The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-06-24
Vol. X.

must be avoided The horribl
cannon filings itself about: al
: yanccs, recoils, strikes to tn,
right, strikes to the left. fees
passc disconcerts ambushcS
break down obstacles, crusile;
men like flies. The great d&ngeI
Of the situation is in Tie mobility
Of it's base. How Combat IN ii
clined plane which has capriccS
The ship, so to speak. has light
ming imprisoned in its wom5
which seeks to escape; it is like
thunder rolling above all earth
quake.
In an instant the whole crew
were on foot; the taul; was the
chief gunner's; he had neglected
to fix home the screw nut Of the
mooring-chain, and had so badly
shacklcd the four wheels ofthe car
ronadc that the play given to :he
sole and frame had separated tho
| platform, and ended by breaking
the brceching. The cordaye had
been broken, so that the sun was
no longer secure on the carriage
AS a heavy wave struck the port:
the carrouade, weakly attached,
recoiled, burst its chain, and be.
gan to rush wildly about. Conceive,
! in order t" have an idea Of this
strange sliding, b drop Of water
running down pane Of glass.
At the moment when the lash
ings gave way the gunners were
in the battery, some in groups
others standing alone, occupied
with such duties as sailors per-
form in expectation OF the cQsn
mand to clear for action. The
carronade, hurled forward by tic
pitching, dashed into this knot OF
men, and crushed four at the first
blow; then, flung back and sho;
out anew by the rolling. it cat in
two a fifth poor fellow, g!anc!ns
off to the larboard side, ana S;r"cti
a piece Of the battery with Sueh
force rs to unship it. Then rose
the cry OF distress which had been
heard. The men rushed toward
the ladder-the gun.dcck emptied
in the twinkling Of an eye. The
enormous cannon was left alone.
She was given up to herself. She
was her own mistress, ana mis-
tress, Of the vessel. She could
do what she wiIied with BOTH
This whole crew accustomed to
laugh in battle trembled now. To
describe the universal terror would
be impossible.
Captain Boisberthelot and Lieu
tenant Eieuville, although both in
trepid men, stopped at the head OF
the estairs, and remained mute, pale
hesitating, looking down on the
deck. Some one pushed them
aside with his elbow and descend.
ed.
It was their passenger, the peas
ant, the man Of whom they hac
been speaking a moment before.
| Wien be reached the foot Of
the ladder be stood still.
The cannon came and wen
along the deck. One might have
flncied it the living chariot Of the
Apocalypse. The marine Lantern
oscilating from The ceiling added
a dizzying whirl Of lights ant
shadows to this vision. The shape
of the cannon was undistinguish
able from the rapidity ofits course
now it looked black in the light
now it cast weird reflection;
through the gloom.
1t kept on its work of dcstruc
ton. It had already shattered
four other pieces and dug two
crevices in the side, fortunately
above the water,liuc, though they
would leak in case q squall shoulc
come on. It dashed itself frantl
cally against the framework; th'
solid tie. beams resisted, thei
curved form giving them grca
strength, but they creaked omi
uously under the assaults of thi:
terrible club, which seemed endow
ed with a sort Of appalling ubi
guilty, striking on every side 4
once. The strokes Of buIle
shaken in bottle would not bt
madder or more rapid. The fou,
wheels passed and repassed above
the dead men, cut, carved ant
slashed them, till the FIVE corpse
were a score Of stumps roIliu!
about the deck the heads scemeC
to cry out ; streams ofblood twiste;
in and out Of the ylanks with cv
cry pitch Of the vessc! ,.dse The cell
ing damaged in several places, be
gan to gap. The whole ship wa
filed with the awful tumult.
The captain promptly recovere'
his composure, and at his orde
the sailors threw down into th
deck every thing which coul
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