New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-05-30
FROM RED RIVER
Escape of Admiral Forter's
Omeinl Narrative of the Great he"'-
r,icu,..CoI. IsaiIey the Master Engineer
v,,o,cs.;,,y Particulars.
-Entercsting PnrticHi"E'


Undertaking
,t,ss,ss,ppr SQUADRON. FLAGSHIP BLACK HAWK I
Mourn RED RIVER, May &C. 1904.
SIR. have the honor to inform You thaI lhe
49, i,fe,v caught by low water above tue llls az
AIexo0Jria have been released EOh in,I IN li'
N;,i,n me water had fallen 80 low tiat H"u u"
bope or expectation OF getng tue bcssls ' t =. 'o 80,
son and as he army had made aransthi A'S 10 q "g
at he country, 1 saw nothing 9elrie ou - '0
rtuc,n of the best part Of the Mississippi squadron
LIEUT. col. BAILEY $ PROPOSITION.
There seems 10 have been an esp clm fl9NiuohIe
hooking ont for in providing mon e@un 10 u,
emergency. Liout-CoL l@iicy' Acuhf f'SlH,,I p,
The lgfh Army COWs proposed o. pan oil uGi-einE
series Of dams across the ROCKS az me IaS ana rSs
the water Mo enough 20 Jet The vessels pass over
This proposition looked like madness. ana the best en-
cinccrs Iidiolcd it; but CoJailcy was SO sanune OF
success that 1 requested Gen Banks 10 nave il cone
ord Ia entered heartily into the work. PROVISIONS
were slsrt and forage was alnos, ont, ana the dam
womb have O. leave U.s. was don 'ul about The time
but Lad no doub, about the ultimate success u time
vonld oflv permit Gen. Banks placed AZ tie disposal
OF Col Bailey all tie force ne legui'ed CONSISTING ei
come 5000 men md go or 800 wagons. MI inc ntsh-
boring .teamuiNs were torn down for materials .W9
Oi three regiments Of Maine men were set tt WOiN
telling trees and ON Tie second day a.tel ny glya in
Alex.uGlia from Grand EcoIe ne work lad fairly
begun. ,.
MOVING in al directions, briL.ug ia brick and stonei
QuasIigs were oIencdi i.at9oais were uut 10 oIhs
stone down from above and cFerI man seemed 10 pc
working with y-or have seldom seen oqualed whiie
perhaps not one IN ;y believed III the success Of the
uudcll1kinr These falls are about lille in length,
flcd Wir. rugged rocks over which. az the present
stage of water, it seemed TO be impossible ~ make
channel
A WONDERFUL WORK-TIE TREE DAM.
The work WAS commenced by running ont nom the
let bank II Che river tree DAM made oil Inc poues o
very large trees brush brick, and stone cross-ted with
heavy timber and strengthened in every way which m
cenlty could devise. his YVES run out aOoui 500 ieei
into tie li,cr. Muc large coal bng's were then iled
with brick and sl,k 20 the end Of 10. nom the right
bank Of fle,it,r cribs iod with stone were built out
oucet Che ai-cs az Of which w's successfully accom-
ph,.c notwithstanding there was current running
OF nine MD ll AuuT which threatened tOs"eep every
i win take TOO 1nuch time to enter into the details Of
this tfuy wonderful work. sulCe u to say that he dam
lad nearly reached completion n eight dots working
time and tic water had risen sui ceay OF the upper
frhs 10 allow tie Fort lii1Gmln, Usage, and NcuslC tJ
get down and De ready to pass the dam in another
day it would have been ieh enough 10 eiape ii tNc
other vessels 90 pass The nppor falls unfortunately on
the morning Of the 9Th inst. the pressure of water
became 80 great that it swept away two If the stone
larrps which swung In below the dam on enc SIDE
Seem this unfortunate accident jumped on q horse
and rode up 20 where tie upper vessels were ored
aud ordered to Lexington 10 ass the upper ils pos
siblc and Immediately attempt to 90 through dam
thought might be able 90 savc tie lDur vessels below
not knowing WLc ~ tte persons cI DJcl Oh Che work
would ever have the heart TO renew tae enterprise.
y PART OF TIE ILALT GIT OVER TIE FALLS.
Tho Lexington succeeded in Clrl1g over the upper
falls just in time the wIt'r RAPIDLY filling as Sic w.s
passing Over. S then stcercd directly i0r ihe og nn-
in tie den, through which tho watcr was rts. ng 20
flTiousv shat it seemed j nothing but destruction
awaited leT. Thousands OF beating hearts looked ou'
Tie silence was ~ great as the Lexington approach ed
Tie dem taat in might almost la' no A heaid 10
fan. She entered the gap Will tu head u steam o.
pitched down tie roaring torrent, made two or three
spasm, dc Tolls. lung fog moment Oh Ac rocks below,
was tlcn swept uto deep water by the current, and
Thirty tlous,nd voices rose IN one deafeninc cleer
and universal y seemed o. pcnad' tae face OF every
man fIes.GI Tie Ac0slJ followed D. Xt-au A.r
latcle, la orcl dCva. ard CyC,y prCc G'i08 taken
against accident. Sic did not fare wei as tle Lex
ingon. her pilot having become frightened as he aI'-
IFoac.ce tac culss, ana stopped Acl ca -r E-eI 4
paItic-.Ig ordered fun head o. steam i0 Doe carried.
