DESTRUCTION OF THE CONFEDERATE CRUISER ALABAMA.

Otago Witness, Issue 664, 20 August 1864, Page 10

DESTRUCTION OF THE CONFEDERATE CRUISER ALABAMA.

(Fr 'in the Home N~eiofi ) A. telegraphic announcement, which appeared in the journals on the morning of Monday, '20th June, giving a brief account of the 1033 of the Alabama in a naval engagement with the Kearsarge, created much astonishment and excitement. The steam yacht Oeerhound had arrived the previous evening off Cowes with Captain Semmes, 13 officers, -and 2G men, whom she rescued from drowning after the action which resulted in the destruction of the world -renowned Alabama. The Deerhound had steamed from the scene of action at tbe rate of 13 knots an hour. From several accounts of the desperate engagement, we are euabled to supply the following graphic details : —

The Alabama arrived r>t Cherbourg on the 11 th June, after two years' seivice, lately in the East ■Indies, for the purpo> j of extensive repairs. A ■day or so after her arrival, the Federal steamer Kearsarge arrive I there also, aud, in- j stead of coming to anchor, continued to cruise backwards and forwards just outside the break ■water at Cherbourg, challenging the Alabama to fight. The \labama immediately accepted the challenge thus given, only asking for a few days to complete certain arrangements prior to an engagement. The Alabam >. left Cherbourg harbor .about 10 o'clock on Sunday morning, 19th June, and the Kearsarge was then several miles out to seaward, with her steam up roady for action. The French plated ship of war Couronne f>l lowed the Alabama out of harbor and stopped "when the vessels were a league off 'he coast, her ; object being to soe that there was no violation of j the law of nations by any fight taking place within the legal distance from land. The combat took place about nine miles from Cherbourg. The -distance between tbe two contending vessels when the Alabama opened fire was estimated on board the Deerhound, which had come out from ■Cherbourg to witness the fight, at about a mile ; while one of the Alabama's officers says that she was a mile and a half away from the Kearsarge when she fired the first shot. Be this as it may, it is certain that the Alabama commenced the firing, and as it is known that her guns were pointed for a range of ■2000 yards, and that the tecond shot she fired, iv about half a minute after the first, went right Into the Kearsarge, that may be taken, as the real distance between the two ships. The firing became general from both vessels at a distance of a little under a mile, anl was well sustained on both aides. At no time during the action were they less than a quarter of a mile from each other. Seven complete circles were made in the period over which the fight lasted. It was estimated on board the Deerhound that the Alabama fired in all about 150 rounds, some single guns, and some in broadsides of three or four, and the Kearsarge about 100, the majority of which were 11-inch ahella'j the Alabama's were principally Blakely 's pivot guns. In the early part of the action the relative filing was about three from the

Ahbatna to one from the Kearsarge, but as it progressed the latter gained the a<ivama»e, having apparently a much greater power of steam. ?he appeared to have an advantage over fie Alabama of about three knots an hour, and steam was seen rushing out of her blowpipe all through the action, while the Alabama se ra.d tj have vay little steam ou.

