The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-05-05

OAAC W oAOt4iOI VI tUG UunDOdIS.
Iev At twenty minutes past six o'clock we
= were within half mile of the Oueen-oE
lH the West, still in the SEINE position as be.
fore. The intention was to surround the
rebe! steamer, open tremendous cross
fire upon her, and, if necessary, run her
down 10 EalaEaI .ar 4G3ff vfE.4
The ram now turned slowly to the left
and steamed for the Arizona. with the
evident iintention of running her iron
prov into her. afr III
At the same time the Calhoun started
for the Queen-ofthe-West for the same
purpose, when the latter, as if uncertain
what to do, stopped her engines and ap-
peared to stand at bay, while our shells
were flying around her from every quar-
ter. q .-e G-s8E ZIP L-Is..
Suddenly at this time-a cloud of white
smoke was seen to rise, as if from the
deck of the ram, followed moment af-
ter by dense black smoke, and then
sheet of fame and smoke-the famous
rebel ram, the Queen of the West, was
on Ere ------y grvcu Uy OUT
gallant tars as soon as they saw their
powerful enemy on FIRE; but, the flames
spreading rapidly along the deck and
rigging of the Queen of the West, her
guns silent and ber crew running here
and there in wild confusion--some throw
ing overheard cotton bales, with which
she was barricaded, while others jumped
into the sea--all feelings of enmity van
ished. Captain Cook Immediately blew
the signal whistle to cease firing, and as
sist in rescuing the crew; and as the Es-
trella, Calhoun and Arizona steamed up
to the doomed vessel the hearts Of both
officers and men burned to save and sue
cor their fellow beings in danger and
distress. ...E ...-
Boats were lowered, drowning men
rescued, and all on board the burning
ram transferred to the decks of the gun
boats, while the Minna Simms, on dis
covering the Queen of the West on fire,
inhumanly turned her bow from her and
steamed off as rapidly as possible, with
out making the slightest attempt to save
one life. Humanity alone would proba-
bly, have prevented our vessels from fol-
lowing her, though she could easily have
outstripped them all, as she was a much
faster boat than they. --
e Ninety-fve persons were taken out of
the water and from on board the Queen
of the West, and as the prisoners state
that she had one hundred and thirty-fve
on board, forty are missing; and as but
small portion were killed by our shells,
nearly the whole of this number met
watery grave. .4...u
Among the rescued were Captain Full
ton, Lieutenant Fish, the Chief Engin-
eer, and several other officers.
As soon as the crew, officers and sol
diers were taken off the ram, she was
abandoned, when she drifted about for
some time, the flames each moment rag
ing more fiercely until they reached her
magazine, when she exploded with a
noise which was heard for miles around
Even after the explosion the hull re-
mained together and grounded. She
burned to the water edge.
& The next day the Arizona, Captain
Upton, proceeded to the charred remains,
and finding her guns in good order he
removed them on board his vessel They
were-one ihirty-pound PARROT (now on
Arizona S forecastle,) one twenty-pounder
and three twelve-pounders.
From what can learn on board our
gunboats, and from the prisoners cap
tured on the Queen of the West, it is i'm
possible to state which vessel fred the
she'll that was the cause of her destruc-
ton. 1t seems that one struck and burst
IN box of ammunition, instantly setting
her upper decks and rigging in a blaze;
and as one party prociaims it shell
from. the Calhoun, another from The Es-
f,ollo opd q thi-d from, tho A rizopo 1riil
it not be better, under the circumstan-
ces, for history to say The rebel. ram
Queen of the West was attacked in Grand
Lake on the morning of the 14lh of
April, 1868, by the Federal gunboats
Estrella, Calhoun and Arizona After
half an hours sharp firing and maneu-
vering she'll burst in an ammunition
bc K, e ting her on fire, when she burned
to the waters edge, exploding her mag
azine."