THE U. S. WAR STEAMER KEARSAGE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 206, 2 September 1869, Page 2

THE U. S. WAR STEAMER KEARSAGE.

The U. S. war steamer Kearsage arrived yesterday morning from Tahiti via Fiji. Considerable amount of interest is connected with this celebrated ship, owing to the fact of her having sunk the much-dreaded Confederate cruiser Alabama, after a sharp action of an hour, on the 19th June, 1864. In appearance she bears no resemblance to an English war vessel, having much more shear and rise forward, but she has all the appearance of a remarkably fast and wholesome vessel. She is a screw steamer of 180 horse power (nominal), her speed under a full head of steam being 13| knots, with a consumption of 22 tons coal per 24 hours. Her armament consists of two llin. Dahlgren guns, four 32-pounders, aud one 30-pouuder, rifle gun. Her station is on the west coast of South America, at Talcuhana (Concepcion) j' but she has lately been on a cruise among the islands of the Southern Pacific Ocean. She sailed from Tahiti on the 24th June, aud touched at Ovalau (Fiji), sailing again on the 25th July. She has coine on to this port for the purpose of provisioning, aud will leave again in about a fortnight for New Zealand, and from thence to her original station on the west coast. We may mention that the Kearsage is in i every particular, both with regard to masting, armament, etc., precisely the same as when she went into action with the Alabama. The eyebolts, on her starboard side, to which were attached her cables triced up in bights, still remain intact, the forethought of her commander in using the cables as a means of defence on that occasion proving of infinite service ; Captain Thornton, her present commander, was then first lieutenant. The Kearsage is a flush ship, with ample space to earry her armament, the deck beiug completely intersected with traversing slides, for the ready working of the guns. With respect to her rig it would appear that she depended more on [ steam power than propulsion by canvas j but her officers report her speed under sail alone at eleven knots. The accommodations afforded to her officers and crew are judiciously arranged, and although not elaborate iu finish, are evidently comfortable and suited to the purpose. The Kearsage is one of the miracles of that improvisation of naval power which startled the master shipwrights and dockyard officials of the old world by its fertile rapidity. The genius of the Northern States, stimulated by a pressing emergency, grasped the ore from the mine, and the timber from the forest, and blending them together with a terrible energy, , launched, as it were by magic, vessel after . vessel, to range around and protect her long coast line-; aud to blockade her foe. The Kearsage was one of the nine gun boats furnished by the United States G-o---vernment within ninety day3 from the date of the order being given, -the period actually occupied in building the vessel in question being but sixty-nine days.-^-Mel-bourne Telegraph.