The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-06-20
A SHAM NAVAL FIGHT.

A correspondent Of the Cincinnati Times
thus describes the "sham fight" that was "got
up" to please the President, on the occasion
of his visit to the new ship of war, the
Merrimac:
Half an hour more was then spent in ex.
aiming the vessel, her polite officers kindly
pointing out to us poor and-lubbers the de-
vice and use of the many strange appurtc.
nances and fxins to be seen above and below
deck. 1t soon began to be whispered around
that we were to have sham battle, and while
everybody was inquiring of everybody else if
such thing was actually to take place, the
drums commenced beating to quarters. In an
instant every thing seemed to be in the
greatest confusion. Officers shouted incom.
prehensble words through tin trumpets. The
men leaped hither and thither like insane
monkeys, handling ropes and preparing their
big guns for service. Powder boys swarmed
up from the lower decks, with huge cartridges
in leather buckets, and in n few minutes all
the dread paraphernalia Of battle was in
readiness. The monstrous pivot guns were
wheeled around and pointGd with the greatest
ease-the men were armed with pistols and
cutlasses, and stood at their. posts, and all was
ready. Meantime their visitors had generally
managed to stow themselves as much as
possible out of the way, and waited with
great anxiety Especially the ladies' and your
correspondent who is awfuly afraid of guns,)
the commencement of the battle.
"There was silence deep as death,
And the boldest held his breath
For time"
MS Campbell says in his "Battle Of the Nile"
But we did not wait long, for Capt. PEN
dergrast, taking his speaking trumpet, gave
the command: First starboard battery, ready,
hre!' and bang went half dozen of the huge
6S Founders, with roar that shook the great
ship from truck to keel. But that was moth
ing to what followed, as battery after battery,
in rapid succession, exploded around. But
loud above the roar of the Sc and 6S poun.
ders, could distinguish the mighty booming
ot the two great pivot guns, which throw
balls and shells fnearly two hundred pounds
weight. They could only be fired about once
in two or three minutes, while the other guns
seemed to below incessantv. The cannon.
ade kept up some twenty minutes, until we
were nearly stunned by the absolutely terrific
din, and the ship was completely enwrapped
in thick canopy of sulphurous smoke
Then the call OF "Boarders away!" resounded
hoarsely along the deck, and a part of the
crew, seizing their pixies and cutasses rushed
desperately to the place where an imaginary
enemy was supposed to be, and then ensued
a terrible thrusting of pixies, clashing of cut
!asses, and popping of pistols, until the afore.
said imaginary enemy was triumphantly
beaten of, and the marines, anxious to have
their share in the glory, loaded and fired into
the air with great expertness and bravery
And then it was discovered that the magina-
ry foe was attempting to board us over the
stern, and all hands-oilicers, sailors, and
marines-came tumblng back, flourishing
their weapons and looking excessively valiant.
And then the firing commenced over ngain,
hotter than ever and in the midst of the
stormng noise, the sharp and clear tones of
beli gave warming that the ship was on fire.
(All Imagination, of course.) A portion of
the guns ceased firing, and the crew, sezng
the hose and water buckets, prepared to del
uge us with cold water, but Captain Pender.
grast concluded to dispense with this per-
tormance.