Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-10-01

l'NLlAlAl'A'tN Aut AAtAbHtAANAN
was incloscd with them.
The plan Of attack proposed by
the inventors was, to dive beneath
the keel Of an cncmy's ship, haul
ing the torpedo after her; its trig-
gers or sensitive primers would
thus press against the ships bot
tom, explode the torpedo aud in
cvitably sink the ship.
Not anticipating an early oppor-
tunity orusing this dangerous YES
sci against the fleet Of Farragut,
General Maury sent her by rail TO
General Bcauregard at Charleston.
Believing the waters Of that har-
Dor better suited to her peculiar
construction, while in the Iron.
sides, 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 any enter
prise they might undertake in her.
General Beauregard changed the
arrangement Of the torpedo by fas-
tening it to the bow. Its front was
terminated by a sharp and barbed
lance. head, so that when the boat
was driven end on, against a ships
sides, the lance. head would be
forced deep into the timbers be-
low the water-line, and would fas-
ten the torpedo firmly against the
ship. Then the torpedo boat
would back off and explode it by
a lanyard.
General Beauregard's call upon
the Confederate fleet for volun-
teers to man this dangerous craft,
was promptly answered by Lieu
tenant Payne, a Virginian, and
eight sailors. They we're soon
ready for action; and on the even
ing set for their expedition, the
last preparation had been made.
The torpedo boat was lying along.
side the steamer from which the
crew had embarked; she was sub,
merged till the combing of her
, hatch alone was visible above the
water. Her commander, Payne,
was standing in the hatchway, in
the act Of ordering her to be cas-
of, when the swell of a passing
steamer rolled over her and sunE
her instantly with her eight mel
in several fathoms Of water. Lieu
tenant Payne sprang out of thu
hatchway as the boat sunk from
under him, and he alone was lief
alive.
In the course Of n few days sho
was raised and made ready To-
service, again Payne volunteered
and eight men with him.
The embarkation for their sec
ond attempt was made from For
Sumter, and as before, all having
been made ready, Payne standing
at his post in the hatchway, or
dered the hawscr to be cast of
When the boat careened and sum
instantly. Payne sprang out, TIVE
of the men followed him, the othe
i. six went down in the boat an,
persisted.
r Again the boat was raised an,
made ready for action, and he
. owner, Capt. Hundley took her 70
an experimental trip into tn
Q Stone River, where after goinI
through her usual evolutions, sh
=. dived in deep water, and for hour
4 and for days, the return Of poo
D Hundley and his crew was watche
for and looked for in vain. Al
ter near a weeks search, she wa
G found inclinlng at an angle Q
forty degrees; her nozzle wa
/ driven deep into the soft mud o
r the bottom. Her crew of min
dead men we're standing, sitting
lying about in her hold asphixil
ted. Hundley was standing dea
/ at his post, a candle in one ham
@ while the other had grow
o stiff with death in his val
y efforts to unclamp the hate
n Others had been working
g the keys of the ballast, but Il
inclination at which the boat ha
gone down, had jammed the kel
, so that the men could not cast q
the heavy weight which held the
down. Their deaths had been hal
|, and lingering.
d Again this Hateful vessel W
:. made ready for action, and volu
teers being called for Lieut.. Dixo
n 2lst Alabama Volunteers, a natl
s of Mobile, and eight men volu
d teered to take her against the c
" envy.
The new and powerful war SD
L Housatonic was selected for d
70 attack; and on a quiet night t
d bravest crew sailed out fro
a. Charlerton in this terrible, nam
IS less torpedo boat that ever mann.
y. craft before.
~ We all know the fate of Il
70 Housatonic. Brave Dixon guild,
the torpedo fairly against her, t
rs explosion tore up the great W
as ships sides, so that she we
or down with nearly all her Gre
h. within two minutes.
th The torpedo vessel also disa