The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-08-01
L RIDE On 4 SAFETY-VALVE.

jimmy Carr came to America III
1885" says the Cincinnati Enquirer
land took up his abode in this city soon
afterward Liking the country. he came
here to work at his business of machin-
ist and engineer. and was always a good
citizen and a faithful emDloye. He was
Tatherold to begin the profession of arms
when the war began, but he did the
next best thing, he went into the navy,
enliStng as assistant engineer on the
steamer Queen of the West. a freight
boat which had been bought 10y the
Government and altered into a ram
here III Cincinnati The vessel which
was under command of Captain Elliott.
was ordered South, and it was at the
battle of Memphis that Jimmy Carr met
with this particular adventure, which
made him a hero in as peculiar a manner
as ever hero gained the title. We give
the tale as he tells it:
1T was on the 9th of June, said
Jimmy, that Memphis was taken. l
remember it well, for it was q hot day,
and I was in a hot place. too, can tell
you. The fleet was laying five miles
above Memphis, and the Queen was a
volunteer that morning. Early in the
day we got orders to move down to-
ward the rebel batteries. but had no
sooner got within range than the john
MES opened fire on us. Our captain
called on Curtis, the first engineer, to
let loose and he did. and we were soon
steaming down the river.
I'VE weren't long under way until
we had one hundred and fifty pounds of
steam ON, and still rising. Curtis de
tailed me to look after the bOileTS-we
had four which were on deck-and |
went off to my post. The first thing l
- lr~Ea agsa-r
weighed heavy enough for the extra
pressure and the steam escaped. l
couldn't see anything lying around to
weigh it down with but Il large lump OF
coal | lifted that on to the lever, but
it was no use, as it was tumbled off in
a minute or two. BY this time we must
have had fully two hundred pounds Of
steam ON, and on looking out | saw the
rebel gImbOat. the General Lowell, steam
ing up and firing at us. We had no guns
aboard and only eleven SharpShOOterS,
and the shot was. flying around Us pretty
lively. l knew it was the Captains IN
tentiOn to try and sink the Lowell, and l
saw that it would never do to allow the
steamboat to escape as it was doing. L
had to think quick-there was nothing
near that | could weigh down the valve
with, but | was bound not to be beat
and | got aStride the lever myself and
sat down on it, 1t was pretty hot, but |
stuck it out / looked out and the LO-
veil was only a couple of hundred yards
off. She stopped to round to, but the
Queen was too quick for her, and with a
rush, we were into her, just aSteTn of
the wheel, and almost went clean thrO'
her. l was so excited that [ never took
my eyes off her when we were coming
up, and just bore my weight down on
the lever. never thinking to hold on to
anything When we struck, the shock
was so terrible it just Knocked me head
and heels over the boilers. Curtis was
watching me, and thought Z was killed,
and halloed out: There goes poor jim
my but | wasn't gone. [ was stun
ned for a minute, but jumped up and
climbed over the boilers and straddled
the lever again, this time taking q good
hold.
The Lowell sank in about i've min
utes. but we hadhardly time to get clear
of her before another rebel craft, the
Beauregard, steamed up toward us. We
treated her tie same way as we treated
the Lowell, but this time [ kept my seat
and clung on for dearlife. and the knock
didn't knock me off. Soon after the
Queen, having nothing more to do,
drew out from the fight and l got down
from my perch. | felt little sore, and
had a few burns-foT it was hot place
l was in-but that was ali the worse 1
was for the adventure. =