The National tribune., 1882-03-25
A SUBMARINE PRISON.

| VIC udu no IO0m lOT exercise. 1uc ohh-
GERS had regular berths to sleep in, and their
contracted quarters were fitted up luxuri-
ously. The wood used in the furnishings
consisted of fine walnut and other expensive
kinds. The men slept in standee cots, three
tiers high, which they could lash up out OF
the way. We had no amusements what
ever. Itwas the most monotonous life mag
inable-worse than being in penitentiary.
Gambling was strictly prohibited, and
when Admiral Foote abolished fogging in
the Navy, he also abolished grog. / have
often heard the blue-jackets curse him for
it, and swear that the good old times of grog
and flogging would yet have to be restored
Still, the officers had all the liquor they
wanted, and during especially arduous ser
vice, such as picket duty at Charleston
during very bad weather, it was issued to
the men. You have heard of wooden nut
megs and oak hams, but did you ever hear
of tin hams? These latter kind of hams
often used to find their way to the fleet,
neatly packed in casks, and by hacking
hole in the ham, the most delightful whisky
latter end of the war you were liable to find
whisky in almost anything, except an ex-
ploding bombshell. My own opinion is that
grog is not necessary in a navy, save for
strictly medicinal purposes. 1t should only
be issued by order of a surgeon. I have
mentioned the effect of the explosion of
gun while you were in the turret. If you
went below while firing was in progress,
the sound of the gun was like tremendous
thud or jar, and the shock nearly threw you
off your feet. The ship quivered from
stem to stern, and the glassware jingled
like an earthquake was in progress.
CULINARY AND OTHER MATTERS.
ave lived well. The transports brought
US fresh provisions each week and mails and
newspapers reached us regularly. We kept
well posted on the progress of the war.
The Captain had cook of his own and also
steward. Each naval captain usually
takes his own particular cook with him
wherever he goes The wardroom cook,
with the assistance of steward, attended
to the culinary affairs of the officers. The
well to the inner man of the tars that went
down into the great deep in his monitors,
weel knowing that few persons can fight
well on an empty stomach. Our crew got
along well together. A dissension was sell
dom visable to the official eye When we
floated at anchor in hostile waters our vessel
was completely surrounded by torpedo
netting, which extended out from the hull
twelve feet on every side and hung eight
feet below the surface of the water. This
was to prevent the enemy, if possible,
from blowing us up by some ingenious
ly contrived submarine explosive. Our
little ship was in constant peril from
man and the elements. When we lay down
to sleep at night no one could predict if we
should ever rise again. If the sea was
smsoth and the, skies clear torpedo might
he even then gliding beneath us. There
was never a moment when we could posi-
lively declare that we were in perfect safety.
The wash of wave across the carelessly
open matches might sink us. To keep
sharpshooters and torpedo-boats at
howitzer on deck. Every monitor had one,
with the gun manned every night On
especially dark nights we illuminated our
surroundings with a calcium light"
Captain" inquired the reporter, if hun
dred confederates had boarded your deck
some night when your matches were all
closed who would have been the prisoners,
You or they?"
II think they would have been" Captain
Emerson replied. ave would heve kept
them out of the turret and blown them to
mincemeat with the guns or with our
plenteous supply of hand -granades, or run
out to sea with them and had the surees
wash them off.
OUR FIRST VOYAGE.
II am anticipating, however. Ihad better
begin my narrative in New York city. We
left there in the latter part of November.
1862, for Fortress Monroe, towed by large
sidewheel steamer. Monitors being then
brand-new Inventions no one understood
the management of them. That they were
dangerous fighters had been proven, but it
was still question whether they were sea-
worthy and would float in bad weather.
When we got out to sea we had to watch
things closely. Our engines worked steadily,
and we went plunging along, with the surees
breaking across decks, like great iron.clad |
turtle with it's nose and the rim of it's back
sticking out of the water, but it's main pro-
portions away underneath. In fact, only |
the turTet and smoke-stack were out of water |
most of the time. The night before we got
to Fortress Monroe an alarm of fire startled |
us all. Something got wrong with the |
boilers; there was small explosion, and
the firemen came near being suffocated. We |
got them up just in time, pulling them up |
through hatch. They were badly but not |
dangerously scalded. Before we reached our |
destined port everything began to 20 wrong.
and believe that if our voyage had been
a much longer one we would have gone to
the bottom, for leaks were springine fast.
Our next trip was to Washington for repairs.
It was almost Christmas before we were
again ready for southwark movement, and
as q British vessel of war was hanging
around to see how we performed, we steamed |
boldly off to seaward without anybody's
assistance, but at about dusk we were taken
Ia tow by powerful steamship. We made
L. Eortroeo hnnro> ,,,3xI1.l