The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-02-15
FROM CHARLESTON.
Shellin1 q Bleckade Runner Infer
nal Machines - Effect Of the Shells
Thrown into the City.


Thrown into the City.
Boston, Feb. 10.
The correspondent Of the Boston
Herald, writing from the feet off Charles
ton. describes the destruction of the
blockade runner as follows:
of Charleston, February 2d-Early
this morning some daring Englishman
made a bold attempt, just before day
break and during fog, to run the block
ade. He succeeded in getting in as far
as the mouth oil the harbor when she was
run ashore by trying to avoid the shells
from our batteries, which we're flying in
every direction. The fog soon cleared
up, and there was the blockade runner
hard and fast on the beach. She was q
splendid looking side-wheel steamer, with
two smoke stacks and rakish masts. Forts
Wagner and Gregg, aided by two mont
tors, at once commenced to shell her and
by noon she was complete wreck A
200-pounder Parrott, from Fort Wagner,
cut her nearly in two. besides the she'll
ing of the steamer, the city of Charleston
James Island and Forts johnson and
Moultrie have received q tremendous
cannouading.
The same correspondent, under date of
February 81, says the rebels have tried
several times lately to reinforce the al
most worn out garrison in the ruins of
Fort Sumter, but have failed 1t cannot
De done by day Wight as our guns have full
range of the harbor all round. At night
our calcium lights are kept lighted and
bear not only on Sumter but upon all the
harbor and the city, SO that it is impossi-
BILE tor beat or steamer to go near the
ruins; in addition TO this the small rem
nant OF garrison IN the ruins are treated
every ten or fifteen minutes to a heavy
and powerful Parrot she'll from sunset
till daylight. Mos. of the men in Sumter
are negro slaves, and We know that some
twenty or thirty Of them are killed daily.
The night before last, it being somewhat
hazy, one of the rebel rams, in company
with torpedo boat, cigar shaped in
fernal machine, left Mount Pleasant and
proceeded down the creek IN the rear of
Johnson's Island, for the purpose of going
out 10 make an attempt to destroy the
gunboats liousatonic and Nipsic, which
were GU guard duty that night in the
south channel, near Beach Inlet. When
the ram and internal machine had got
ready to make dash out of the inlet, it
was found that the machine was in sink.
ing condition. She was then turned back
into the inlet where she now lies sunk.
She went down carrying with her eight of
her crew. This mishsp put an end to
the attempt to destroy our vessels. This
is the third Internal machine the rebsIs
have lost
A few days ago squad of ten rebel
soldiers, including sergeant, escaped to
our lines. They say that starvation stares
them III the face in Charleston that all
civil laws are at an end in the place. and
that military rules have full sway every
where that the civil authorities are be-
coming desperate, and that every means
IN their power will be resorted to to force
the blockade here ; they must have assist
ance or starve. They report the city is
badly damaged from Gilmore's constant
bombardment, which is still going on. II
is calculated that at least shell is sent
into the city about every ten minutes.