The Osceola times., 1878-02-23
nOLLINS'S TURTLE,
wow u Peaceful Merchant shsp was Made
TO do Duts as - Terriaer Of
i. Union Fleet.

Portsmouth IN. H. Chronicle A
recent notice of the confederate Commo.
dore Hollins calls to mind the career and
end of one of the "unlucky ships" built
on the Piscataqua--the Mary Kingsland.
This ship was built in this city by the
late George Raynes, in 1897 she was of
fine model, and registered about one
hundred tons-a large ship for these
days After she was launched her load
ing up and fitting out were carried on to-.
gether, and one day bale OF pressed hay
fell out of the slings when hig Oh in air and
struck man named Pike, who was at
work on the main hatch coamings. The
man was taken to Mr.. Raynes's house,
and everything possible done for him,
but he soon died. A post-mortem ex.
animation was held, and the physician
who made it came near losing his
lite from blood-poisoniDg, having been
infected through an abrasion of the skin
on his hand. II was quite a job to get a
crew for the ship when she was ready
for the sea, the local mariners declin.
ing to 60 in her, shaking their heads and
asserting that she would always be an
",unlucky ship" having caused mans 8
death before she ever dropped her keel in
blue water. But she went to sea, took her
cargo of pressed hay, apples and potatoes
to southern port, and went into the
cotton trade. Ill luck followed her, for
after making many successful trips she
at last took fire while lying, cotton
loaded, at New Orleans, and was burned
to the waters edge. The hulk was sold,
fitted with powerful engines, and made
into towboat, and ran for years between
the gulf and New Orleans. On the
breaking out Of the rebellion she was
seized by the rebels, and Hollins (who
had deserted from the union navy to
join the confederacy) altered her ma
chlnery to suit her new career, fitted her
with a powerful ram, and built
convex iron shell all over her, SO
that she looked not unlike a man.
moth turtle. Hollins called her
the Manassas, but her popular
name was "Hollins's turtle" 1t was the
old Mary Kingslsnd, transferred into
this wonderful turtle" that caused
such a panic among the union men.of-
war blockading the passes OF the Missis-
sippi early in the war, when they slipped
their cables and put to sea like flock of
gulls on her appearance-but iron.clad
warfare was then new thing. This one
exploit was about all the famous ram
ever accomplished she never managed
to get up another scare, and finally came
to grief and total destruction when
Farragut's fleet fought its way past the
forts TO New Orleans. In flag officer
Farragut's report To the secretary of the
navy OF the hght with the forts and the
rebel fleet, on the night of March % and
"A, 1859, he tells how his ship, the Hart.
ford, was crowded ashore by attempting
to avoid fire.raft that was pushed by the
Manassas, and which the ram did succeed
in forcing against the hartford setting her
ION FIRE half way up to her tops" After
the union fleet had passed the forts and
destroyed eleven of the rebel vessels, the
Manassas still kept up the fight, and
Farrsgut ordered the Mississippi, one of
the big old side-wheelers, to run her
down. The Mississippi went at her with
full speed, but when within City yards
of her the ram lodged and ran ashore,
but though she could escape the huge
steamer she could not dodge her missiles,
and two broadsides of nine-inch solid shot
at close range riddled her like sieye.
She surrendered, and boats crew snd
engineer went on board her; but the
prize crew was recalled, the prize set on
fire, gwen another broadside, and sent
down the river wreck. When she
got down abreast OF Commander Porter's
mortar boats she was shot al again by two
steamers and some of the mortar vessels;
but Porter soon found she was on fire and
her pipes twisted and riddled
with shot, and her null well cut up"
Porter "tried to save her as curiosity,
BY getting q haNser around her and se-
curing her to the bank, but just after
doing 50 she family exploded. Herohly
gun went of, aud emitting flames through
her bow port like some huge animal, abe
gave q plunge and disappeared under the
water" And thus the formidable ram
Manassas, e4ce tie peaceful merchant.
Nh Mary KinGl1on3' nnlnhed he career.