The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-05-23

bard and in few minutes tho gship. AFTER
the expiration of little while signals were made from
the flagship and tho eet anchor. Tho blsek man
renamed few minutes on the naesnip and then was
sent 10 the shawsheen gnboat which took him up the
river.
appears he was familiar with ihe location or the tor
pedoes which been placed tho river by the rebels
and wanted 70 give information which would prevent
any accident 10 the feet lie said about mile above
torpedo, which 20 DO lred by wire from The
shore and he could 6nd IL. so he was sent up in the
sbasvsheen and the gunboats commenced dragging for
them though finding nothing. The Commodore Jones,
mo gunboatferry boat sylevas ahead aud very near
where the negro said The torpedo was placed CAPTAIN
beaumont, commanding the aacknaw, advised Captain
Wade, OF the Jones' not 30 10 In that vicinity and tho
ccntrnbapd sad "hassa Captain you 20 thero yen get
blowed up But Captain Wado obliged to 20 n
order to prevent his vessel from getting ashore and n
half moment tho torpedo exploded hitting Tho Jones
out OF tho water breaking her Ia the middle, bursting
tho boilers and blowing the vessel into ten thousand
p'eces Indeed she is now, what there b loit of her
bottom up while the vicinity is stfeWn with fragments
column OF water, OF pyraInidai FORM lifted
the or fifty sixty eot and The vessel borne up with H.
ard not materially injured Manp Of the other
officers wero killed OF are missing. There wese
about one hundred and twenty souls on
board, and out OF them seventy-ave or more arc
killed, wounded missing Tho loss of lne and limb
was fearful About thirty Ave to ifiy were killed or
wounded and OF tho dead have been found. fhey
either sunk covered in the debris and ruin OF th
Gesse Most Of The wounds cont1slons aud severe
bruises, The wounded wero nearly ali taken board
tho Macknaw and cared for. The VINO l,ed the
torpedo Immediately ran 10 make his escape and was
shot by one or the men board the sun0oa Commodore
Morris.
An officer OF the Macknaw, with a number or mon,
went Immediately shore and found the wires which
communicated with another torpedo, by Which the Com
modore Jones had passed when she was blown np. Io
traced the wire from the beach TO ox Ike excavation IN
the shore, from which two immediately aprang and
endcavored to The Mackinaw seized them
and II with difficulty that the officer Ia charge pre-
vented tho complete humiliation Of these cbvac sons "
Virginia.
lbe cave the bank was connected with the torpedo
by wire nicely insulated IA gutia Der hoa tnbng aud
running from old style "Grore' battery, which wgs
in with the men and they the
with the acids Immediately the vessels passed
them.
The men who were caught wsro young man, who
said his name was Smith, ana that no was IN The
rebel navy The other middle aged man, who
much less frightened and who Immediately claimed
70 be prisoner OF war; they were sent on to the nag
ship and pat in rons.
cu the telegraphic wire with which the rebels comn-
oicated with Richmond, and going up to tho elevated
bank found and cut the wire In two places Fhey also
a company Of mounted gueras, who had evidently
been watching tho performance, and though they were
running away tho scanen Cred and shot ono Of them,
and secured the body
Although the loss lie is be much ,amen,ed md
sorey regretted yet II il had been o tho iron cads
and had been destroyed, thonGh 1t Is question whether
torpedo would destroy OF tho heavy iron cads the
channel might have been blocked and the leet unabe TO
pass mp. Al dark some Of the ron-clads Withdrew Tow
miles down the place called Curtis Neck but
understand IL is only for the purpose Of coaling
OF the fleet which came down the river last even
ing above here a short distance Coalipg.
the II the river is filed with the oating remains
or the Inflated Commodore JONES' Scarcely peco which
has come down larger than mans leg but most cf IL
is Ia small bits aud fragments.
For an hour this morning wo beard heavy ard rapid
firing the bank of the river, and apparently
from the direction oil West Point, though sometimes
wns near and again Distant like the evodtons Of light
battery.
We have not learned the cause, but premise II may be
occaoned by the forces advancing from the direction OF
West Point The day e clear and BRIGHT the roads are
fne and everything in good shape tos forward move
ment
news OF tho destruction Of the Shawseen and the
army gunbpat Brewster will have reached you through
your other correspondents so win not borden your CO.
iumns with the details learn them Matters OF I'M
portance TO uspspre shortly but to the public they
must remain secret for few days Everything is
working wellin fact splepdidly.