The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-03-18
THE LOSS OF THE HOUSATONIC,
A Naval OfIicer'S Account of the
Affair.

Au01le
A TERRIBLE AGENCY IN NAVAL WARFARE.
From the Army and Navy Gazette.
As history of the recent disaster of the
United States steamer Housatonic may be
of interest to many of your readers,
will attempt brief statement of the
facts:
On the evening of February 18th, the
Housatonic was anchored outside the bar,
two and half miles from Breach Inlet
battery, and five miles and three-fifths
from the ruins of Sumter-her usual sta
ton on the blockade. There was but lit
tie wind or sea, the sky was cloudless and
the moon shining brightly. A slight mist
rested on the water, not sufficient, howev-
er. to prevent our discerning other vessels
on the blockade two or three miles away.
The usual lookouts were stationed on the
forecaste, in the gangway and on the
quarter. deck.
AT about S.45 of the first watch, the Of
fcer of the deck discovered, while looking
in the direction of Breach Inlet Battery,
slight disturbance Of the water, like that
Produced by a porpoise. At that time it
appeared to be about one hundred yards
distant and a-beam. The Quartermaster
examined it with his glass, and pronounced
it school of fish. AS it was evidently
nearing the ship, orders were at once given
to ship the chain, beat to quarters, and
call the Captain. Just after issuing these
orders, the masters mate, from the FORE
castle, reported the suspicious appearance
to the officer in charge. The officers and
men were promptly on deck, but by this
time the submarine machine was so near
as that it's form and the phosphorescent
light produced by it's motion through the
water were plainly visible. At the call to
quarters it had stopped, or nearly so, and
then moved towards the stern of the ves-
sci, probably to avoid our broadside guns.
When the Captain reached our deck, it
was on the starboard quarter, and so near
| US that all attempts to train gun on it
were futile. Several shots were fired into
it from revolvers and rifles it also re-.
ceived two charges of buckshot from the
Captains gun
The chain had been slipped and the en-
gines had just begun to move, when the
crash came, throwing timbers and splin-
tiers into the air, and apparently blowing
| off the entire stern of the vessel This
was Immediately followed by a fearful
rushing of water, the rolling out of a
dense, black smoke from the stack, and
the settling of the vessel.
the boats, and the men sprang to the work
with will. But we were filling too rap
idly. The ship gave lurch to port and
all the boats on that side were swamped.
Many men and some officers jumped over
board and chung to such portions Of the
wreck as came within reach, while others
sought safety in the rigging and tops
Fortunately we were in but twenty eight
feet Of water, and two of the boats on the
starbOard side were lowered. Most of
those who had jumped overheard were Ell
Their picked up or swan back to the wreck,
The two boats then pulled for the Canaan
daig1a, one and half miles distant. AS
sistance was promptly rendered by that
vessel to those remaining on the wreck.
At muster the next morning, five of our
number were found missing The Captain
was thrown several feet into the air by
the force of the explosion, and was pain
fully but not dangerously bruised and cut.
1t was the opinion of all who saw the
strange craft, that it was very nearly Or
entirely under water, that there was no
smoke-stack, that it was from twenty to
thirty feet in length, and that it was
nOiseless in her motion through the water.
1t was not seen after the explosion The
CHI Of 1nlr thn ~, IL
about the miZzen-mast The force of the
explosion seems to have been mainly up
ward. \ piece ten feet square was blown
out of her quarterback, all the beams and
carlines being broken transversely across
The heavy spanker boom was broken in
its thickest part, and the water for some
distance was white with splinters Of oak and
pine
Probably not more than one minute
elapsed from the time the torpedo was
first seen, until we were struck, and not
over three or four minutes could have
passed between the explosion and the
sinking of the ship. Had we been struck
in any other part, or before the alarm
had been given the loss of life would have
been much greater.
The HOusatOnic was a steam slOOp, with
tonnage of l ,240, and she carried bat
terry of thirteen guns. She was completed
about eighteen. months ago, and has been
il the blockade ever since She is the
first vessel destroyed by contrivance OF
this character, and this fact gives to this
lamentable affair significance which it
would not otherwise possess. Deserters
tell us that there are other machines of
this kind in the harbOr ready to come
out, and that several more are in process
OF construction. The country cannot at
tend too earnestly to the dangers which
threaten our brockading fleets, and the
gunboats and steamers on the Southern
rivers Y
ORR CHARLESTON, Feb. p, 1864.
A REhARKABLE case of righteousness in
age Is that exhibited by the staid old Bos-
ton DnAy Adrertiser. 1t is full of sharp
hits lately and here is the last, which is
6 good :" ~ -