The result was tlat ior moment hcr huu disappeared
fIOm sight, under Tie water. Every on thought size
was loss. She rose, however swept along over The
rock With rtn current and forum tcy escaped WIKI
only ore hole in her bottom which stopped in ID,
coGr.e Of an hour ne IIiudman and Usage both cam,
1hr,u-s beautifully without toGc. ing % thing and
thou it uas Only fortunate enough 10 set ny lug
yesse 0' vel ove4 tae ai.s my lcet once more would
Go gOcl service ON tlo Mississippi
COZ. DALEY NOT risIEhRTEEED.
The accident o. TIE dgm, instCl+ OF dl5hcfIfeDlng
Col D. 60 only induced llm to renew DIS cxeltlols,
afas Doe bad tlc success q getting Our vessels
thrOu-h 20 n0blehe rfed soldiers, seeing theirlaoor
oi tie .l.t eight t!s sNef. ana' ln Moment cheer
now tha I'll {. grlaoas Noli De Iu.A' Drought o.,
The mcn Aat been working ,0r erlt drrs and Ielts,
mp 10 thel lecs IN water in tAe orodnf sun. cutting
pIoleseG among tlem "a tie whole, ir was very for
tunate the dam was carried away as tlr two barge.
that were swept away from tle center s"HnS af a1d
against some loca. OIL the eft and made -. h.on
for the vessels and prevented tlcl, as Q -.c -4c ap-
peaIcl lo- running on ceIteln destruction
The osce OF tie water and The current being TOO great
10 construct continued. dam Of SIX hundred feet across
The river u so short Zine, Col Bailey determined %
leaYc % gap o. tit five feet IN the dam and build
ter.cs o.. viz dams on tue upIcrhs Il.swcs accom-
vsirl ia itree DAYS time and o. the lfh instant the
M0CuG City Ae talOlaciet and fltisDurFl came oF ~
the upper fl GOOD deal oi labor having beer e2pcnd-
ell I'm hauling thcu through, tie channel being very
crooacG-s-alc,. vide enough iar tlem. Nc1taay t-a
OzaIk Iolsvie Chicothe AID two tugs also succeed
cd DID crossing tlc g.cr falls.
PASSAGE up TIL FLfET-A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT.
Immediately ararwaId the Mound City. Cmordeet
md p shrrr started IN succession t1 pass tle DAM an
ther htcla l.tt.Eed down AID appreciation taken
IL prcvult accident.
dhc n.ssaee of these vessels. was most beautiful
fchf Only % he realized when SEEM 1lcy passed Over
without accident, except tito uls-pplr OF oLe or
two ruddogs This was WlDe scd by al The troops, and
fhc vessels were heartily c-cDred when they passed
over. Next morning, 1T ten O'clock, tho Louisville.
ChlicotAo. Ozark, and two tugs passed over without
of tie deck Of one Of the tugs By three ococ; that
afternoon t4e vessels all ooa.cd, ammunition
placed end al, teamed down The river with DE convoy
81 transports u company. y good Ce. OF cilclfy was
anticipated u getting over he bars ia lower ked vcr
depth oi Wgter reported only five feet llnboats were
drswiuc Six. Pr5vilc4daly. wo Lad Use from the
high at that tustle back-watcr extending 20 Alex
GnJra ID miles distant enabling us 90 pass III the lars
Gud DISTINCTIONS with SAFETY.
Words arc inadequate 20 express The admiration
{ce e fle ability o. Llcuf.Co. Bailey This is WITH
81; .oaLt the iert engineering icat ever = Eoined
- Inder tc best crcumstlnc private company
would lo ave c0mJ .etl4 t.is work under one year
md 20 an orc uild the whole thing would have
appeared on .rtire inpoa..-ly. Le.yiur oat lis gl
ity as az 1ile,rt.e credit Re las conferred upon
Tic comfy. % as saved tie Union valuable faot
WORT rcry g. 0O,NJ; moro, le has deprived tie en-.
ei1v g triumph which w0lll have enbOljeued them
- carry 90 ibis WdI year o. iNO !ongc, for the iu
fcl0cd departure o! tlo army was a fixed lact aud
there nothing ei- lor nc 70 do N case that event
occurred but 90 dcroy every part Of to vessels that
fo ni Tn