Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-02-27
GMortester 4ailp gpp.


by the fire ships prepared by the Dutch to blow
up the position occupied by the Spaniards,
under Alexander Farnese, the prince of Par
ma.
In the hold of each vessel, along the whole
length, was laid down solid floor of brick
and mortar, one foot thick, and five feet wide.
Upon this was built chamber of marble mason
work, forty feet long, three and halt feet
broad, as many high, and with side walls five
feet in thickness This was the crater. 1t
was filled with seven thousand pounds of gun
powder, of kind superior to anything known,
and prepared by Gianibelli himself. 1t was
covered with a roof six feet in thickness, form
ed of blue tombstones, placed edgewise. Over
this crater rose, hollow cone or pyramid,
made of heavy marble slabs, and filled with
mill stones, cannon balls, blocks of marble
chainshot, ron hooks, plough couters, and
every dangerous missile that could lie mag
ined. The spaces between the mine an5 the
sides of each ship were likewise filled with
paving stones, ironbound stakes, harpoons,
and other projectiles The whole fabric was
then covered by a smooth, lightA flooring of
plank and brick work, upon which was pile
of wood. This was to be lighted at the proper
time in order that the two vessels might pre-
sent the appearance of simple fire ships, in
tended only to excite confagration of the
bridge. On the Fortune" slow MATCH very
carefully prepared, communicated with the
submerged mine, which was to explode at a
nicely calculated moment. The eruption of
the other floating volcano was to be regulated
by an ingenious piece of clock work, by which,
at the appointed time, fire, struck from flint,
was to enhame the hidden mass OF gunpowder
below.
In addition to these two internal machines,
or "hell burners" as they were called, fleet
of thirtytwo smaller vessels were prepared.
Covered with tar, turpentine, rosn, and filled
with inflamable and combustibe materials,
these barks were to be sent from Antwerp
down the river in detatchments of eight every
half hour with the ebb tide The object was
to clear the way, if possible, of the raft, and to
occupy the attention of the Spaniards, until the
Fortune and the Hope should come down up.
on the bridges.
1t was dark, mild evening of early spring.
AS the feet of vessels, dropped slowly down
the river, they suddenly became luminous,
each ship flaming out of the darkness, phan
tom of living fire. The very waves of the
Scheldt seemed glowing with the confagra
tion while its banks were lighted up with
preternatural glare. 1t was wild, pompous,
theatrical spectacle. The array OF soldiers on
both sides the river, along the dykes and upon
the bridge, with banners waving, and spear,
and cuirass glancing in the lurid light; the
demon feet, guided by no human hand,
wrapped in flames, and fitting through the
darkness with irregular movement, but porten-
tous aspect, at the caprice of wind and tide
the deathlike silence Of expectation, whic.. had
succeeded the sound of trumpet and the shouts
of the soldiers; and the weird glow which had
supplanted the darkness-all combined with
the sense of imminent and mysterious danger
to excite and Cypress the imagination.
Presently, the Spaniards, as they gazed
from the bridge, began to take heart again.
One after another, many of the lesser vessels
drifted bindly against the raft, where they en-
tangled themselves among the hooks and gil
gantic spear-heads, and burned slowly out
without causing any extensive confagration.
Others grounded on the banks of the river,
before reaching their destination. Some SUNK
in the stream.
Last of all came the two Internal ships !;
swayng unsteadily with the current the pi
lots, of course, as they neared the bridge,
having noselessly effected their escape in the
skiffs. The slight fire upon the deck scarcely
illuminated the dark phantom like hulls. Both
were carried by the current clear of the raft,
which, by great 'ror of judgement, as it
now appeared ! part OF the builders, had
only been made to .roect the floating portion
OF the bridge. The Fortune came first, stag
gering inside the raft, and then lurchng clum-
silly against the dyke, and grounding near
Kalloo, without touching the bridge. There
was moments pause Of expectation. AT last
the slow match upon deck buried out, and
there was faint and partial explosion, by
which little or no damage was produced.
Parma instantly called for volunteers TO board
the mysterious vessel. The desperate eXpedi-
ton was headed by the bold Rowland Yorke,
a Londoner, of whom one day there was no
more to be heard in Netherland history. The
into tho taJ nd Il
less volcano, exhnguishing the slight fires that
were smouldering on the deck, and thrusting
spears and long poles into the hidden recesses
OF the hold. There was, however, little time
to pursue there peril0us Investigations, and the
party soon made their escape to the bridge.
The troops of Parma, crowding on the pail
SADIE, and looking over the parapets, now be-
gan to greet the exhibition with peels of de-
risive laughter. 1t was but child's play, they
thought, to threaten a Spanish army, and
general like Alexander Farnese, with such
paltry fire works as these Nevertheless al!
eyes were anxiously fixed upon the remaining
freship, or "hell burner" the Hope, which
had now drifted very near the place of its
destination. Tearing her way through the
raft and the shore, she struck heavily against
the bridge on the Kallo side, close to the block
house at the commencement of the floating
portion of the bridge A thin wreath of smoke
was seen curling over a slight and shoulder
ing fire upon her deck.
AT the same moment certain ensign De
Vega, who stood near the Prince of Parma
close TO the blockhouse, approached him with
vehement entreaties that he should retire.
Alexander refused to stir from he spot, being
anxious to learn the result of these investga
tiohs. Vega, moved by some intinctive and
irresistible apprehension, fell upon his knees,
anu plucked the general earnestly by the cloak,
implored him with such passionate words and
gestures to leave the place, that the prince re-
luctantly yielded.
1t was not moment too soon. The clock.
work in the Hope had been better adjusted
than the slow match in the Fortune. Scarce
ly had Alexander reached the entrance of St.
Mary's fort, at the end of the bridge, when a
horrible explosion was heard. The Hope
disappeared, together with the men who had
boarded her, and the block house against
which she had struck, with all its garrison,
while large portion of the bridge, with all the
troops upon it, had vanished into the air.
1t was the work OF a single instant The
Scheldt yawned to its lowest depth and then
cast its waters across the dykes, deep into the
forts, and far over the land The earth shook
as with the throb OF volcano. A wild glare
lighted up the scene Tor one moment, and
was then succeeded by pitchy darkness
MUSES. WeiS tOppieu uoMH uiilSS away anu
not n living thing, even in remote places, could
keep its feet. The air was filed with rain
OF ploughshares, gravestones, and marble
balls, intermixed with the heads, limbs, and
bodies of what had been human beings Slabs
of granite, vomited by the flaming ship, were
found afterwards at leagues distance, and
buried deep in the earth A thousand soldiers
were destroyed in a second of time-many Of
whom were torn in shreds, beyond the sem
blance of humanity.
Richebourg disappeared, and was not found
until snrninl dnus lafnr ,rho ir hsdn,