The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-11-03
A Leaf from Confederate History-Remark.
able Career of a Remarkable Craft.

In 1863 the feet of Admirable Farrarut
was blockading Mobile, while a heavy land
and naval attack was directed against Charles
ton. s ..4.5nr.
| During our long defensive war great deal
/ ofingenuty had been expended by the Con-
tederates upon torpedoes and torpedo boats
The most remarkable Of these boats was
constructed in Mobile by Messrs. Hundley 4
McCintock, and launched in 1874; and
nothing which has gone down into the sea
was more wonderfully or more fearfuly con-
| trived to wreak destruction and vengeance
upon friend or fee. e7s5
! She was built of boiler iron, and impervj
GUS to water or air. Her extreme length was
| about thirty feet, with FIVE or six feet beam,
and about hive or six feet depth of hold In
general contour she resembled a cigar, sharp
at both ends. She was propelled by screw
the shaft of which ran horizontally along her
| hold, almost from stem to stern, and was turn.
ed by the manual force of eight men, seated
along it Cd either side. 1 u.s.
The only ;hatchway was circular, about two.
feet III dlamater, with low combing around if,
which was placed well forward, and when de-
sired. could be closed BY an iron cap working
on hinges and made alright as.-t.s.l..q
In the forward part of this cap was insert
ed clear glass bulls eye, through which the
pilot could see She was provided with wa
ter-tight compartments by filing or emptying
which she would sink orSrise, and to enable
her to rise Instantly her ballasting of railroad
bars Was placed on her bottom. outside of her
hull, and by means of keys accessible to her
crew, could be detached in moment, SO that
size would rise quickly to the surface san
| Besides her rudder which was Of the usual
form, this vessel was equipped with side pad
dies or Gus which. like those ola fish, served
to guide lt.up or down without preference to
the surface of the water, d5i,5 d. f.e g
10 prepare for action floating torpedo was
secured to her stern by line more than one
| hundred feet long, and her crew having en-
parked, the water tanks were filled until the
boat was IN equilbrio, aud almost submerged
The hatchway was closed, the men revoked.
the shaft. the captain or pilot standing under
the hatch steered the boat, regulating at the
same time, by the action of her lateral fms
the depthIat which she would move q
Her greatest speed did not exceed four
knots She could remain submerged for half
| an hour, or an hour, without any great incon
| yeplence to her crew-and on one occasion has
| been known to remain under water two hours
without actual injury to them; although no
| means were provided for procuring fresh air,
| and from the moment the hatch closed, the
men thus fastened in their living tomb inhal
ed aud exhaled continuously the atmosphere
which was incloscd with them. ra. sitz
The plan of attack proposed by the inven.
| tors was to drive beneath the keel Of an enc
mys ship, hauling the torpedo after her. It's
triggers or sensitive primers would thus press
against the ships bottom, explode the torpe-
do and inevitably sink the ship. 5,,.,.45
Not anticipating IAN. early opportunity Of
using this dangerous vessel against the feet
of Farragut, Gen. Maury sent her by rail to
General Beauregarn at Charleston, believing
the waters of that harbor better suited to her
peculiar construction, while in the Ironsides,
ing Charleston, might be found an object
worth the great risk to which her own crew
was exposed in any enterprising they might
undertake in her. .bas.a--
Gen. Bcauregard changed the arrangement
Of the torpedo by fastening it to the bow. Its
front was terminated by sharp and barbed
lance head so that when the boat was driven
end on against ships sides, the lance-head
would be forced deep into the timbers, below
the water line, and would fasten the torpedo
firmly against the ship. Then the torpedo
boat would back off and explode it by Ian
yard. r. s gIL,5;q...sf 1.38 e
Gen. Beauregard's call upon the Confeder-
ate fleet for volunteers to man this dangerous
craft was promptly answered by Lieut.. Payne,
Virginian, and eight sailors. They were
soon ready for action and on the evening set
for their expedition, the last preparation had