Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-12-28

enemy would like % obtain When feiIdy
She7waslto be rbufned During the After
t06fi the men wen elgaE Eed Id ieu4tiSg
away The nnasts ot' q te ships, aud at sOass
SloRhcg sJdts5f sfxteeA Gessels, ,abdt otit, the
Ro6ins Hood, was G14hor6 of her tAasts aud
aBafSlg an Rr' Ei7t tSalt uGH .If1gW01 5S3
ei ] have frequently read OF rnasts sgoing
blythe board on SHIPS at sea In d gale of
wind. but never SAP the deed performed
till to-day Il is cdrtsiuly worth witness
ing, where you haSe mot the accompaui4
nents Of a bowling gale, wild Eoudtait
sea and groaningi Ship. leaking at every
JOINT beneath you. Under these cirenIu'
stances the cutting Away masts may afford
sense of relief, but none OF qualification
or pleasure. But, with a a .feet of ships
sunk across and bl9tRading an important
rhnunel, leading to Vhatwas once thrifty
city, but what is nov tie seat Of rebelliohi
and an object ofsjuSt.ttSehRe, the dismast1
ing of the hulks, within sight of rebel flags
and rebel guns, IL really ahJ unalloyed
pleasure. One feels that N sleast nhs.
cursed rathole has been CLOSED, aud one
avenue of supplies cut on By itis I6IEa
andunything that ADDS TO tie efficiency of
thewoFk atfordsadditiona pleasire. MpSt,
of the ships in sinking had iisteAfto one
side, and the masts-6f course, stood at an
angle over their sides. -N4 s4 tn'
Tue braces aud ShrOuds on the weather
side were cut by the sharp axe OF the
whaIemAn, and the tall nHsts, swhying for
an Instant, fellftSgether With II loud crash,
tue sticks snhpping like brittle pipe-stetnS
close to the deck aud striking the whter
like an avalanche, beating 1t into IA foam
and throwing the spray high into-the air.
For nn hour or two this crashing, smashing
sound was heard on every side, and one
after another ship became II mere hulk up.
on the waters, All were dismasted save
the Robin Hond, which WAS SPARED for
another ourpose.
The scene presented in the hnrbor when
the work was done HAS novel and utter
esttng Here were tiFteen dismasted hulks,
in every pGssihle petition, lying across the
Glianhel-sOme on their port, others On
water forward. others aft. The sea swept
over some Of them; others stood uu up
right keels, aud spodted water from their
sides, MS theheavy sweIls raised them AID
dropped them heavily down upon the sand
again; aud proudly. among them all. was
the East IhdiHman, brave Robin Hood.
with her graceful tapering rnasts towering
aloft, and apparently still ahOAt.
In the background were Norris Island,
the browulsh red wills of Sumter and the
low walls of Moultrie, over which flew ii
rebel ensign, large enough 10 wrap snip
in. One poor. miserable tugbUat, consti-
tuting the rebel iaSy in these wnters, and
a small schooner, made up tue moving OBJ
jecis In the background of the panoratna,
AT six O'Clock this evening fire WIS APP
piie,l'to the Robin Hood, ,.nil she began TO
burn brightly, hut not briskly, and it WINS
u6t until eight o'clock that the tnizzen mast
fell. The ship is now burning, ut mid
night, and will soon sink.
During yesterday ADD to-day Forts Sum
ter aud Mou9tFis ISst-e Seen firing heavy
guns ut intervals, for what purpose or OBJ
iect is not known. Our work being ac-
complished, we leave for Port Royal to-
night.