1956-02-25 — Page 5

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THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1856.

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ONDON

THE CONFEDERATES HOODWINKED BRITAIN, BEAT THE PREMIER, AND ESCAPED WITH A RAIDER THAT WAS TO SINK 70 SHIPS...ONE OF THE WORLD'S STRANGEST STORIES TOLD BY RYLANDS FLETCHER

ARLY on July the Stars and Stripes, (she had ward-bound liner

from Call- laden with the colours of nearly every na- formta, morning in 1862 à group of top-hatted on board and she made use chests of newly-mined gold lo of them all at one time or a swell the Northern treasury. gentlemen and their other). Her commander. Captain Sormunes had full details of the gally dressed womenfolk Raphael Semmes. late of the saling times and routes of this vessel from a New York news- boarded a newly launched U.S. Navy, shrewdly ectinal- steam-loop, She was not yet whaling skippers were expecting one of his victims,

ing that the long lean Yankee paper which he had taken from named-she bore only Laird Northern warship for their On the appointet day shipyard's number, 290. protection.

Alabama overhauled the liner.

E

She was

THE EXTRAORDINARY

CAREER OF

STEAM-SLOOP 290

As the ship moved sea- wards the landlubbers in the party gazed at her in ad- miration. As this was to be she was her first trial run dressed overall with flags and buntings. In a large cabin below a gala luncheon was set out.

Only her captain and ofcers knew that the happy laughter coming from her decks was but the prelude to one of the most astonishing stories in the annals or naval warfare. For that very Mail the North Western

doy

was speeding

towards Liver- pool with orders from the British

Prime Minister, Lord John Rusell, to seize "290" or prevent her departure from the dlock.

were

The orders

urgent. Russell waA ecting only after considerable delay which later cust his country dearly and al- most led to a war between Britain and the United States,

A Grimy Tug

The Customs Commissioners arrived at the dock to find a grimy tug returning with the puzzled members of morning's party on board.

Captain Semmes

Swiftly Alabama bore down

the upon

defenceless Vessel whose unsuspecting crew was working on a huge whale lashed alongside.

main cargo

But instead of chests of gold her several heavily armed gunboats was 500 extremely and an old converted paddle terrified women and children. steamer.

Yet the enemy admiral sus- The uncensored New York

nothing. Instead of also gave Semmes posted newspapers the inspiration for his next bold ordering the squadron to atter to Investigate the strike. A great wave of anger course was sweeping the North because stranger he ordered the paddle

Hatterns to run of his exploits and marine in- steamer--the surance rates were rocketing. down towards the newcomer.

Hoist the Ensign

Το mollify the nation the Federal Government announced that a great sea-borne expedition

under Calmly Semmes being assembled

ordered Was General Banks to be sent to Alabama to hoist the White Galveston,

The British yacht Doerhound picks up survivors as the

·Koamargo sinks Alabama in the Channel.

board battery roaring its first know that it would be a hopeless broadside.

fight.

Yet the destroyer of 70 un- The battle, fought at less than

armed merchantmen and and 40 yards, lasted 11 minutes, It

frail warship was determined to was the first naval action ever to be fought in open sea be- prove that a Southern gentic- tween two steamers Alabama man would not flinch just be did not have a single casualty cause the odds were for once and rescued. all the Yankea hopelessly against him. survivors.

On Sunday, Juno 19, Alabama Semanes Once she had forced the prepared for action, Stars and Stripes ot

the sent his valuables ashore-as a hands his watch' and duellist Latin-American trade routes, Alabama sterred castwards wallet to a friend. And with a round the Cape of Good Hope big crowd of onlookers aprend and toppards the rich prizes in out along the cliffs he took, his the Indian and Facilà Octans, vessel out to sea and Lowards

the waiting Kearsarge. Alabama-rauda her way at a

ten knots through the It was over in less than an The accurate fire from Indian Ocean. It became steady

in- hour.

that the United States Alabama. A large majority of creasingly obvious to her com- the Union, vessel smashed the ****

down went were more willing for the Stars Alabama's and Stripes to be driven from with her. They were the first the scas than to spare warships casualties that Alabama from the all-important blockade ever suffered. of the South that slowly but Semmes and several others perceptibly was yielding victory. were picked up by the British The final disappointment for yacht Deerhound, and brought Semmes carne at Singapore.. back to Southampton and even- The whole of the Yankee China tually returned to the Con- Clipper fleet was laid up idle. federate forces.

Alabama had anally defeated

Hopeless Fight

ад important Ensign of the Royal Navy. Northern stronghold in Texas. Guns were manned and his overalls over It was na it in the last war the officers donned Allies had

full their Announced

Confederate conspicuous details of "D-Day" many weeks uniforms. And he manoeuvred her own purpose, In advance.

his ship out of the way of the only Semmes formed his plans main squadron. Soon the accordingly. Alabama was to other vessel in alght was the rench Galveston at the same frall paddle-steamer rapidly time as General Banks Beet, closing in, Before the troops could disem- bark Di Alabama would make a surprise attack on the anchored through

With less than 200 yards be tween them the unsuspecting Yankee captain hailed "What

As the two vessels drew to- transpond posting out on her Majesty's ship Petrely been more aware of the futility

gether the Confederate flag was broken from Alabama's "mast, her bowman hooked chaing on to the victim's hull and the boarding party went over the side,

And so after almost two years

the long she began

journey home. No ship has ever com- .pleted a mare successful com- mission, yet no captain had ever

of his success.

In June, 1804 are you?"

