Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-01-01
A "HELL-BURNER

Fisher, on the North Carolina coast, by a
fire ship, which was filled with powder
and floated as near as possible to the fort
before exploded The project failed, and
caused considerable unfavorable comment
at the time. In connection with an arti-
Gle in the CHRONICLE on the bridge of
Prince Parma, over the river Scheldt, in
1885, it may be interesting to refer to the
fire ship sent out from the besieged city of
Antwerp to destroy that bridge and the
army stationed on it charged with its de
Tense. AS an evidence of the skill of the
sixteenth century, as compared with that
of our own day in similar efforts, it is par
ticularly interesting.
We have stated heretofore the object of
Parma in bridging the Scheldt to have
ueen tiv reduction, vf 1iiv city of antw eip.
Within the beleaguered city was an Ital-
ian named Gianibelli, Il man of wonderful
genius. AS soon as it was demonstrated
that the wonderful bridge would really be
a success he conceived the idea of prepar-
ing fire ship or floating mine, which
floating down the stream in the night
should lodge against the bridge and then
explode and shiver it to atoms. For this
purpose he prepared two vessels, described
as follows in Motley's history of the Unit
ed Netherlands.
In the hold of each vessel, along the
whole length was laid down solid floor
ing of brick and mortar one foot thick and
five feet wide. Upon this was built a
chamber of marble mason work,
forty feet long, three and half
feet broad, as many high and
with side walls five feet in thickness.
This was the crater. 1t was filled with
seven thousand pounds Of gunpowder of
u kind superior to anything known, and
prepared by Gianibelli himself. 1t was
covered with q roof six feet in thickness
formed of blue tombstones placed edge
wise. Over this crater rose hollow cone
or pyramid, made of heavy marble slabs
and filled with mill-stones, cannon balls
blocks of marble, chain-shot, iron hooks,
plough coulters, and every dangerous
missile that could be imagined The
spaces between the mine and the ships
sides were filled with paving stones, iron
DOhhu oldhSSJ anu OlutT pro-
jectiles.
Over this "hell-burnern was built light
deck, upon which fire was to be built to
make it look like an ordinary fire ship. A
slow match was prepared to explode the
mine at the proper moment. Two of these
Internal machines We're thus prepared to
be sent down the river on the bridge with
a fleet of ordinary fire ships of the same
general appearance.
The intelligent reader can see at once
what internal machines they were. But
ler's fire ship, if we recolect right, was
simply powder magazine Il had no such
vault or mine constructed to confine the
powder, and give force to the explosion.
At given signal the fire fleet was sent out
from Antwerp on its work of destruction. |
The ordinary fire ships ran ashore or
against distractions proposed to catch |
hem, but one of the "hell- burners" struck |
Parma's bridge, upon which thousands |
were gathered watching it, just as it was
Intended, and at the desired moment ex-
Dloded. The effect is thus described:
"The ship disappeared, together with the |
block house against which she had struck,
With all its garrison, while large portion
If the bridge with all the troops stationed
lpon it had vanished into the air. The
Scheldt yawned to its lowest depth. The
,arth shook as with the throb of volcano.
A wild glare lighted up the scene for one
moment and was then succeeded by pitchy
darkness. Houses were toppled down
niles away, and not a living thing, even
n remote places, could keep its feet The
Iir was filled with rain of plough shares,
rave stones and marble balls, intermixed
With the heads, limbs and bodies of what
lad been human beings. Slabs of gran
te, vomited by the flaming ship, were
ound afterwards ct leagues distance
nd buried deep in the earth. A thou
and soldiers were destroyed in second of
ime, many of them being torn to shreds,
eyond even the semblance of humanity.
T. The famous bridge was cleft through
nd through, and a thousand picked men !
Parma's " daintiest "-were blown out ]
{ existence. The Governor General
imself was lying stiff and stark
pom the bridge which he said
nould be his triumphal monument, or his
Smb. His most distinguished officers
'erc dead, and all the survivors were dumb
md blind with establishment at the un-
card of cOnYulsion."
The complete success attending this eff S