The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1809-06-14

-thcse gere placedbetween 500 and 400 steEss
! charged with fises,,and again; among ard
upon these we're between 2 and 5000 hard
grenades. The puncheons were fastened to.
each other by cables wound round them; end
jammed together with wedges and moisfeh-
ed sand was rammed down between these
casks, so as to render the whole, from sstens
to stern, as solid as possible, that the resis-
tance might render the explosion the more
violent In this immense instrument of de-
struction Lord Cochrane committed himself,
with only one lieutenant and four scamen and
after the boom was broken his Lordship proy
ceeded with the explosion ship towards the
enemy's line Let it be recollected, that at
this moment the batteries on shore were pro-
yided with furnaces to FIRE red hot shot, and
then his Lordship's danger in this enterprise
may be properly conceived. The wind blew
a gale, and the tide ran three knots an hour
When the blue lights Of the fire ships were
discovered, one of the enemy's signal ships
made the signal for fire ships |; which being
also blue light, the enemy fell into great
confusion, firing upon her with very injurious
effect, and directly cut their cables.
When Lord Cochrane had conducted his
explosion ship as near as was possible, The
enemy having taken the alarm, he orderedhis
brave little crew into the boat, and followed
them, after putting fire to the fuse, which was
calculated to give them IS minutes to get out
of the reach of the explosion. However, Ia.
consequence of the wind getting very high,
the fuse burnt too quickly so that, with the
most violent excrtions against wind and tide,
this intrepid little party was six minutes
nearer than they calculated to be, at the time
when the most tremendous explosion that
human art ever contrived took place, followed
by the bursting at once in the air of near 400
shells, and 5000 hand granades, pouring
down shower of cast metal in every direc-
ton ! But fortunately the boat reached, by
unparalleled cxcrtion, only beyond the extent
of the destruction. UnhappiIy this EFFORT to
escape cost the life of the brave lieutenant,
whom this noble captain saw die in the boat,
partly under fatigue, and partly drowned with
waves, that continually broke oyer them.
Two of the four sailors were also so nearly
exhausted, that their recovery has been dcs-
paired of. Such were the perils our hero
encountered, and which have hitherto been
buried in silence. When they reached their
ship, the Impericuse, it was known that Lord.
Cochraine was the first to go down to the at
tack, and was for more than.an hour the only
English man of war in the harbour. His at
tack and capture of the Calcutta, which had
one third more guns than the Imperievse,
has been properly spoken of. 4N
The repetition of his explosions was so
dreaded by the enemy, that they apprehcnded
an equal explosion in every hre-ship and
immediately crowding all sail, ran before the
wind and tide so fast, that the FIRE ships,
though at FIRST very near, could not. overtake
them, before they were high and dry on shore,
except three 74's, besides the Calcutta, which
were afterwards engaged, taken and burnt. t.
Seven went ashore, of which two three deck
ers afterwards got off, before our ships of the
line got in, and they went up the riyer---Twos
of the remaining five were ON their beam
ends before lord Cochranc came away, and II
was his lordship's opinion, that With proper
cxcrtion they might be completely DESTROYED
Our hero soon turned his attention to
rescue the vanquished ships from the devour-
ing elements and in bringing away the peo-
pie of the Vile dc Varsovie, he would not
allow even a dog to be abandoned, but took
a crying and now neglected little favog;te IN
his arms, and brought it away. But a much
greater instance of goodness was displayed In
his humanity to the captain of q French "a,
who came to deliver his sword to lord Coch-
rane lamenting, that all he had inthe world
was about to be destroyed by the connagation
Of his ship.-His lordship instantly got into
the boat with him, and pushed off, to assist
his prisoner in retieving some valuable loss
but in passing by "a, which was on hre,
her loaded guns began to so off, shot from
which killed the French captain by lord Coch-
rane's side, and so damaged the boat that she
filled with water, and the rest Of this party
were nearly drowned, .ls aV
FROM THE LONDON cAzsTrE, April 29-