The Shreveport weekly news., 1861-07-22

Virginia is the scene.
Selected Expressly for the Daily News.
Adventures OF a Thirty-T"o Pound
Shot.
Tx, affair which occurred in .hc
harhor al Ioulon, in the Spring of
1884. when, in firing a salute in hon
or Of the Jrrnch king birthday,
some shot from the Omitted sItatrS fri
cate United States. struck the French
adniral's ship, and killed one or two
men-made some nois-" at the time,
, but * now scarcely remembered, OK
cent as one of those accidents which
often occur in naval experience and
which the strictest discipline and
most cautious vigilance may not al
WAYS prevent. The first lieutenant
is considered responsible for the dis
ciplinc of the ship; but much of thar
responsibility mus, b., if We may s."
.exprcss il, merely technical there
are many minute details. in reference
10 W lich the most vigisant and covl
ipeteut officer must rely upon subor-
diuatcs, who NAV not always be
truatwo r,hy; and a slight neglect in
:, these details NAV drrangc, for the
moment. the best conceived plan, and
ipIoduc. events as serious As that
which occurred mt Tculon 1t was
the loss Of life, and no, the infre-
uuencv or the enormi,v OF the acct
dent al Iuulnn. that gave Il an air o;
national Importance; tor such Things
have occurred more than once before
: a. well in our service "a the na~aI
exciriug remark beyond the spot
where ii happened. The remark
lead nae to relate an anecdute commu
inicated Nv an naval officers detailing
! an incident which belongs to thi;
class OF naval casualties: and which
might have had as tragical a tarinina
, ton rs that at TouIon, IN; termina
ting differently, may now serve t.
excite a smile or amusc a passing
, hour.
! The scene l. laid in tho harhor "
SMYRNA The United States slool
Of war pntaria. returning from
cruise in the Archipelago put int
! SMYRNA. in the month oil E,-tfu:try
+, 1881, on the eve of Washington
birthday. The Ontario dropped an
r chor in the spacious harbor, outsil
of the immense fleet of shipping
;. which il always to hr found IN rh::
:. great eastern mart. In the dis;nuc
+ was To b, sreu the city, it,, pnsr -sli
, ycned by merchant vessels Of aim,
every nation. and between them an
= The Ontario, number OF EuE!isI
French and Dutch ships OF. war.
h On the morning ot the 22d. IN
+, gallant sI"op was dressed ont Wit
). !ia@s from every mast head. in EoEu
-. OF the father of his country; an
~. captain :. went ashore to trsneay
"a business wi,h the American corsU
Mr.. Git!cv leaving orders for the cu'
q tomarv observance OF the day. Ill
y first lieutenant accordingly dlrec;c'
r. ;hat preparations should tie made +
,g the birthday salute, by drawing I'll
IT shot from the guns. In execu,in
~ this service, the routine IL +" dra
h the shot and lay it along side of Il
IS gun; so that the officer, III passiu
f. along to she that the duty has bee
i performed, observing til" shot, Is sa
- III ned OF the fact. On this occaslo
!. it happened that the cabin guns wei
first drawn, and to avoid iumberin
-, the cabin. were directed to be CARR,
, away. One Of these shot. 1t seem
=, from carelessucs- or hurry. was la
alongside Of one Of the guns in Il
-. waist. before that gun had be,
Il drawn; and 20 this slight circW
OF stance were owing the mischances
III. day.
+ While the salute was tirlng. Il
cf attention OF the fire; lieutenant W
IN attracted by the report of one of Il
10 guns. and he Immediately called on
he Gunner. that gun had shot in
n No. sir the gunner replied, the
- is the shot alongside of the gun.
N No matter for that, said the lie
nv tenant, Il am satisfied from the sou,
IL that the gun was shotted.
Il i do not think SO, sir rcjoin
10 the gunner. but at any rate t
ri. guus are so depressed shat the ST
80 could do no harm
nd The guns had been depressed
We prevent damage TO the neighbour
shipping. from the waddiug.
is The salute was fired, and the ii
81. lieutenant had gone below, leavi
mt the frs, lieutenant in charge of
ir- deck. While this officer was paci
ca the deck, unconscious of impend'
ry evil, he observed a boat putting
he from a Dutch gun brig, their near
neighbor, and steering for the On
an ria. She was soon along side, ant
sly Dutch lieutenant stepped upon
it deck with strong symptoms OF c.
ed, sternation in his demeanor.
ing .Mein Got, sir, was the first sa
,oE .,.;nn-svo,1 fred n shot into us /