF the zoe ana
thew are doing their work too well no"
TO please British shipowners'
The British navy has kept the Ger
man hattie sduadrons within foruhed
harbors. The Federal fleets estaonsheu
a lti,dred blockade of the Confederate
norris at the very beginning OF the civil
war. In the beginning there was really
no Confederate navy, and the only nope
~ the South lay in equipping priVateers
n prev upon the abundant commerce
Of the Northern ports. Perhaps the pro-
granr,e lacked the thrills of strife be-
tween ships of war. but this order OF
attack cost the North millions or dol
lars and damaged the oversee trade OF
The United States so grievously that II
ms never recovered its former promi-
nenCe.
Following upon the success OF It's pri'
vateers-the Federal Government calico
them pirates and threatened to treat the
officers and crews as such-the Con
tolerate states obtained and commits
stoned a number OF commerce destroy
ing cruisers. twelve OF them decidedly
notable. and for the better part Of three
Years they roamed upon the sever
seas despite the utmost vigilance or
ne part OF the United States nava
authorities.
The frs, Of the Confederate cruisers
was the Sumter, and early in July o.
1861, under Capt Raphael Semmes' she
managed to slip out Of the MISSISSIPPI
and 10 elude the y. 8. s. Brooklyn
which was then bloolcading the moutf
~ the river. The Sumter's career wa
short one, but before she reached
Gibraltar in January 1852, and was pu
out Of commission she had made eigh
teen captures. One incident OF hel
cruise is worthy OF mention because !
showed how prominently At semmc
was for the higher command whici
came to him on the Alabama.
On November 10, 1861, the Sumte
-an into 81. Pierre, Martinique, for coal
WIT before her bunkers were filled tn
T.. 6. S. Irouuois hove to outside ant
shortly afterward entered the harbor
The Governor of the port refused q
sond the Sumter out at once as tn
Federal commander requested and in
sisted that the Iroquois should not leaV
he harbor until twenty-four hours afte
he Sumter had sailed. To avoid thi
handicap the Iroquo!s steamed on I
The mouth of the bay and just outside
the three mile limit, where she lay II
wait FOR the Confederate cruiser.
After a blockade of nine days Semme
decided to sail on November 20. Jus
as the fort gun doomed at o'clock tn
sumter started seaward. Semmes kneN
that he was being watched and that a.
american merchantmen. the Wlndwart
IN harbor was TO signal 10 the warshi
n the offlng, two lights II the Sumte
turned to the south and one light II sh
loaded north. Cunningly, Semme
steered boldly southwark until the tw
lights cleaned from the craft in por
then he halted the Sumter in the ink
shadows cast by the towering hills tina
dropped abruptly into the sea.
The watchful Iroquois lost no time l
Fastening at full speed to the sout
hoping TO overtake the little Confederat
cruiser. After while Semmes turne
his vessels bow around and shaped
course due north under all steam. tn
manner in which he outwitted tho CON
mander OF the Iroquois was an exper
encs which semmcs put to good III