THE WAR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9895, 10 September 1914, Page 7

THE WAR.

CRUISE OF ALABAMA.

"We still hear occasionally of the famous Alabama claims, which cost Great Britain over £8,000,000, paid as damages to tbq United States, after a dispute whion nearly involved both countries in war. It is interesting to follow the career of the Alabama, as it shows toe immense amount of damage that may be done to an enemy's commerce by a single active cruiser. fhe Alabama was a small steamer, as warships go nowadays. She was of wood (1040 tons), built at Birkenhead, and was designed for speed rather than strength. Before completion it was suspected that she was intended for a for&PZi belligerent Government (the (Confederate States), and the United States Minister urged that she should be detained. "While the Crown lawyers were arguing over the matter the Alabama quietly slipped out to sea, ostensibly for a trial trip. But the trip lasted two years. When 6he got out to eea the "trial trip" guests were sent back on the tender, and she proceeded to an unknown destination. Off the Azores

she was met by a supply Bhip, which brought her stores and! guns.. Then Captain Semmes, her commander, produced his commission. He explained to the sailors that the Alabama was a duly commissioned cruiser of the Confederate States (then at war against the United States). Those who choeo to enlist were offered the inducement of extra high wages, besides the chance of prize money. Those who did not wish to join were given a free passage back to England. She immediately commenced her depredations on American commerce, and eleven days afterward* had already captured and burned property exceeding in value her own cost. Proceeding to Galveston, then blockaded by a Northern fleet, the Alabama succeeded in drawing off one of the blockading warships, the Hatteras, which she engaged in combat and 6ank after a fight of thirteen minutes. Though the engagement took place at night, all the crew of the sunken ship were saved. She then proceeded to Jamaica, where she was freely allowed to coal and repair. For two years 6he pursued her career of destruction, in which time 6he captured 65 vessels belonging to the enemy. But the damage she did was much greater than this. So great was the panic she caused that large numbers of American vessels were transferred to foreign flags. Many more were laid up in foreign harbours, unable to obtain cargoes even at a high rate of insurance. Although many United States cruisers were sent in pursuit, the Alabama was able to evade them all for two

years. In those days there were no ocean cables and news travelled slowly. The Alabama used to hoist the United States flag and pose as a Northern

cruiser, to conceal her identity and more effectually capture her prey. The Alabama entered many British ports besides Kingston, Jamaica. At Capetown the inhabitants were much

excited when one day the signal station announced that a United States vessel was approaching in the offing from one direction, and simultaneously a Confederate cruiser from another. Here was a chance for the reporters; a capture was to take place right under their eyes. Every available cab or coach was chartered at extortionate rates, and there was a general rush of the inhabitants to the slopes overlooking the towns, where they were soon spectators of the unwonted sight of a foreign cruiser capturing a hostile merchantman. In Capetown, as in other British ports, Captain Semmes was received with open arms and treated as a hero. He was in a fair way of being smothered under the immense quantities of bouquets sent him by admiring ladies. At the time the Alabama was occupied on her famous cruise, all the ports of the Confederate State were blocaded by the enemy. She was therefore unable to bring her captures into a harbour and have them condemned in the usual way by a prize court. No alternative remained but to burn them at sea, which meant a total loss of many valuable prizes, which might have been sold for a considerable sum and the proceeds divided among the captors. Nowadays such a course would probably not be tolerated; though during their war with Japan the Russians burned at sea sea at least one of their captured vessels without bringing her before a prize court. Captain Semme6 was also accused of using the burning vessels as a decoy to allure other American vessels to their destruction. Jack, with his usual broadhearted sympathy, is always attracted by the sight of a burning ship, and hastens to render what assistance he can to presumed comrades in distress. The charge was indignantly denied by Semmes, who showed that he had not captured one of his prizes under 6uch circumstances.

After a career of two years, having carried out to the letter the orders of the Confederate Secretary of the Navy to "inflict the greatest possible damage on the enemy's commerce in the shorts est possible time," the Alabama turned up at Cherbourg, in the English Channel,, where she was confronted by the Federal warship Kearsarge. Semmes at once sent a challenge to the enemy, stating that he was ready to meet him at sea as eoon as he had finished coaling. The challenge was accepted, and the fight took place on June 19, 1864, outside the port of Cherbourg. After an engagement of less than an hour the Alabama was sunk. Semmes accused the commander of the Kearsarge of bad faith in this action. He asserted, which was not denied, that the enemy had covered the vulnerable part of the ship with a heavy mail of iron chains, concealed with planking so as to be invisible. It was as if a man had fought a duel with a foe and under his vest had concealed a coat of mail. Notwithstanding her armour, the Kearsarge would have been disabled and captured had it not been for .the defective nature of the Alabama's powder, which had deteriorated during her long cruise. A shell from the Alabama was afterwards found embedded in the stern post of the Kearsarge, but it failed to explode. Semmes also pointed out that though his action with the Hatteras was a very short one and was fought at night, he saved everyone of the' enemy ; while the Keavsage allowed many of his men to drown through the tardy manner in which they lowered their boats. The number of drowned would have been much greater had it not been for the fact that an English steam yacht (the Deerhound) was in the neighbourhood at the time and saved some of the Alabama's people, among them being Captain Semmes himself.

The amount of £3,229,166. which the British Government paid the United States as compensation for the damages inflicted by the Alabama, was only a partial compensation. The injury which she inflicted was much greater, but the arbitration tribunal rejected the claims for indirect damages, which were very considerable. The Alabama' almost drove American shipping from the ocean.