The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1870-11-19
The Relic OF the Var.

Recently torpedo boat was discovered
in Charleston harbor, and it has q history.
She was built in 1864 of boiler iron, and
impervious to water or air. Her extreme
length was about thirty feet, with five OF
six feet beam. and about five or six feet
depth Of hold. In general contour she re-
sembled cigar, sharp at both ends. She
was propelled by q screw, the shaft O
which ran horizontally along her hold, al.
most from stem 10 stem, and was turned
by a manual force of eight men, seated
along 1t on either side. Desiring TO use
the dangerous craft against the Ironsides,
volunteers to man her were called for, and
Lieut.. Payne, ViigiDian, and eight sailors
responded. They we're soon ready for &C
ton; and one evening the last preparation
had been made.
The torpedo was lying alongside the
steamer from which the crew had en-.
| barked; she was submerged till the comb,
ing OF her hatch alone was visible above
the water. Her commander, Payne, was
standing in the hatcaway in the act OF or.
dering her to be cast off, when the swell Of
passing steamer rolled over her and suns
her instantly, with the eight men, in several
fathoms of water. Lieut.. Payne sprane
out OF the hatchway as the boat sank from
under him, and be alone was left alive.
| In few days she was raised and again
made ready for service. Again Payne vol
unteered, and eight men with him. The
embarkatlon for their second attempt was
made from Fort Sumter, and, as before, al
having been made ready. Payne, standing
at bis post in the hatchway ordered the
hawser to be cast off-when the boat ca.
reened ano sank instantly. Payne spranp
out; two Of the men followed him; the
other six went down in the boat and per
ished.
Again the bo.t WIS raised and made
ready for action and her owner, Captain
Hunoley, took her for an experimental trip
into the Stoco River, where after going
through her usual evolutions, she diyed il
deep water, and fer hours, end for days
the return OF poor Hundley and his crew
was watched for ana looked for in vain
After near q week search she was found
incllning at an angle of farty-fivs degrees
her nozzle WAS driven deep into the soft
mud of the bottom. Her crew OF nine
dead men were standing, sitting, lyinq
about in her hold asIhyxiased Hun lev
was standing dead at his post, q candle il
one hand, while the other had grown stiff
with death in his vain efforts to uncIaar
the hatch. Others had been working al
the keys OF the ballast, but the inclination
at which the boat had gone down had
damned the keys SO that the men could
not cast off the heavy weight which held
them down. Their death had been nard
and lingering.
Again this fatefui vessel was made ready
for action, and volunteers being called for,
Lieut. Dixon, Twenty-first Alabama Vol
unteers, native of Mobile, and eight men,
volunteered to take her against the enemy.
The new and powerful war ship Hous
atomic was selected for attack, end on a
quiet night The crew set out from Charles
ton In this terrible, nam eless torpedo boat.
We all know the fate of the Housatonic.
Dixon guided the torpedo fairly against
her, the explosion tore up the great wal
SHIPS sides, so that she went down with
nearly all her crew within two minutes.
| The torpedo vessel also disappeared foJ
ever from mortal view. Whether she went
down with her enemy, or whether she
drlfted out to sea to bury her gallant dead,
was never known, and their fate was left
till the great day when the sea shall give
up its dead.
But within few weeks past divers In
| submarine armor have visited the wreck oil
the Housatonic, and they have found the
| little torpedo vessel lying by her huge
victim, and within her are the bones Of the
| crew.