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

SHIP ON FIRE.

In the dance smoke that prevailed, excluding every ohs
ject from view, the glorious old Mississippi 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, barking furiously, even following as
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 10
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 moments—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 Tapir.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

.4.

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.. 308 to 32a
Red do. 46e to 50s Oats, old, .. 3os to —0
Old white sos to 51s New do 238 to 268
Red do 43s to 48s1 Beans. 42s to 450
Barley, malting 38s to 42s I,_ Beans, new 35s to 38a

Peas, ....e3s to 38s.

HULL-TUESDAY.

A small supply of English wheat today, which met a
a steady sale, at fully last week's currency. Barley dull,
and declined is per qr. Linseed cakes steady.
Wheat.... Old white.... per qr 4Bs Od to 50s 08
Old red
New white .. ~
New red ....
~
Barley.... English malting 32s Od to 38s Od
Grinding 27s 6d to 29s Od
Saal and Oderbruck
Holstein and Danish 2Bs Od to 29s Od
Grinding 2Bs Od to 31s Od
Oats English, old 26s Od to 28s Od
Archangel and Riga, per at oBl2id to 13a
Friesland and Dutch osl3d to 08130
Swedish and Danish Osl2fd to osl3d
Beans ....English, old, per qr. 4ss Od to 46s Od
New pigeon 42s Od to 44s Od
New tick 4os Od to 42s Od
Egyptian .. 33s Od to 34s Od
Peas Foreign boilers ~.
Grinding
Tares ....Spring —s Od to —s Od
Indian Corn
Linseed, feeding . 52s Od to 66s Od
crushing
Linseed cakes (Hull)
Rape cakes
es
£9
15
8 15400 t
Od
0s
tooxtlooos2 0 0
s 0 0
0 d
Foreign
6 5 oto 610 ~.
Bones 5 5 oto 510 u