The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-03-27
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT

shot, which broke in two pieces, one fall
ing on the turret-tOp and the other on deck,
doing no damage, and producing no I'M
pleasant sensation whatever.
THE NASHVILLE HIT.
At twenty and half minutes past
seven o'clock, we fired our fifteen-inch gun
again, with a ten-second shell, which
landed plump into the pirate between her
foremost and paddle-box 1t exploded
beautifully, and there was no doubt in our
minds that we should see her in flames.
This was only our fifth shot, and if the re-
suit does not show good gunnery, pray tell
me what is to be considered standard?
THE PIRATE ON FIRE.
To our qualification we were enabled to
see very dense volume of black smoke
arising from the forward part of the YES
sci, and in couple of minutes thereafter
the flames were distinctly visible, forcing
their way up and gradually creeping aft,
until they reached nearly to the base of
the smoke-stack. The fog was slowly
creeping down upon US, threatening to
shut out the glorious sight; but it would
light at intervals, showing US in few min
utes vast sheet of flame which shot up
wards into the smoky canopy above them.
1t was not long before the smoke-stack
guys were burnt away, and the huge stack
tottered and then fell over on the port
paddle box, stirring up the glowing en-
bers, which rose and mingled with the
darkness above the doomed vessel.
THE BURNING SHIP.
Nothing but night to give darkened
background to the livid flames, would have
added anything to the grandeur Of the
scene before us. Our weary watching was
now reaping its reward, and our hearts
beat with joy and congratulation. Slowly
but surely the fire did its work-the rig
ging caught fire in several places, and
torches seemed set, as it were, over a vast
funeral pile. We fired occasionally at her
until it became evident that We could not
add anything more to her speedy dissolu-
ton. At intervals the flames would rush
up in body aft and die out forward, as if
the fire king was rushing fore and aft in
JOY at the freaks in his realms. All this
time the fort was firing at us, stopping on
ly when the fog would hide us entirely
from view.
CESSATION OF FIRING.
AT six minutes past eight o'clock we
ceased firing, having only fired fourteen
times. We waited, watching for about
thirty minutes the burning of the steamer,
and then up anchor and stood down the
river. At this time the Nashville was en-
tirely enveloped in flames, the pad dle-boxes
were fast crumbling away, and streaks of
fire were rapidly making huge crevices in
her once graceful hull.
at fifteen minutes past nine the fog sud-
denly lifted, and we saw dense volumes of
white smoke rising up and mingling with
its sable neighbor: the cotton was burning,
and the smoke was being borne by a gentle
air in the direction of Savannah-a warn
ing to them that cotton is not yet king.
EXPLOSION OF ONE HCNDRED-POUNDER
RIFLE.
At thirty-five minutes past nine O'Clock.
an explosion took place amidships, throw
ing up column of white smoke, which,
when its inertia was lost, spread itself out
like huge umbrella. Itlooked like steam,
and quite number who witnessed it pro-
nounced it to be steam, which escaped from
the bursting of her boilers. 1t probably
was the explosion Of the one hundred
FOUNDER rifle gun, from the fact that the
outline of the hull was not seriously affected
by the explosion.
EXPLOSION OF THE MAGAZINE.
In ten minutes afterwards, terrific ex-
plosion took place aft. The fire had reach
ed the magazine, and a spark had, in a
flash, set loose the latent power Of untold
tons Her hull was not able to withstand
shock like that, and vast white vol
ume quickly assembled aloft and spread out
until it met sufficient amount of atmos-
pheric resistance, whenit mingled with the
smoke from the burning hull. The main
mast was gone, the quarter torn down to
the waters edge, and the hull riven into
countless fragments. Some little time
afterwards the foremost fell, and the de-
struction was complete.
The other irOn-clals now move to the
vicinity of the fort to undertake a little
practice, and satisfy themselves as to their
invulnerability
NUMBER OF PROJECTILEs FIRED.
We have fired from the three iron clads
and three mortars, 321 projectiles, all
Shells The enemy has thrown 277 pro.
jectiles, all solid shot, except few shells
from their mortar.