The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-11
THE rowDER boat.
zen. buffers Remarkable Experiment Mt
Fort Fisher.
Philadelphia Times.l

n mart Of the plan Of operations against Fort
Fisher was the explosion of floating mine.
containing between 200 and 400 tons Of .gunpow-
der so near the works that they might be de-
efroyed or the garrison be 80 paraly5ed by the
shock as to. make the conquest an easy one.
Gen. Butler had proposed this expedept. hav-
able distance OF the explosion Of large quantity
OF gunpowder In England. He made the sug-
gestion TO the government Just as he was about
order during the presidential election. It
WAS submitted TO experts. Among these
was. the late. Richard Del field then, chief
report In which he showed that experience
had taught the impossibility Of much injury
being DONE IN lateral direction. hy the the
iorm 81 Fort Fisher and The other defenses and
rs q fe he osps Hsars WISE IL
the Ordnance Bureau. gave. It as his opinion
that no serious damage would be done beyond
sulfation OF experts at the house OF Capt. Wise
who had been summoned By Mr.. Fox, the Assist
AMI Secretary of The Navy. the subject was fully
81 worth while 10 try the experiment, with the
hope that the, explosion might be effectual.
When Gen. Butler returned IRON New York he
aried. and that preparations for 1t were being
made This matter caused some delay In the
ssRs1s q al 81 %''
The floating mine, or powder ship. was O.
Bis sDs was disguised as a blockade runner In
form and color, with two raking smoke stacks,
one real, the other q sham. A light deck above
III gunpowder placed first in q row of barrels
standing on their ends. the upper ones OPEN
and the remainder in bags. each containing
above these barrels. To communicate fire to the
Whole mass simultaneously. four separate
threads Of the Gomez fuse were woven through
nrrfx, fhrr ,un en- h0 md
beg All the stern and underthe powder charged
deCk was placed heap q pine wood and other
ccnbustbe materials which y were to bs fired hy
little steamer employed for the purpose. Clock
work, BY which q percnssion4cap might be ex.
candles, which would burn down and fire the
fuse and d slow match that would work In time
with the Candles were oil employed; The plan
Tor landing troops In launches on the beach, ex-
plode the powder-ship after midnight and de-.
bark the troops at dawn to take advantage OF
ths effects q the explosion on the fort and gar.
VIZ 10 departed for the rendezvous on Saturday
morning Between ard ocosca i9 the Pc after,
Viii Gen WslissI. called bis attention 70 small
White acuent eoaas ha aasS b and ds
orn horison. Porter Is at work.. he said !;
Sthe clouds are the smoke Of exploding bomb
shsn DOZEN and then an a hem boating
III the sea.
The testimony Of these mute witnesses Of a
combat was soon confirmed by the sullen roar
81 artillery that fell upon the ear We arrived
Il tho scene Of conflict just as It had ceased. A
heavy pail OF sulphurous smoke, made blood
red by the setting sun behind 1t, hung in the
stiIl air over Fort Fisher. Porter had indeed
caused the Louisiana under the command OF
he intrepid Capt Rhind, to follow In the wake
81 a Blockade runner, at midnight, to within 800
Yards Of the northeast salient of Fort Fisher.
There che was anchored. and at o'clock In the
morning the powder was exploded without any
sensible effect upon the fort or the garrison.
The shock was felt like slight earthquake at
Ncwberne and Beaufort. but the garrison of
Fort Fisher thought 1t was the effect of the
bursting Of the boiler, of blockade runner.
KNITTED. The fort seemed untouched by the ex-
p1osion, for the edges Of the parapet were as
sharply defined as ever.