At leigth the Alabama's rudder was d ;i -ab'e<l by one of her ippouent's heiuy shells, aud tliej iioisle'l sails; but it was soon reported to Capt Semmes by one of hi« officers thnt h s ship w?s ■smkinp. With great bravery the guns -acre kept poited till the muzzles were, actually under water, aud the last shot from the doomed ship was fired as sl.e was settling down Wht-n her "torn was completely umifr wat n r Captain frames gave orders for the men to save them selves a; be-t they couM, ami every o c jun-ped into the soa and swam to the b'jats which had put off to their rescue. Tlio^e of them v\ ho w< r-» wounded were ordered by Captain Semin--s to be placed in the Alabama's boats an 1 taken on board the Kearsarje, which wa3 as far as possible obeyed. Captain Semmes, who win wounle'l in the hand ly a splinter from a sh«-U, and tho-e a' ovp mentioned were saved by the 1 >eerh< und's boats, and wh»n it was a=certained that the water was clear of every one that had life l"ft, a"d that no more Lei p could be rendered, the \acht steamed away for Cowes, and thence to Southampton. The Kearsarpe has for some time pist been in hot pursuit of the Alabama which vessel Captain Winslow was determined to follow everywhere till he overtook his enemy. Very recently f-h - chased anl carao up with one of (he ve-sels of the Chinese expeditionary force returnim? to England, and ran alongsi'e with her guns pointed and crew at quarters before she could be, convinced of her mistake, for the expeditionary vessel was very like the celebrated Confeder ite cruiser. The Kear"wge was thendescrihed aalikely to prove a formidable over mutch for the Alabama, haung higher steam power and rate of speed, a crew " nearly double" th -.t under Captain Semtnes, and, unlike her sister ship, the Tuscarora, carrying 10, instead of eight, very heavy 11-inch shell guns- the so-called Coluin binds of the American navy. The Alabama, on the contrary i-. stated to have had only one 7-inch Blakely rifled gun, one 8-inch smooth-bore pivot gun, and six 32-pounders, emooth-bore, in broadside. Part of her copper, it is sind, was off, and her bottom was covered with long weeds. The crew of the Alabama comprised in all about 120 when she left Cherbourg. Of these 10 or 12 were killed during the action, and a number were known to be drowned, the difference between these and the number brought home by the Deerhound being, it is hoped, saved by the boats of the Kearsarge, or some French pilot boats which were in the vicinity. The Frsnch war vessel Couronne did not come out beyond three miles. The surgeon of the Alabama was an Engli^hmnu, and, as nothing ha 9 been heard of him since he went below to dress the wounds of some ot the sufferers, it is feared that he went'down with the ship. The Kearsarge had about the same number of officers and crew as the Alabama The last official American navy li-t describes her as 1031 tojs register, and carrying eight gune, being two guns le«a than the Tu^carora mounts, to which in all other respects the Kearsarge is a sister ship. Throughout the action the Deerhnund kept about a mile to windward of the combatants, and was enabled to witness the whole of it. The Kearsarge was burning Newcastle coala, and the Alabama Welsh coals, the difference in the smoke (the north country coal yielding so much more) eoablingthemovementsof each ship to be distinctly traced. It is the opinion of the master of the Deerhound that it was the Keaißaree's 11-inch shells which pave her the advantage, and that, after what he has witnessed on this occasion, wooden ship* stand no chtneo whatever against shells. Both vessels fired well into each other's hull, and the yards and masts were not much damaged. The mainmaßt of the Alabama had been struck by shot, and as the vessel was linking j broke off and fell into the sea, throwing some men who were in the maintop into the water. Some tremendous gaps were vis»ib!e in the bulwarks of the Kearsarge, and it was believed that some of her boats were disabled. She appeared to be temporari'y plated with iron ehsuns, &c. As far as couM be seen, everything appeared to be well planned auG ready on bo-rd the Kearsarge for the action. It waa apparent that Cap tim Semine^ intended to tight at a long iangc, and the fact that the Kearsargc did not rep)y till the two vessels got uearer together Bhowcd tint they preferred the short range, and the superior steaming power of the latter enab'ed this to be ace .mplished. It is remarkable that no attempt was made by the Keai sarge to close and board the Alabama, and when the Alabama hoisted sails and made as if for the shore, the Keorsarge moved away in another direction, "ns though her rudder or screw was damaged and out of control. Great pluck was shown on both sides during the action. On board the Alabama all the hammocks were let loose, and an augments had beeu made for sinking her rather than that she should be captured As far aa is known, not a relic of the Alabima is in the possession of her successful rival. When she was sinking Captain Semiues dropped his ownswerd into the sea to prpveut ihe possibility of its getting into their hands, and the gunner made a hole in one oi the Alabama's boats and sunk her for the same reason. The Alabama's chronometers, Bperie, and all the bills ot ransomed vessels are saved, having been handed over to a gentleman at Cherbourg before she left that port.

The spectacle presented during the combat is described by those who witnessed it from the Deerhound as magnificent, and thus the extraordinary career of the Alabama lias come to a erand and appropriate termination. The presence of the Deerhound on the scene w;is a providential circumstance, as in all probability the men saved by her would otherwise have been drowned, and a lamentable addition would thus have been made to the number of live* lost on the occasion.

The following are additional dttai's of the engagement:— ShoTtly after the action commenced, a shot from the Kearsarge killed three men on board the Alabama, cutting them to pieces, and a second shot wounded three more and Mlled another, while a third shot carried away the Alabama's fan and part of the rudder ou her ieck, disabling a gun and causing much damage. Below and forward her compartments were all carried away, and the fire room was filled with water. The Alabama fought under sail, first using her starboard battery and afterwards her port battery. She continued the engagement until the muzzles of her guns were under water, and one part of the deck was covered with dead and wounded.

