Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-03-03
ISLAND NO. 10.
HOW THE cARoNoELer PASSED THE
CONFEDERATE BATTERIES.
8scosAect3ons q . Daring Naval Explicit
During the Late Unpleasantne0-NaF.
row Escapes-fhs Main Braes
SplIced af the Finish.
Rear Admir,I w.Ike In rbe C.nhuv.I


| flag officer, under date Of March 30, / at ono
began To prepare the Carondelet for th
ordeal All the loose material at hand wa
collected, and on April their decks wer
covered with it. 70 protect them agains
plunging shot HAwsers and chain cable
were placed around the pilot house and othe
vulnerable parts Of the vessel, and every pre-
caution was adopted To prevent disaster.
coal barge, laden with hay and coal. wa
dashed to the part Of the port side OH which
there was no iron plating to protect tn,
magazine. And it was truly said that tn,
old Carondelet ut that time ressmbled {
farmers wagon prepared for market. Tn,
engineers led the escape-steam, through tn,
pipes aft, into the wheel-house. to avoid tn.
putting sound it made when blown through
the smoke-stacks
been made, informed the fiag-ofiicer Of III,
intention TO run the gauntlet that night and
received his approval Col Buford, whs
commanded the land forces temporarily
with the fotilla, assisted me in preparing
Tor the trip, AMI OIL the night Of the 4th
brought on board Capt Hollenstein, Of the
forty-second Illinois, and twenty-three
sharp shooters Of his command, who volun
accepted. Col. Buford remained on board
until the last moment 10 encourage US in
formed the officers and crew Of the character
OF the undertaking. and all expressed
readiness to make the venture.
In order to resist boarding parties
in case we should be disabled, the sailors
were well armed, and pistols, cutlasses,
muskets, boarding-spikes. and hand grenades
until 80 .hna
the boilers for throwing scalding water over
any one who might attempt TO board. II il
should bs found impossible to save the yes
sci, 1t wai designed to sink rather than burn
her, as the loss of life would probably b,
greater in ths latter case by the explosion OF
her magazine. Durin, the afternoon tners
WIS promise of clear. moonlight night,
AMI 1t was determined to wait until the
moon was down, All then make the attempt,
whatever the chances. Havin, gone 20 far,
We could not aba ndon the project without a
bal effect on the men. equal almost TO
faiiurs.
AT 10 O'Clock the moon had gone down,
and the sky, the earth, and the river were
alike hidden in the black shadow Of thun-
deGstorm, which had now spread itself over
all the heavens. A the time seemed
favorable, ordered the first master to cast
off. Dark clouds now rapidly rose over US,
and enveloped Us in almost total darkness,
except when the sky was lighted up by the
welcome flames OF vivii lightning, to show
Us the perilous way were to take. Now
and then the dim outline Of the landscape
could be seen, AMI the forest bending under
the roaring storm that came rushing up the
river.
With our bow pointing to tho island we
passed the lowest point Of land without
being observed, it appears. by the enemy.
All speed was given to the vessel to drive
her through the tempest The flashes OF
lightning continued with frightful brilliancy
AMI almost every second wrote a CORES
pendent, every brace, post, and outline
cou>i be seen with startling distinctness, en-
shroude.l by a blush white glare of light
and then her form for the next minute
would become merged in the intense dark
ness. When opposite Battery No. ,. on
the mainland, the smokestack blazed
up but the fire was soon sub
duei. 1t was caused by the SEQ, be
coming dry, rs the escape of steam, which
usually kept the stacks wet, had been sent u
the wheel house, as already M sntionei, t.
prevent noise. With such vivid lightning a
prevailed during the whole pas age, there
was no prospect Of escaping the vi;iaacs
the enemy, but there was good reason u
hops that he wouli be unable to Ioint hi;
guns accurately. Again the SIN ,kesta ks
took fire. and were soon put out; AMI then
the roar Of the enemys guns began, and
from Batteries Nos. 9 !. and 4 came almost
necessarily the sharp crack and scr=amIng
SQUAD OF their rife shells, which sem ID u
unite with the electric batteries Of the clouds
10 annihilate Us.
~Whils nearing the isIanl. or some shoal
point, during few minutes Of total dark
new, we We're startled by the loud. sharp or
der, Hard a-port.' from our brave and skill
full pilot. First Master Heel. We almost
grazei the island, and, it appears, We're not
observed through the storm until We We're
close in, and the enemy, having no tins TO
point his guns, firel at random In fact, We
ran 50 near that the enemy did not, probably
could no: depress his guns sufficiently
While close under the lee Of the island, ami
during lull in the storm and in the
firing. one Of our pilots heard Confederate
officer shout, Elevate your guns Yes, con
folnd you said the pilot, in a much lower
key, elevate 1t is probable that the muz-
zlei OF tho guns had been depres ell to keep
the rain out Of them, and the officers not
expecting another night attack in such
storm, and arriving late, ordered the guns
elevated just in time 10 save US from the iii,
rect fire Of tie enemy'S heaviest fort; and
this. no doubt. WAS the cause of cur remark.
able escape. Nearly all the enemys shot
went over US
Having passei tie principal batteries We
were greatly relieved from suspense,
patiently endured, however, by the officers
and crew. but there was another fo-mid
able obstacle in the way-a floating battery,
which was the great war elephant of the
Confederates, built to blockade the Missis-
sipI'i permanently. As We passed her she
fired six or eight shots at US, but without
effect. One ball struck the coal barge, and
one was found in a bale Of hay; We found
sl>o one or two musket-bullets. We arrived
at New Madrid about midnight with no Que
hurt. and were most joyfully received 10y
our army. At the suggestion OF Psymas'e'
Nixon all hands sp,iced the matt 'rae4 -"