The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-07-12
Blowing Up a Monitor with Torpe.
does.


Mems. at Ploiesti, gives the following &C.
count of the destruction of Turkish
monitor by tOrpedOes, by Russian officers:
1.-THE little expedition which succeeded
in blowing up the Turkish monitor was
composed of four small steam launches,
two of which were to make the attack and
the two others to hold themselves in readi
ness to render assistance in case, as was
probable, of an accident to either Of the
attacking ones. The two launches which
were to make the attack were commanded
by Lieut. Dubasoff and Shestakotf, and
manned, one by fourteen, the other by
nine, men. The crews were protected by
an iron screen or awning, which covered
the boat completely over from stem to
stern, and which was sufficiently thick to
stop bullet.
"After an hours steaming they came
within the immediate neighbOrhOOd of the
enemy's f1otilla. The engines of the
launches were SO constructed as to make
very little noise, and when they were
slowed down all the sound they made was
q low, dull kind of throbbing noise. that
was almost drowned by the continual
croaking of he frogs, which are very large
and very numerous along the marshes of
the Danube. Nevertheless, the quick ear
of Turkish sentinel caught the unusual
sound and cried out, Who goes there:'
in Turkish.
"Then the Russians, vino were by that
noise in the ship. There was scuffling
OF feet, the rushing about of sailors, cries
and shouts, and the voice of an officer
commanding them to prepare the guns for
action. They heard the order given for
the gun in the bow to be fired. They
heard it given three times, and three times
they heard the click of the hammer, show
ing that an attempt had been made to fire,
and that the gun had refused to 90 off.
Finally, the third time the order was
given, a globe of flame lcapt over the
side of the gunboat, and a shell went
whistling over their heads. They were
evidently seen by the Turks. One of
the boats, that of Shestakotf, now drew
off, while that of DubasOff continued to
advance. Each tOat was armed with two
tOrpedoes, attached to tho end of long
spar that projected from the bow. These
spars were arranged tn move on pivots,
and could he swung round SO as to de.
scribe half circle
"A lively fusillade had now been OPEN
ed upon the boat by the Turks, but in spite
of this the launch of DubasOff shot under
the bow of the monitor, the chain which
was fastened to the torpedo was flung
round a chain or rope that was hanging
from the bow of the ship, the torpedo was
dropped from the spar and the current of
the river carried it against the bottom of
the ship. The launch then shot away
again until the full length of the electric
wire had been reached. The officer APP
piled it to the battery round his chest. and
at the same instant a huge volume of wa
ter rose up into the air which half filled
and nearly swamped Dubasoff's launch,
and fearful explosion was heard, which
and firing of the Turks.
"In the meantime the other monitors
became alarmed, and without knowing the
cause fired at random, and fearful scene
of terror and confusion ensued. They 1ot
only fired on the Russian launches, that
still kept lodging about like mosquitoes,
but in their panic and confusion fired into
each other. The bullets ratified over the
iron awnings of the launches, but did
them no harm. They were not once
struck, although the bow of one was
pierced and sunk by piece of q shell
that exploded near it. The two launches
were now on opposite sides of the doomed
ship. DubasOf perceived that the mOni'
tor was sinking down before, but very
slowly; while the Turks continued to fire
away blindly, but necessarily, both with
small arms and cannon. Dubasoff cried
out to Shestakoff to try and place another
torpedo in order to make sure of the ship
and the latter slipped in under the stern
and put down another torpedo in the same
manner as the previous one. He Their
shot off until he was ut safe distance
applied the electric battery In the same
manner and still more terrible explosion
followed.
"Parts of the ship were blown into thu
air, as they very soon perceived by larg'
plank which few seconds later came
down endways, driving its way through
the iron screen into the boat between tw,
of the sailors who were back to back clos,
to each other without injuring either o
them. Then the monitor sank rapidly
and after afew moments nothing but he
,, masts was visible above water"