The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-07
A Rido on q Safoty-VRlve.

V'"hy NdIf WAS 100 Olu 10 take UP
arms when the war began in 1861, but
he did the next best thing he went into
INC navy, enlisting as assistant En-
gineer OH tho steamer Queen of the
west, freight boat which had been
bought by the Government and altered
into ram in Cincinnati. The vessel
when was under command Of Captain
Elliott, was ordered South and it was
at the battle Of Memphis that Jimmy
Carr met with the particular adven-
ture, which made him hero in as pe-
culiar manner as ever hero gained
The title. cit was on the 9th of june"
said Jimmy, that Memphis was taken.
remember it we'll, for it was hot
day, and l was In IA hot place too l can
tell. The fleet was laying five miles
above Memphis, and tho Queen was a
volunteer that morning. Early in the
day we got orders to move down toward
the rebel batteries, but had no sooner
got within range than the "Johnnies"
opened fire OH us. Our captain called
on Curtis the first engineer, to let loose
ana he did, and we were soon steamlng
down the river. "We weren't long
under way until we had one hundred
and fifty pounds Of steam on, and still
rising. Curtis detailed me to look af-
tor the boilcrs-we had four which
were Oh deck--nnd I went Off to my
post. The first thing 1 noticed was
that the safety-valve wasn't weighed
heavy enough for the extra pressure,
and the steam escaped. couldn't see
anything lying around to weigh it down
with but large lump of coal. lifted
that on to the lever, but it was no use,
as IL was tumbled of in minute or
two. By this time we must have had
fully two hundred pounds Of steam on,
and on looking out l saw the rebel,
gunboat, the General Lowell, stoaming
up and firing at us. We had no guns
aboard and only eleven shurpshooters,
and the shot was flying around us
pretty lively, I knew 1t was the cap
tain's intention to try to sink the
Lowell, and saw that it would never
do to allow tho steam to escape as it was
doing. L had to think quick--there
was nothing near that I could weight
down the valve with, but l was bound
not to be beat and just got astride of the
lever myself and sat down on it. 1t
was pretty hot, but stuck it out. I
looked out and the Lowell was only Il
couple of hundred yards Off. She
stopped to round-to, but tho Queen was
too quick for her, and with rush, we
were into her, just astern of the wheel
and almost was clean through her. 1
was 30 excited that I never took nv
eyes off her when we were coming up,
and Just bOro my weight down OH the
lever, never thinking to hold on to any
thing. Whom we struck, the shock
was SO terrible it just knocked me head
and heels over the boilers. Curtis was
watching inc, and thought was killed
and halloed out: "Thore goes poor
Jimmy;" but / wasn't gone. [ was
stunned for a minute, but jumped up
and climbed over the boilers and strad-
died the lever again, this time taking
good hold. The Lowell sank In
about five minutes, but we had hardly
time to get clear Of her before another
rebel craft, the Bcauregard, steamed
up toward us. We treated her the
same way as we treated the Lowell, but
this time kept my seat and clung Oh
for dear life, and the shock didn't
knock mo Off. Soon after the Queen,
having nothing more to do, drew out
from the fight and ] got down from
my perch. felt u little sore, and had
Il few burns-for 1t was Il hot place
was in-but that was all the worse I
was for the adventure"