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 .AS>o-
ciated Press yesterday. Strictly speaking this
is true 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 s first great seafghter, the brilliant and i'm
mortal John Paul Jones, fought his most mem
Orable engagement within sight of England'S
shOres-fOught and won 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 17779, Jones, a captain in the Con-
tinentaI Navy, cruised the British waters,
harassing the enemy's commerce, meeting his
war-vesses and emerging victor everywhere
In the ship-rigged corvette Ranger, of 300 tons
and carrying Is 6pOunders he made abortive1
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 a finish in little more than an
hour.
In 1779 Captain Jones took condemned
East Indian trading vessel converted her into
/ makeshift frigate by mounting 10 guns-the
largest of which were 18-pounders- re-
named her the Bon Homme Richard in honor
of Franklin. In this inadequate vessel he en-
tered upon a career of even greater darng;l
cruising around England in company with the
American built Frenclltcominanded ffigate
Alliance, the French corvette Pallas, the brig
Vengeance and the cutter Cert. His officers
biCl
ships much weaker than those of the British
navy and his troubles many, but the indOmita
BILE Jones made up for others weaknesses by
his own strength. ~>I - "
On the evening of September 90 1779, Jones
met 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 PalIas. The Baltic convoy
was protected by the new and powerful double
banked frigate Scraps of 800 tons and-the
Scarborough, the latter more than an equal for T
the Pallas. The two English ships il every
way had the advantage of the others.'
bs,ecloes of this battle have come down
in history aid aid, stirred the blood of every
American schooIboe..-> The The Scraps literally
blew the little Don f1Omlno hlcudFu u pleCeS' /
Her sides were smashed until one could look :
through the hull to the water beyond. The
number of killed and wounded was enormous.
The Alliance, commanded by F'renchman, not
only did not aid the American, but twice poured
broadsides into her. Yet JohnPaul Jones kept
on battling. After several hours of this ter :
rife struggle, Capt. Pearson of the Scraps
called on his adversary to yield. And it was
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, II have not yet begun to
fght!''
Captain Pearson surrendered. Jones was
the victor.
These same waters were visited yesterday by
the Germans. 1t is not of record that Jones
ever bombarded the English coast but history
agrees on the facts of the fight off marlborough
head, a few miles from the town bombarded
yesterday by the Teutons.
Thegmost decisive personal Influence for
Uncle Sam TO use on the Mexican generals |
would be that of properly placed howltzer.