Trafalgar.

Lake County Press, Issue 907, 19 April 1900, Page 2

Trafalgar.

Of the battle of Trafalgar, “Battles of the Nineteenth Century” records : Tt was just before noon that the French Pouffiieus opened fire upon ViceAdmiral Coliingwood in the Royal Sovereign, and. as though it had been a signal, the two admirals’ flags broke out at their foremast-heads, and the ships of both fleets hoisted their ensigns. The wind was very light, the sea oil-smooth, with a great groundswell setting in from the westward. A glaring sun from out a cobalt sky blazed down on the freshly-painted flanks of the French and Spanish ships, and for a moment the fluttering national flags lit the scene with brilliant splashes of red and blue and white and gold. Then the gray powder-smoke filled the air in thicker volumes, and the flags and the ships themselves disappeared In Its mist, and only the lurid crimson flashes of the guns shone out to tell that the fight had begun from every battery that had drawn Into range. To the first salute of Iron and lead the Hoyal Sovereign made no response In kind. She held grimly on In silence, with her sail-trimmers -working as though they were at a peace review ; but when she drew astern of the great three-decker, Santa Anna, the gunca.ptains of the port batteries drew the lanya.rds as their pieces bore. Tbe guns were double-shotted, and so great was the precision of their murderous, raking fire that no less than fourteen of the Spaniard’s guns were disabled, and 400 of her crew cither killed or wounded. At the same time, in passing, she let fly her starboard broadside into the Fougueux in the endeavour to pay her the somewhat similar compliment of raking her from forward aft ; hut. owing to the distance and the smoke, that discharge did tout comparatively little damage. "Ah!” said 'OHingwood to his flag-captain ; "they’ve got off this time, but we’ll give them gruel later on. By Jove, Rotheram, this is a sweet place, isn’t It ? What •would Nelson give to be here just now?” “ And.” says James In his naval history, “hy a singular coincidence Lord Ncison, the moment he saw ils friend In his enviable position, exclaimed, ‘See how that noble fellow. Oollingwood, carries his ship into action. !