Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1863-11-07

dark eyes and course black hair and beard
There were three others with him all un.
der command of Lieut.. GIassel, formerly
Of the United States Navy. He is said to
be man ofsuperior bravery, was captured
some time since and confined in Fort War
ron, but subsequently,, on being released,
rojoincd the Southern brmy. He is now
prisoner on the Ottawa. The musketry
firing from the frigate after the first voley
became rapid and continues, but seemed
in no way to interfere with tho execution
of the plan had in view by those aboard
the steamer, as she approached nearer and
nearer each moment to the "1ronsides,"
her bow pointing toward the lattor's side,
and run close in under her guns. at this
moment a terrific explosion took place jar
ring the great iron plated hull oil the frig-
ate, and sending into the air a huge col
nmn of water that fell in torrents all round
and entering the smoke pipe of the little
steamer Immediately cxtinguisbng her
fires. When this had subsidized, and the
sea was again calm, nothing whatever was
TO be seen of her; the suppo;ilion is that
she went down. But struggling for life
were two men, evidently members of her
crew, who were picked up by boat low
cred for the purpose from the Ircnsidcs. -
They are the two have already mention
ed, the seaman Toombs, and Lieut. Glas.
sell; but neither of them can tell what
happened in the time between the explosion
Of the torpedo and the moment they found
themselves battling with the waves, or say
confidently whether the steamer sank, or,
rekindling her fires, moved off in the direc-
tion Of Charleston
Very little injury was done the Iron
sides in truth, 1 may say, with the ex-
ception Of 4 few dents, no harm whatever
was sustained by her. The prisoners say
that the people of Charleston have very
little faith in the monitors to reduce the
forliGcations leading to the harbor, but
hold in fear the batteries Of the Ironsides
To prove the endur ance Of the ship, !
would add that the shock she received was
so severe that huge chest was thrown
from its place in the lower hold against
ono Of the stanchions. completely cru' hing
the leg Of seaman who was unfortunate
enough to be standing there. Twenty ions
of water entered her decks.
This daring attempt, unprecedented in
its bolduess by anything which has hap.
pened during the war, had its origin il
the city of Charleston, where the cost was
raised by public subscription some o
the wealthiest citizens subscribing largely
The steamer was built there express y
for the purpose, the pattern OF the Winau:
gunboat being adopted as the one bes
suited for the accompli shment of the OBJ
ject which they had in view, the niatera
being Of wood. The torpedo, which wa.
OF the largest size, and similar in shape
somewhat to the steamer, was explode
by means Of u percussion cap at the fur
ther end, white lead being used to render
it waterproof Large rewards were to bt
paid the men in case they succeeded il
their desperate enterprise and came Of
safe, they being sanguine of blowing W
the Irigate, but never expecting to escape
with their lives. Both steamer and torpe
do were towed as far as Fort Sumter b,
another vessel it was probably owing tc
this that they escaped the notice of ou
picket boats, these latter being engaged
watching the movements of the convoy
which steamed here and there on the waite
as if bound on mission of mischief of he
own, before gliding back to Charleston.