Show PRAISE FOR THE KEARSARGE A alow of the battle with abo alabama the old kearsarge which sank the alabama has herself come to a violent end she was wrecked a few days ago in the caribbean sea happily without loss of life it is all but thirty years saya the london news since bhe fought her great fight off cher bourg so she has kept the seas a long time she deserved ah honored place on the retired list of the american navy for she had claims on national gratitude only second to those of the constitution her fight with the alabama was a duel conducted very much on alie model of the old personal contests in the age of chivalry after a hot pursuit she had at last cornered the confederate cruiser which had wrought so much ruin to american commerce and it was well understood that pursuer or pursued must perish she watched the mouth of cherbourg Cher bourg harbor which her enemy was under short notice to leave and the fight was inevitable the steamers in port come out to see it and some of them carried excursion parties from paris the kearsarge won by superior artillery superior discipline superior patriotism her crew had a nobler idea to tight for than the medley of mercenaries that crowded the privateer thee were a desperate gang and they had given their officers endless trouble before the kearsarge took the reformation of their manners in hand As the alabama steamed out of harbor at ten on sunday morning june 19 she found her antagonist waiting for her and the two approached eacle other in ever narrowing circles firing all the time the kearsarge was better prepared for defense as well as for attack her commander had roughly ar her in the most vulnerable parts by laying all his spare chain cables in folds over the sides the alabama opened fire at a distance of about a mile and when the ships had made seven complete circles she suddenly turned and headed for the land she was sinking for both shot and shell had reached her with fearful effects on ship and crew A british yacht tho deerhound which had come out to see the fight came up in timo to save about forty of the crew as they jumped for their lives the last shot was fired as sho went down it was a glorious victory we can say so with a clear conscience now as the daily news was among the few metropolitan journals that said so when it was won |