The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-16 00:00:00

SHIP ON FIRE.

In the dense smoke that prevailed, excluding every ob-
ject from view, the glorious old AI i.sisAppi went ashore
right opposite the centre and worst battery. She now be-
came a standing target for the whole range of the batteries
of Port Hudson. Finding it impossible to escape, Captain
Smith gave orders to set the ship on fire, to prevent her
falling into the hands of the rebels. Accordingly her aft
part was fired, the rebels all the time continuing to pour in
their shot and shell as fast as they could bring their guns
to bear. The artillery practice would have been worthy of
a better cause The Mississippi was riddled through and
through. Four men were known to have been killed ere
the ship was abandoned. Several were known to have
jumped overboard soon after the ship was set on fire, and
there can be no doubt that some of them were drowned.
There was a favourite spaniel on board which succeeded in
swimming to the shore. This dog was greatly excited
during the heart of the engagement, and, as the shells ex-
ploded, he ran at them, Larking furiously, even following ae
near as possible those which exploded in the water. Soon
after the vessel had been fired two shells came crashing
through her, exploding, and setting fire to some turpentine
and oil which they upset. The ship was then at once
abandoned, and burned till she became lightened, to which
the removal of nearly 300 men contibuted, when she swung
off into deep water, presenting her head down the river.
Presently it was reported on board the Richmond that she
was coming down, and we all turned out on the poop deck
to see the sight. It was a magnificent spectacle. From the
midships to the stern the noble vessel was enveloped in a
sheet of flame, while fire wreaths ran up the shrouds, played
around the mainmast, twisted and writhed like fiery ser-
pents. Onward she came, keeping near to the right bank,
still bow foremost, as regularly as if she was steered by a
pilot. It was, indeed, a wonderful sight. Capt. Smith,
her recent commander, and several of her officers, who had
by this time arrived on board the Richmond, assembled on
the poop deck—their emotion almost too great for words.
Next to his wife, children, or sweetheart, there is nothing
that a sailor loves more than his ship—nothing that he re-
grets the loss of so much; and in the absence of the above
mentioned domestic ties, his ship is to him wife, child, and
sweetheart. The feeling of regret at the loss of his ship is
enhanced when, as in the case of the Mississippi, the gallant
craft has achieved historical renown. No wonder, then,
that the officers of the Mississippi should feel a sinking at
the heart on witnessing the destruction of their floating
home, while they were powerless to save her. As she ar-
rived opposite the port side of the Richmond some appre-
hension was entertained that her port broadside might
give us a parting salute of not a very agreeable nature.
Captain Smith assured Captain Alden, however, that her
port guns had been all discharged. Just as she had cleared
us her starboard guns began to go off. This was accompa-
nied by the explosion of the shells she had on deck ready
for use. These exploded at short intervals. The flames
now began to increase in volume from amidships to the
stern, and the howitzer on the maintop was discharged
with the heat. Majestically the gallant craft—gallant
even in its last momenta—moved down the stream till,
turning the bend at the lower of Prophet Island, she
was hidden from our view, and nothing more was seen
but a bright glare shooting up skywards. Shell after shell
still exploded at intervals, and thus a couple of hours passed
away till the Mississippi was some eight or ten miles below
the Richmond. The shells now begin to explode more
rapidly, indicating that the fire has reached the shellroom,
and cannot be far from the powder magazine. This proves
to be the fact, for presently a sudden glare of bright flame
shoots upwards towards the zenith, spreading skyward in
the form of an inverted cone; an interval of a few seconds
elapse ; then comes a stunning roar, causing the Richmond
to tremble from truck to kelson, and the gallant Mississippi,
that so long has braved the battle and the breeze, is no more;
all that remains of her is sunk in the bosom of the mighty
river from which she derived her name.—New York Paper.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

,6,-

NEWARK-WEDNESDAY.

Wheat prices generally the same as last week. Barley'
and oats as before. Barley scarce.
White wheat new, 50s to 58s ' Barley, grinding.. 30s to 32s
Red do. 468 to 508 Oats, old, .. 3os to —0
Old white sos to 518 New do 23s to 26s
Red do.. 43s to 48s Beans. 428 to 45s
I
Barley, malting.... 38s to 42s Beans, new 358 to 383

Peas,....

33s to 38s.

HULL-TUESDAY.

A small supply of English wheat today, which met a
a Er.ead) sale, at fully last week's currency. Barley dull,
and declined is per qr. Linseed cakes steady.
Wheat.... Old white.... per qr .. 48s Od to 50s Od
Old red
»
New white .. ~
New red .. • •
Barley.... English malting ~
Grinding 27s 6d to 29s Od
Saal and Oderbruck
Holstein and Danish 2Bs Od to 29s ocl
Grinding 2Bs Gd to 31s Od
Oats English, old 26s Od to 28s Od
Archangel and Riga, per st osl2id to 13,3
Friesland and Dutch osl3d to Ogind
Swedish and Danish oBl2ld to 0813 d
Beans ....English, old, per qr 4ss Od to 46s Od
New pigeon 42s Od to 41s Od
New tick
Egyptian .. 33s Od to 34s Od
Peas Foreign boilers ~. 36s Od tc 38s Od
Grinding
Tares ....Spring. —s Od to —s Od
Indian Corn
Linseed, feeding s2s Od to 56s Od
crushing . 4os Od to 52s Od
Linseed cakes (Hull) £9 15 0 to £lO 0 0
Foreign Bl5 oto 9 0 0
Rape cakes 6 5 oto 610 0
Bones 5 5 oto 510 0

LYNN—T
A fair show of wheat to-da;
at about late rates.
White 44s to 48s I
Itt.d „4ls to 44s I
Beans .38s to 42s
New 36s to 38s

'UESDAY.

iy, with a moderato demand,

Barley. . 38s to 400
Grinding ..34s to 360
Oats..
Peas —s to ---0

COAL Il
Prioes of Coal per Ton a

,ARK ET.

the close of the market.

s. d.
Buddle'sWest Hartley 15 3
Byass's Bebside West
Hartley ....15 3
Davison's West Hart-

s. a.
Holywell ..15 3
North Pelton Gas. 13 0
West Hartley 15 3

ley 15 3
Carway and Duffryn
Malting . l9 6
Tanfield Moor 12 3
Tanfield Moor Br tes l2 0
Walker Primrose 11 0
Eden Main 14 9
Wylam l5 6

Walla End.

Ha5we11......., 17
Hartlepool.. l6
,U.
Kelloe
South Kelloe l6 u
Ridde11....., l4 3
Whitworth. l4 v
Heugh Hall 15 a 0
Tzimdon Hartlepool l4 v
t, 44 ; sold, 33.

Ships at market

Foreign Mail Packet List.