The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-03-12

The foremost Of the Wasp had been
injured by shot, and therefore Com
mAnder BlRkOly decided to make fol
LDrlcnt. Franco. for repairs, as well
as for disposing of his wounded and
prisoners. He made that port on July
and remained there for seven weeks
He sailed again on August q. and by
September had taken and destroyed
three more enemy vessels, ono OF
which was cut out from convoy and
burned under tho eyes OF conveying
seventy-four gun ship. At $3.50 y. m,
on the same day four sails were sight
ed, and Hlakely selected for his prey
the most wlndward vessel. for II II
should prove to he q warship the
others, II consnrts. would be To lee
ward and less able to assist, The
chase lasted until 9:26. when the
Wasp made 1t out to be brlg-nf-
war and opened fire on II with long
sixteen FOUNDER taken from the Rein
deer, which had beon mounted for
ward on a swivel. The Wasp ran up
on the weather or starboard quarter
of Its adversary, Confident In his
vessel, however. BlRkely abandoned
this advantageous position and rnIl
under his antagonists leo TO prevent
It bearing away to Join the vessels
to leeward." Tho real action began
at 9:29, with tho Wasp on Its enomy'F
| Ice bow. In short order both OF the
enemy's nAsts were shot away and
It's hull was rlddled. Its surrender
followed.
In his final report to the navy de-
purtment Blakely was unable 10 give
the name Of the vessel he had van
uuIshed. Because II was night he
could not mako out Its name, and cir
cumstances prevented his boarding It.
1t was subsequently established. how
ever, by the British naval records
that his victim was tho British BRIG
rugged sloop-ot-war AVIAN, captain, the
Honorable James Arbuthnot. 1t car
ried sixteen thirty-two pound carron-
hdcs and two long nine FOUNDERS. its
force being to that of the Wasp As
four to Aye. II had ten men killed and
thIrty-two wounded. while the Wasp
practically unchanged, had only two
men killed and one man wounded
The wounded man was struck by a
wad from ono OF the AVon'S guns
which is evidence of the close prox-
unity of the vessels. 1.-THE Avon, says
Admiral Mahnn, "beIng much superior
to- the Reindeer, this comparatively
slight injury inflicted by 1t testifes
to inferior efficiency"
Robbed Of His Prey.
AS boat was being lowered to
board the Avon, Commander Blake
lily discovered vessel, followed by
1.-TWO others. coming up on him. That
vessel. the Castillian, Captain Brain
Tor, c0nsOrt of the Avon and of the
same class, sent a broadside, without
effect. at the Wasp as the latter drew
off to repair damaged rigging. In
stead of pursuing the Wasp the Cas-
lFtfIllan responded to the lrgnnt=aig-
mails Of distress made by tho Avon,
which was sinking. The two other
vessels also went 10 the AVon'B as.
sistance, but the combined crews
could scarcely keep the shattered hulk
afoat long enough to get Its people
off. Blakely, while daring. was moi
rash, and therefore he decided not to
attempt to fight single handed against
three British ships, while the latter
were apparently quite willing to lei
him go unchallangcd.
] That action was fought about 27t
miles west OF Brest. On September
12 and IA, $50 miles further south and
$50 miles west Of Lisbon, the Wasp
took two moro prizes; On the 21str
100 miles east of MADEIRA. II over
hauled the brig Atlanta, an American
vessel which had been captured by
the British and placed in the carry
Ing trade. AS this prize was of ex-
ceptional value, Blakely decided to
take the risk of sending II home. In
charge OF Mtdshipman David Gelslng-
err, who lived to be n captain in the
navy, 1t arrived safe at Savannah OF
November 4, bringing the last direct
tidlngs ever received from C0mman-
der Blakely or the Wasp.
Linked with Loss Of Essex.
The fate OF the Wasp was linked
/ III u AAuEulhE 1lAhAubL Will tAb Auhh Va
the Essex on the Pacific earlier in
the same year.
1.-THE disaster Of the Essex" adj
mlral Mahan. wrote, sis connected by
singular and tragic link with tho
fate Of an American cruiser OF like
adventurous enterprise in seas fan
distant from the Pacific. After the de-
feat at,Valparaiso Lieutenant Stephen
Decatur Mcknight and Midshipman
James Lyman of the United States
frigate were exchanged as prisoners
of war against a certain number OF
officers and seamen belonging to one
OF the Essex's prizes, which, having
continued under the protection Of tho
neutral port, had undergone nc
change OF belllgerent relations by the
capture OF its captor. When the Fs-
sex Junior (Which brought the pa
rolled members Of the frigate's crew To
the United statesl sailed. these two
officers remained behind by anicable
arrangement to go in the Phoebe 1.-THE
British frigata which captured the
Esse0 to Rio Janeiro. there to give
certain evidence needed In connection
with the prize claims OF the British
Ifrlgate: which done, they would be al
liberty TO return to their own colln-
ltry by such conveyance as suited
them.
after their arrival at Rio! the first