The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-04-07

| All LQlS was Gone Ill iSSS tlLue tudu
! it takes to describe it, and as we were
now nearing her rapidly it seemed i'm
possible that she could escape us. A
shell from the rifle exploded over her:
shell from the eleven inch burst close
beside her, and the three and eight
inch shell guns were sending thei1
compliments thick and fast, but strange
to say not single shot had struck
her. She seemed to bear a charmed
life. We were about half a mile dis
tant from each other and about mile
from the shore when she suddenly
changed her course to southwest and
started TO run down along the coast,
heading directly for us.
It was now nip and tuck. The
stranger was going to run for it, and
had the bar between us. Our only
chance was to sink her before she got
in. Nothing now could save her, as
the steamer Penguin, which had been
after the other sail, which, by the way,
was passing friend, now joined US III
the chase, and opened upon the flying
steamer with no better success than
before, her shots flying wide of the
mark. The most tremendous excite
ment prevailed on board each vessel,
Capt Clarey raved and swore and
stamped in an intense but subdued
tone, but all to no effect. Shot after
shot went over and exploded beyond
on the shore; some exploded short
and covered the steamer with spray,
some in the air, others cut the water
just ahead, some grazed the stern, but
not one touched her apparently. It
seemed impossible to strike her. The
men worked their guns as if they
were only toys in their excitement, and
loaded aud fired as If their lives de-
pended on the accuracy of each shot,
So rapidly did we fire that we had to
wait for the smoke to lift before we
could see for the next shot.
We were now rapidly approaching
Galveston harbor and it seemed as if
she was going to get away in spite Of
us. Since changing our course last
time we were both sailing, or steam
ing rather, dead on windward, but
she being the lightest draught was
making better time than we, and
slowly but surely getting away from
US. Her captain for the last hour
had been walking the bridge between
the lighthouses, with both hands in
the pockets OF his pea-jacket smoking
a cigar very unconcernedly; but that
there was feeling that their lives
and property hung only on a single
thread was manifest in the way those
wheels few around, leaving track of
boiling, foamy sea far astern, and the
thick, huge volumes of black smoke
that poured out of the tunnels told
story that did not need a trumpet to
announce The channel now began
to widen, and if she could only hold
her own for twenty minutes she would
escape. What must have been the
thoughts of that captain as he walked
to and fro on that bridge, with the air
full of flying missiles, now hid in their
smoke, the next minute drenched with
their spray; again, in second or two
later one flying a few feet above his
head! He never fincbed an inch or
changed his manner, but kept quietly
on as though it was an everyday af-
fair.
Fate, SAYS Mr.. ATackie, decided in
favor of that flying steamer. In spite
of every effort that could be made to
prevent her she reached the Bay Of
Galveston, which is nearly three miles
wide, and the channel is very danger
Gus to vessels drawing more than ten
feet Of water, and as we were getting
into three fathoms again, with intense.
chasrin we gave up the chase, send
ing as a parting compliment an elev-
en-inch shell with our regards.
As the flying stranger passed out Of
range her captain hoisted the Confed-
crate flag and dipped it three times,
at the same time taking off his cap
waved it towards us and bowed grace
fully in our direction his adieu,
steamed in under the guns OF the fort
at Galveston and dropped his anchor,
safe at last. We returned the salute
and went back to our station for the
night, as it was now nearly sundown,
after one OF the most exciting days
that we ever spent, with less credit
to ourselves than could possibly be
supposed under the circumstances.
The Galveston Ners, Of April IA,
1865, published an account Of the es-
cape Of the Foz: Shot, shell, grape,
sharpnel, says the Neocs every ingen-
uity which Satan and his children,
the Yankees, have invented, were
thrown with the rapidity of lightning
and the abundance of hail at, around
and over, and III the water beneath
the doomed victim; elongated shot and
shell shrieked before, behind and over
her, or struck the water and ricochet-
ted over her decks like-well, like a
flock of sheep over pair OF bars.
Strange to say, although hundreds OF
shots We're fired, but four took effect.