The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-02-17
HOLLINS' TURTLE.
How Peaceful oMerchant Ship Was
Converted Into d Ram. .
Portsmouth IN. H. Chronicle.


A recent notice Of the death Of the
ex Confederate Commodore Hollins re-
calls to mind the career and end Of one
of the "unlucky ships" built on the
Piscatagua-the Mary Kingsland. This
ship was built in Portsmouth, N. H.,
by the late George Raynes. in 1889; she
was OF fine model, and registered
about 800 tons-a large ship for those
days. After she was launched her
loading up and fitting out were carried
on together, and one day q bale Of
high in air and struck q man named
Pike, who was at work on the main
hatch combings.
rhe mane was taken to Mr.. Rayne's
house, and every thing possible done
for him, but he soon died. A post NOR
tenn examination was held, and the
physician who heldoit came near losing
his life from blood poisoning, having
been affected through an abrasion of
the skin on his hand. 1t was quite q job
to get u crew for the ship when she was
ready for 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 q
mans death before she ever dipped her
keel in blue water. But she went to sea,
took her cargo Of pressed hay, apples
and potatoes to q 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
OrleansS Sand was burned to the waters
edge, the hulk was sold, fitted with
powerful engines, and made into a tow
boat. and run for years between the
Gulf and Now Orleans. On the break
ing out Of the late war she was seized by
the Confederates, and Hollins (who had
resigned from the Union navy 10 join
the Confederacy) altered her machinery
to suit her new career, fitted her with q
powerful ram, and built a convex iron
shell all over her. 50 that she looked not
unlike mammoth turtle. Hollins
called her the Manassas, but her
popular name was 'Hollins' turtle" It
was the old Mary Kingsland. transferred
into this wonderful turtle" that caused
such papic among the Union men-of-
war blockadiiHg the passes Of the Mise
sissippi oearly in the war, when they
slipped their cables and put to sea like
a flock Of gulls on her appearance: but
iron clad warfare was then q new thing.
This oiPe exploit was about call the IA
nous ram eyer accomplished she never
managed tdDget up another scare, and
finally came to grief and total destruc-
ton when Farragut's fleet fought its
way past the forts to New Qyleans. @
In Flag Officer FarraguTs report to
the Secretary Of the Navy Of the fight
with the forts and the Confederate fleet,
on the nights Of MaSch % and "a. 1862,
he tells how las ship, the Hartford, was
crowded ashore by attempting to avoid
a fire raft that was pushed oby the
Manassas, and which the ram did sue
ceed in forcing against the Hartford,
setting her ION fire half gay up to her
tops" After the Union fleet had passed
the forts and destroyed eleven of the
Confederate vessels, the Manassas still
kept up the fight, and Farragut ordered
the Mississippi, one Of the biD oldeide-
wheelers, to run her down. The Mis-
when within fifty yards of her the ram
lodged and ran ashore; but though
she could escape the huge steamer
she could not dodge her mis-
siles, and two broadsides of 9-inch
solid shot at close range riddled
her like a sieve. She surrendered, and
a boats crew and engineer went on
board Of hero but the prize crew were
recalled, the prize set on fire, given
another broadside, and sent down the
river wreck. When she got down
boats she was shot at oagain by two
steamers and some Of the mortar ves-
sells; but Porter soon found she was on
fire and sinking, cher pipes twisted and
riddled with shot, and her hull we'll cut
up. Porter tried to save her as curl
osity, by getting 40 hawser around her
and securing her to the bank, but just
after doing SO she family exploded.
Her only gun went off, and emitting
flames through her bow port like some
huge animal, she gave plunge and
disappeared under the water" And
thus the formidable ram Manassas,
once the peaceful merchant ship Mary
hingsland, finished her career.