Alabama This

is the United States arrived at Cherbourg, France, warship Hatt.... "But Alabama At the same time the Kearsarge, hoisted her true colours and the the most

powerful Northern the convoy Alabama ran into an rest of the word was drowned warship afloat, was cruising in English Channel. Semmes

ous chellaro. It was an attack that depended entirely on the element of surprise.

However, Semnes luck was sull out: a few miles short of

replied Semmes. "What ship.

consisting of by the Alabama'a

entire star- tho

crow

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TUNNELLING THE CHANNEL JAPAN

In the first werk Alabama enemy squadron

# the look over dozen such prizes

and replenished her stores. Especially welcome were colliers. She owed her speed and reputa tion for being the fastest vessel afloat not

acres only to billowing canvas but also to two powerful steam engines. She was, in fact, one of the Arst warships ever to be powered by steam..

The "280" had departed. Just as the guests were taking their Nag for lunch the tug had pulled alongside.

Stewards had taken the food from the tables and the guests were firmly but politely re- quested to board the tug for the return journey to Birkenhead.

waiting for

BOOT

bo carry

of

By J. W. TAYLOR

Not 100

many

out this long-

will

This was indeed news, for Mr Mallalieu's more recent THE recent announcement hitherto the Government had on stater Mallaliou

defence grounds shown little mursed fear, and now the funnel Aubrey Jones, Britain's desire to be associated with the is accepted as a

practicable Sea Wolf

could "290," it was explained, was

Minister of Fuel and Power, project. Enthusiasm has always engineering font, which destined to be a Southern com-

that experimental work in been greater on the Continent, be accomplished in five to sight merce raider whose task in the

All that he objectors France, Italy, Belgium, Holland, years. Tempting though it was to re- England and France in con- Switzerland and Sweden have have left to fight on is the Civil War was to hunt down main cruising off New York nection with the laying of all expressed willingness to enormous cost involved. and destroy Yankee chips, Only

prizes, more then did the party realise that

Undoubtedly the money they had been invited for a day's Semmes realised that he would a cross-Channel electricity back the scheme.

prey for the cable is almost completed,

BOV- people are have to be found by the Jaunt in "200" to Jull the - Northern navy. Since his own has once again raised hopes aware that a Channel Tunnel ernments Interested

cool plclons of the Customis authori- navy was heavily outnumbered | of another Channel project Company was formed in 1881

£150 million. The tunnel and (in fact Alabama was tho only

a 150-year-old dream that to construct the tunnel and that approaches would be about

Starting at either It still exists. Its annual meet- miles long. fortnight later, "90" lay respectable warship in service)

prospect of ing last year was attended by Folkestone or Dover, it could

It is the only four shareholders. The intriguing gapa not to fight the Union fleet but coming true.

They take both road and rail traffic, on the deck had been replaced to force the enemy into a game linking of Britain and were told, for the 74th succes- say supporters. with

the most modern of

sive year, that "present circum- catch-as-catch-can played France by a

tunnel under stances are not propitious for armament a rebol Government over the oceans of the world.

Channel from building the tunnel" but that, the English by And this he did-one ship huld

Folkestone,

by private course, meant or Dover, to of American officers and an English ing an enemy fleet to ransom.

enterprise. crow, "230" หาง christened Alabama and commissioned in a But Semmes did not allow for Cape Gris Nez.

ics and Federal spies.

.

A

in a secret anchorage off the he lonew that his main task was has every Azores,

couri muster. Manned

short but impressive, ceremony. the cool-headednem of President

Alabama's, Arst take was

A

drow

RAY OF HOPE

85

on

RIGHT ACROSS

Work was one started building a Channel tunnel. Al- though the Franco-Prussian War put a stop to the project, tunnel- ling began from the French aldo In 1872. By 1881 tunnels had been

The Chairman, Mr Lea d'Erlanger, pointed out that the Abraham Lincoln and his Navy

project estimated to cost a It to Secretary, Gideon Welles.

quite recently mililan in 1881 would now cost driven for about a mile from It was only strike

blow at the vulnerable would have been easy to have

Mallallou, Mr Edward

A hundred million.

each coset. Army generals, bow- and extremely valuable Yankee de

dispersed the Union Navy by that

For over 180 years men have ever, warned that if the tunnel whaling noet. It was hoped sending it in search of the rotary-treasurer of the Bri

tish Parliamentary Channel dreamed of commegling the two were completed Britain that this

might would

the elusive Alabama--but fatal to Committee, told a reporter: "My Channel consilines tunnelwise, be invaded by poldberg dia- Northern navy from its case the blockade. And so the mem low patrol of Southern waters wolf was allowed to continue begin within ten years."

guess is that the tunnel will be For many years it almost beguised as tourists, Work ceased.

This and

the ever-

came a nightmare to supporters ·

Today the two 'tunnoi· hoode the Yankee sheep followed closely a new muy of and opposers alike,; the former tightening blockcarle which, a destroying

almost unhampered.

hope for the "tunnel mon" in frustrated by the conunumi efill" exist. And TOW the inexorably on a hangman's

the statement by Mr Harold dashing of their hopes, the dreamers are visuelḥeing that in noese, was choking all ifo out Sernmes now propared n

Macmillan, while will at the latter haunted by the bear that a few years' time British motor- of the Confederacy.

His Minstry of Defence, that de... a tunnel would remove Britain's fate may be able to takow the

with prevented the tunnel's constru" those al miles, or more be drivalries, ZERO. EXTORS VIN

Chanel-water.

,

series of daring blows.

The first Sunday in. Septem- firm echanie was to seizo-ia dance glutegic objections; now major baston against invasioni. Dower jo dodrom London, and bar saw the taking of her first Mexican guir Inforied pries, Wartly Alabama, hoisted Federal---TURİ

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