Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1870-10-28
WALIALLA SOUTH CAROLINA FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2s, 1870

means were provided for procuring fresh air,
and from the moment the hatch was closed,
the men, thus fastened in their living tomb,
inhaled and cxhaled continuously the atmos.
phere which was enclosed with them. The
plan of attack proposed by the inventors, was
to dive beneath the keel of au encmy's ship,
hauling the torpedo after her. It's triggers
or sensitive primers would thus press against
the ships bottom, explode the torpedo and
inevitably sink tho ship Not anticipating
an early opportunity of using this dangerous
vessel against the fleet of Farragut, Gen
Nlaury sent her by rail to Gen. Bcauregard,
at Charleston, believing the waters of that
larbo better suited to her peculiar construc-
ton, while in the 1ronsidcs, or some other
gigantic war.ship then attacking Charleston,
might be found an object worth the great
risk to which her own crew was exposed in
many enterprise they might undertake in her
Gen. Beauregard changed the arrangement
O. the torpedo by fastening it to tho bow
lis front was terminated by sharp aud bar
bed lance.hcad, so that when the boat was
driven end on against ships sides, the lance
head would be forced deep into the timbcrs,
below the water line, and would flsten the
torpedo firmly against the ship. Then the
torpedo boat would back off and explode it by
lanyard.
Gen. Beaurea ards call upon the Confcder-
ate fleet for vol, ntccrs to man this dangerous
craft was promp, ,y answered by Lieut. Payne,
Virginian, and eight sailors. They were
soon ready for action; and on the evening set
for their expedition, the lust preparation had
been made. The torpedo boat was lying
alongside the steamer from which the crew
had embarked; she was submerged till the
combing of her hatch alone was visible
above the water: Her commander, Payne,
was standing in the hatch way, ia the
act OF ordering her to be cast off, when
the swell of passing steamer rolled
over her and sunk her instantly, with her
eight men, in several fa;homs of water
Lieut. Payne sprang out of tho hatch way as
the boat sank from under him, and he alone
was left alive In q few days she was raised,
and again made ready for service. Again
Payne volunteered, and eight men with him
The cmbarkation for their second attempt
was made from Fort Sumter, and, as before,
all having been made ready, Payne, standing
this post in the hatchway, orde ed the
hawser to be cast off-when the boat carcencd
and sank instantly. Payne sprang out; two
Of the men followed him; the other six went
| down in tho boat and pcrishod
Again the boat was raised aud made ready
for action, and her owner, Captain Hundley,
took her for an experimental trip into the
Stono river, where, after going through her
usual eyolutions she dived in deep water,
and for hours and for days, the return of poor
llundley and his crew was watched for and
looked for in vain. After near weeks
search, she was found, inclning at an angle
of forty degrees; her nozzle was driven deep
into the soft mud Of the bottom. Her crew
Of nine dead men were standing, sitting and
lying about in her hold, asphyxiated Humid.
Icy was standing dead at his post, candle IN
ono hand, while the other had grown stiff
with death IN his vain efforts to unolamp the
hatch. Others had been working at the keys
Of the ballast, but the inclination at which
the boat had gone down had jammed the keys
SC that the men could not cast off the heavy
weight which held them down. Their deaths
had been hard and lingering. Again this
hteful vessel was made ready for action, and
volunteers being called for, Lieutenant Dixon,
Twenty first Alabama Volunteers, native
Of Mobile, and eight men, volunteered to take
her against the enemy
The new and powerful war ship Honsatonic
was selected for attack, and on aquiet night
the bravest crew set out from Charleston in
this terrible, nameless torpedo boat, that ever
manned craft before We all know the fate
of the Housatonic, Brave Dixon guided the
torpedo fairly against her, the explosion tore
up the great war ships sides, so that sho went
down with nearly all her crew within two
minutes. The torpedo vessel also disappear
Cd forever from mortal view. Whether she
went down with her enemy, or whether she
drifted out to sea to- bury her gallant dead,
was never known, and their fate was left till
tho great day when the sea shall give up its
dead. "''"''
But within few weeks past, divers 10 sub.
marine armor have visited the wreck of the
lionsatonio, and they have found tire little
torpedo vessel lying by her huge victim, and