Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-10-19

It's Discovery of CharIestOn-Nine
Skeletons mt the Wheel-A Dead
Captain with Candl c i'm his hand
Remarkable Career of "a Remark
able Graft.
In 1864, says the Houston Telegraph,
the fleet of Admiral Farragut was block
aiding Mobile, while heavy land and
naval attack was directed against
Charleston. During our long defensive
war great deal of ingenuity had been
expended by the Confederates upon tor
pedoes and torpedo boats. The most
remarkable of these boats was con-
structed in Mobile by Messrs. Hundley Il
McClintock, and launched in 1864; and
nothing which has gone down into the
sea was more wonderfully or more fear
fully contrived to wreak destruction and
vengeance upon friend and foe, She
was built of boiler iron, and impervious
to water or air Her extreme length
was about thirty feet, with five or six
feet beam, and about five or six feet
depth Of hold. In general contour she
resembled cigar, sharp at both ends.
She was propelled by screw, the shaft
of which ran horizontally along her
hold, almost from stern to stern, and
was turned by the manuel force of eight
men, seated along it on either side. The
only hatchway was circular, about two
feet in diameter, with a low combing
around it, which was placed well for.
war;, anu mnei ueslleu eouiu pe clossu
WIN cap worAihs Gu hlnSes anu innue
ar-Vlght' IN Ihe iorwaru part ol tnls
cap was lhser.ed ,;lin "a ! eiear slass puii eSe, &
through whiSh tne pIiot coulu see one
was proNlueu ei,. WIN "a.eI-s.sne vonpHI
menus, oy hliiis UT einp'Jihs wnlIh sue
couie SINK OF rise, anu 70 enaDie ner u
rise instantly hsr pailastlhg ol rallroau
lroI was Piaeeu III heI po'eoni' ou.siue
oil ner hun ana Dy means Oh Keys ac,
ceSslole 70 ner erew couiu h DC .i9 ugsacneu sa
IN moment, % tra' sue ~ou,u rise
quiShy u ehe suriace .h pesnugs s,,aI s1, ner
ruu'er, Tnlon was VI que y uSuai "a ioinI'
l tnlS sesssn s was h equPPeu M .E wisa sue pau
saryeJ rY 10 gn;do Il nm or down with ref,
erence 70 t5a surface Of tbe water
To nrona%e for action Aoating tor
nodo was sacured 10 her stern bv p line
oore than ono hundred feet long and
bor crew bav;ng embarked tbe tanks
,roro EIled mill Tho boot was an eow;I;b.
rio and almost snbmerged The hatch
WOW was closed the mon revolved the
sbaft the cantain or nilot standing nm
dar tbe hatch steered tbe boat regnlot-
~, az the same fine nv means of her
7 nt7o.al fns the dantb ot which Che wonld
49, 49, Tho Greatest sneed did not exceed
eoU, U tao.s She could remain submerged
Co. balf an banr ~ an bonr without snv
oroat rv, III inconVenienee to her oraw and on
ono no" occasion has been known to remain
',nJos UnS watar two hours witbont actnal in
;nn,' % 90 tSem oltborgb no means were
JrS J,,rcSy;Jed FOR nrocnring fresh air and
tbo non tbus fastened in their living
tn,,,b ;nboIod and evhaled continnousIy
~ H. o,mosnbers which was inolosed with
.H0 "'"'g TIa - of attaet -, nrfo,,osoS bv
.hein. to.s W. Sss 10 dive peneath ne
ny 5ne i.feliS'.s ~ a.,o',,rs sbin dragging the
Aeei u az ensnl' tr,ggars ag sons;-
.orpeuo aller ner, i.s ses.s ~ ~ egsinst
i've primers woulu mus press 10
Tue snip o0ttonn, eApioue the torpeuei
anu lnevltaoly slnh.ler'
Not : antlcipating ,I: an early 9pportunlssy
Oh using Inns dangerous Vessei against the
meet ., + Srragnt, az zen. Maury sent her
py ran 70 zen. Deauregerd AT Snarieston'
Delevihg tne waters 1i that narDor pet
Yer suited 10 ner peeahar construction
"hiie ID the irohSlues' OF some otner 81
gahue war snip theh atlaeklng Onaries-
toh, nlglt DC IVunu an opJect Wortn the
great rish 10 "hleh net own crew was @ eA-
poseu In any enterprise they mlght uh,
dertake IN her. ueneral beauregaTd
changed the arrangement oil the torpedo
by fastening 1t 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 tim
bers below the water-line, and would
fasten the torpedo firmly against the
ship. The torpedo boat would then back
out and explode it by lanyard.
Gen. Reauregards 5 call upon the Con
federate feet for volunteers TO man this
dangerous craft was promptly answered
by Lieut.. Payne. a Virginian. and eight
sailors. They were soon ready for ac-