Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-10-24
The Attempt 10 BLOW Up the New
nrOnSides.
ABOARD FRiGATE New InoNsIDEs,
Oct. q. lSG.I

! ABoARD fRiGATE NEW lHoNSIDEs,
Oct. 6, 1868
Last Ill hit, at about quarter to 10 o'clock
the report of two heavy guns, fred in rapid
succession, was heard scaward in the dircc.
tlon of the steam mitigate New Ironsdrs -
These were followed almost immediately by
repeated rnlleys of mu>kctry. only the flashes
Of which could be seen through the dark
ness, lasting for the space OF fifteen minutes
then all was silent and Speculation was'
rife on shore AS to VIA! il meant
! HISTORY OF THE AFFAIR.
At 81 O'Clock of the night in question.
the QuartcrmaStcr on watch aboard the New
lrOl>ideS reported to the officer of the deck
II suspicious craft, with smoke stack, and
setting very low in the water making di-
ectly toward the vessel The night, al
though clear, and the SKY studd d with
stars, was nevertheless unusually dark and
but little cou.d he distinguished OF the strjin-
ger except the smoke pipe and her low hull,
the latter extremely imolistinct she appear.
ed to he s;caming II, Il speed ut seven knots
AN hour. How she could have passed our
! pickct-boats was question to be considered
| for IL was just pOssihlc She might belong to
! us, and to fire upon her without first deter
mining her character and intention might
result i'll more serious damage than if she
were AN enemy; so she WAS allowed to come
! within huiing distance. More an more
distinct she grew rs she approachrd-a
! ciSaf-shaped hull, after the pattern of the
| Wnant gunbOat, driving before 1t through
,iie water u SMALLER object, which couid
hardly he distinguished black smoke
! iipt, from whicd issued thin cloud OF Llack
.nrnhc, tut no other indications OF the mo-
tive power within, were vslb e. SiIll she
| gIdctt ON, the OIL iect of her appInucn either
the ilIgatc itself or the Devils which lay
monrcd on the port side. Coming near
enough Ia hear, She WAS hailed and ordered
! To stop, but she neither made no reply or
! ohcNcd the summons. All hands were pipcd
to quarters; gun was fired, but the curl
Gus craft sat too low in the water, and the
lail passed over her \ second shot fol
lowed the first, with the same result then IA
vullcl OF mu>kctry, lighting up ior Il mo-
munt, with its flash. the steamer. the torpc-
do at her bow, and the figure of II man, SIT
I n astr.dc of the ci iga.-saaped null, engaged
iii steering. This man, whose name is
! Tounils. and whu is now in irons on board
:ie dag snip, rr,n II shO, III ,Gt.,iI.uIon. which
severely Wounded Ensign Howard. the Oil
Ger at the deck. lie prctcnds to have been
sailing-masier of the expedition, Nhich lac
| undoubtedly was, and l. Il man OF mOdcr-
ate height, strong, muscular frame, u dark
Wrinklcd SKIN, dark eyes, and coaIsc black
hair and beard. There were three Others
With hun, all under the command ot Lieut..
Gia>seIt, formerly of the tuiled States Navy.
lie is said to be man uf superior talents
aud irLvcry, was captured Sunc time since
and confined in Fort Warren, but subsc-
qucntly ON being released, Ic;oined the
Southern army he is now Il PRISONER on the
Ottawa. The musketry firing from the
Fr5ate after the first NOllcy became rapid
and continuous, but seemed in no way to
Interfere with the execution of the plan had
III view by those aboard the steamer, It's she
approached nearer and ncdrcr edcn moment
tu the lronsidcs, her bow pointing toward
tmc laltcr's side, and run close IN under her
guns. At this moment ii terrific expulsion
took place, .jurring the great iron-plaled bull
of the irigutc, and sending into the air II
huge column of water thai icll III torrents
ali round, and entering the smoke pipe Of
the little steamer Immediately eNtingushed
her fires. " hen tins had suhsidc'i, and the
sea Was again cain., nothing whatever Was
10 hc seen of her; the suppusltlon Is that
she went down. But, struggling Tor lir,
were two men, cNldcntIy mUmi,crs Ul HCr
crew. who were picked UP hy asbnht lowered
Tor the purpose from the lrun>ldrS. Ihcy
are the two | have already mentioned, tGc
seaman Tuomls, ana Lieut.. Giassett; but
neither ol them can tell what happened in
tic time between the explosion ui ine turiJe-
dO anu the moment they fuGnd Themselves
bathing with the waves, or say COnddrnuy
whether the steamer sunk, or, rekInding urr
fires, moved on in the direction uI tuarirs-
tOu.
DAMAGES SUSTAINED BY THE FRIGATE.
VERY little injury was done the lruu,idcs;
in lruIn, | may say, with the exception al
IA lew dents, NJ n:lr.n Whatever Mas sustained
by ncr. Suc Is noble suip, and worth all
theiioniturs together, The prisoners state
thai the people OF Charleston nave very iltIlc
f.Iin IN the capacity of the latter 10 IrduCe
the iortiicutiuns leading TO tine harbOr, hut
ho!d in great lear the tcrnhie batteries of
the New irons,dcS. 10 prove the endurance
ui the snIp, / would add that the shock she
Received Vas 50 severe that huge caest
Was thrown lrun, its place III the lower hold
against one ut the stanchIOns, completely
/ CRUSHING the leg OF II SEAMAN who MAS uHior-
tunalr enough to be standing there. Twenty
+ tons ui Mater entered her deck.
/ the ORIGIN OF TuE EXPEDITION.
/ This daring attempt, unprecedented in its
iOiinUss ny ANY lhlnS MuiCh mas happened
during the war hi.d It's orIgIn IN the IitS ot
I Charleston, where the cost MAS ralscd 10y
/ puiliC subscription; some ol the wca,ttitSt
citizens subscribing largely. The steamer
/ Was huid expressly ior tne purpose, the
pattern of the Ninunt Sunboat UclUg adopt
/ ud as the one best suited tur the accomplish
ment oi the object tncy Gad IN view thU
material being al wood The torpedo, Mhlch
I Was oi the largest size, and snI,ar IN snape
| someM hat To the steamer W.. sApludrd by
mcans at perCusSlOu cap nj the iuIthrr end
MhHe head hrlng used Ia render II water
p.ohi. Large rvNarls were 10 be palu the
men m case hey succeeded IN their desperate
ehterprise ami caine uh sale, they helug
/ sans ulne al bluNing up the Irsate tut nrNvr
rAlcvylus 10 cs,apc N,ih tnrir lives. Bntu
steamer and iarprdo ",re t"",d aa lar n'
forl sumler by dnOghcr vessel II Mas pro-
habiy oNmg Ia THIS that turl escaped Tie
nu,ioe oi ol our picket u''a's, tdvsu latter
be,nR. engaged Watching tue muNvunenis "a
| tue CohNnN, Mhlvh sleainUd hegv And lhClv
un the water IA n bound ou "a misslun OF
m,scti al Ler o~n, beiore gl,d.ns bate 10
Nhat.vstou,
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passage VI Ihu vonacnp,lon act, got u'afr'ed
Ia vNadv lnu dra.i, ilr nnN aaAs, u hs