When found in a sinking state the Alaba.ua ceased fighting, and lowered her boats, in which the dead and wounded were placed. Numerous acts of gallantry are related a3 having oceurrtd on board the Alabama duting the fi^hr, one or two of which are worth recording Mr Ginly, the captain's coxswain, was struck by a shot, which shatter°d the lower part of hit. aim, kaving it hanuin? by iL j sh nnd skin ;he deliberately took out his knife, cut off Jthe piece of his limb, and continued serving his gun, An 11ine.h shell, which fell on the deck, was taken up and thrown overboard, to explodp, by two men A man i.amed Hearne was loading a gun, when a shot struck the ramrod and broke it in two. He lookea up and abused them foi not waiting to have the shot properly in for them. One man was sent forward to clear the jib-boom ringing, which bad been damaged ; he received a most painful wound which was mortal, notwithstanding ■which he completed the work arfl returned to the deck, where another shot cut him in two. Another man-, though mortally 1 wounded, refund to admit that he had been struck, and continued to do hii work until he fell dead on the deck.

When the battle was at an cud the Deerhonnd steamed over to the Kearsarp;e, aud Mr Lancaster, the owner, was asked by the officers of the Federal ship to try and pick up the scorf s of the Alabam t's crew and officers who were fl 'ating and hwimming about He lowered his yacht boats, and one of thfm, commanded by a man named Adams, was steering his boat into a group of a dozen strupgling persons, when he passed a drowning- man at some short distai.ee with an officer's cip on. One of the men in the boat cried out " That's Semnies," and the drowning man called out, •' lam the captain- save me ; I cannot keepgup any longer." Adams w°nt, and dragged Mm into the boat. Semtues then said, " For God's sake don'fc" L put me on board the Kearsarge, but put me on board ygur yacht." Adams promised to do t-o, ami laid Setnmes down in the bottom, and covered him with a sail to conceal him from the Kearsarge's boats, which were evidently anxiously searching for him. When Adams hal saved a boatload he took them on board the yacht, and Serome9 wa< at once placed below. As soon as all that were seen in the water were picked up, Mr Lancaster was anxious to get away, and began to steam out to sea. He expected that he should have been brought to by a shot from the Kearsarge, but she was too disabled it appears to po after the Deerhound to overhaul her, and thus Semnies escaped being made prisoner. Shortly afterwards the Alabama sank, the Kearsarge'n boats came up to assist in saving the crew. The officer in command of the boats inquired for Semmes, and was told that he was drowned.

At the conclusion of tho engagement the Kearsarge returned to Cherbourg, and anchor -d there in the afternoon. She had on board 6*2 ot the Alabama's crew, whom she had succeeded in saving. Ten wounded Confederates and three wounded Federals were taken to the Cherbourg hospital. Nine more of the Alabama's crew were saved by a French p.lot boat, and also taken to Cherbourg.

Captain Semnies is a thin, wiry-built man, with a stern and determined air. He is about 50 years of age, with a small rel pointed face, and a beanl and moustache in the American style. His first-lieutenant is a fine-looking young man. Captain Semmes says that he was completely deceived as to the strength and armament of the Federal ship. What be recolltctcl of the Eearsa>g9 was that she was an ordinary sloop of war. Ifs&e had known that she wa? an ironclad, and much more heavily armed than the Alabama, he would not have fought, as it was madness to do so.

To the foregoing facts may be added these:— The Alabama sailed from Liverpool on 29th Juiy, 186"2, less than two years ago. In the period that has since elapsed, her career has been one of the most extraordinary that has ever been narrattd of any sidp. The damage inflicted by her on the mercantile m:iriae of the Northern States of America is well-nigh incalculhble; and her hairbreadth escapes from capture t,y the Federal na'.-y have been many and wonderful. In one encounter with a gunboat— the Hatteras -off Galveston, shp, having first tempttid her formidable foe within ranee of fire by hailing as her Majesty's steamer Petrel, sank her with a hroa i&ide.

The Kearanrge, named after a range of mountains in New England, is a recent acquisition to the navy of the United States; in fact, she is one of the nine gunboats completed within three months from the data of the oraer given. She i* a sloop of 1031 ton-", carrying eight guns. Her broadside puns are 32-pounders, >ix in number, but she is also furnished with two 11 inch smoothbore Dablgrens, and it is to these tremendous weapons the sinking of the Alabama is probably due.