St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-05-22

NOW size passed our wheel ana lnc
crew of the after @uns watching the
movement, drove the solid shot into her
ports. The elevating screw of our Par
rott rifle was broken, and the GUN cloud
not be depressed to bear on the cnemys
port. but hurled its missile against her
iron armor. leaving a rent TO mark the
point of its impact \ nine-inch solid
shot, fired with an increased charge,
struck her inclined roof. and flew en- n
cochtt, like pebble bounding from a
pavement, into the air beyond, and this
at Il distance ot not more than fifteen
tcct
And this cool gunnery and precise
artillery practice tramspircd while the ship
from tirr-room 10 hurricane deck, was
~hrou'lcd in one dense cloud or fiery
steam. The situation was appalling.
The .hrck- of the scaldcd and dying.
they trantically rushed up from below,
with their shrivcllrd flesh in shTcads up
on their tortured limbs, the engine be-
yond control, SURFING and revolving with
out guide or check, abandoned by all
save one. who, scaldcd. blackened, si@ht-
less. still stood like hero TO his post.
Alone. amidst that mass OF unlooScd
steam and uncomfortable machinery. the
chici engineer OF the SasSacus remained,
calling to his men to return with him in
10 the iirc-ruOm. to drag the fires from
beneath the uniniured boiler, which was
now in imminent danger of explosion.
Let hi- name be long remembered by the
hundred beings whose lives were saved
III that fearful moment by his more than
heroic tortitudc and cXcrtion.
There were no means of instantly cut
ting OFT communication between the two
bolirr-. and all the steam contained in
both rushed out like Il flash, exposing the
ship to "A morr fearful catastrophe. should
our brac engineers be too late IN drawing
the heavy fires which threatened our DIES
tructiou. All this time our comsort look
in- towards us could only see thick
white cloud, lighted mp ncc>~cntlv by the
flashes OF our rapidly->cryrd guns, a. the
gaIlaut Na->acU- rose glOriously above
the storm of disaster that surrounded
her and challenged the admiration OF
her ANXIOUS comraiy, by the stubborn
laundering ot her battery. The ship
It'll moved. working slowly ahead, on Il
vacuum Xluuc. The cloud Of steam at last
IiIri, and We could see the grim enemy
oi the N,->:tyu- gladly c-capln- from the
embrace st death in which W. had held
her for nearly a Iurter OF an hour, and
r',l natiug di>comiittri and icmoralizcd
towards the port from which she had
suicl with - much bravo only a few
hours before. The bread ensign which
had waved 80 proudly over her caSemate
on our approach. NOW lay dragged and
torn. with it, shattered flagstaff on her
deck: and turning our vessel around.
with harl-a-port helm, which She ans
wcrrl slowly but steadily, We again pass
ell down By our enemy.
Car divisions still stood at their runs.
aul our brave commander. firmly rnrn-
ciut.ug his instructions anl orders. and
-uiliu- every movement ot his gallant
ship with a coolne>>. precision and relent-
les aulaclty that find no parallel since
tie DAYS of Decatur and BIinbrilgc.tho>c
dry~ ut splendid gaIlantry and ma-nifi
en-, courage. calmly smoking his cigar
through the whole evcuttul conflict and
displaying Il perfect Indifference to dang
cr. worthy of one OF Eurragut'> sala-
mau.!,r-. kept h'~ runs at work on our
retiring Toe. - lung ~ they could bc
brought 10 bear, till the Sa>eacus wa>
h. IL