The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-01-16
A BRILLIANT EXPLOIT.
THE DARING OF LIEUT.. CUSHING
AND HIS BRAVE VOLUNTEERS.
blowing Up of the Confederate Ram
Albemarle at Plymouth by the Union
ists-A Desperate Encounter-The
Confederate Commander.
Icor. San Francisco Chronicle

| tuA'Sii tue WOOuen gtlnDOatS out or the
Roanoke. Plymouth had fallen into the
hands of the Confederates, and the IRON
clad, with its rified guns and grim, yawn-
nag ports, was standing menace and terror
10 the wooden vessels opposed to her. Volun-
| tecrs from among the officers in the fleet
We're called for to lead parties having for
| their object the destruction of the ram.
Hundreds were anxious and eager for the
| leadership, but that point had long since
| been secretly decided and determined upon.
Lieut. William B. Cushing was the man.
lie had certain amount of los: reputation
to make up, and the opportunity To make
or break could not have been excelled. A
steam launch, floating low in the water,
| fitted with noiseless machinery and a spar
| torpedo, had been built at the north spe-
| cialiy for the purpose of circumventinc
the iron monster. The torpedo was rugged
out ahead of the launch on the end of a spar.
and was fired by pulling a lanyard,
which allowed small grapeshot to roll
down against fulminate-cap
wELL-GUARDED VESSEL
The Albemarle had wrested Plymouth
from the Federals, driven the feet from the
river, sinking one OF them (the SouthfielD
IN the encounter, engaged the combined
squadron in the open waters of the sound
steamed leisurely back to her wharf in front
of Plymouth, and for some unaccountable
reason rested content until October on the
laureis she had won in the spring. Every
precaution had been taken to guard the
ram against attacks from the enemy On
the wharf to which she was moored a large
detachment of soldiers We're stationed keep
ing watch and ward day and night, in adj
board the ram
From the mouth of the Roanoke to the
town of Plymouth, some eight miles, the
banks Were lined with mounted patrols and
picket guards, while the river itself. not
over 300 yards wide, was narrowly guarded
by attachments of the Confederate navy
About one mile below Plymouth was the
wreck of the Southfield, jutting halfway
across the turbid stream On her sloping
deck a battery had been established, barri-
caded with cotton bales, while boats and
sailors were grouped together, ready to be
utilized at the first note of warming Piles
Of brushwood, pine knots, tar barrels, and
rosin were piled at intervals on the river
banks, ready to aid, with their binding
glare, in defeating any attempt on the part
OF the enemy to ascend the river
ABOARD THE TORPEDO LAUNCH.
Gushing selected a force of thirteen Off
GERS and men from the host of volunteers.
and spent little time in drilling them ON
board the torpedo launch. The little craft.
buoyant and symmetrical a fairy's crea-
ton, worked perfectly. Her sharp bows
parted the waters with hardly a ripple,
while with the speed of n swordfsh the
slight fabric would glide through the yell
low, dirty expanse of the inland sea- max
ing scarcely more noise or disturbance than
the ticking of a chronometer She was fitted
with a slender but stout spar running over
the bow, to which was attached q torpedo
containing 100 pounds of powder, the lock-
string extending to the stern-sheets of the
launch. The torpedo and spar could be
raised and lowered at will.
On the night of the 27th the launch turned
her Prov toward the Roanoke, and, amid
the tervent God-speeds of the anxious hearts
left behind, departed on the desperate mis-
sion of destroying the ram. The inner line
or guards, boats, ard pickets was passed IN
safety. A huge fire of pine Knots had been
kindled at one station, for the night air was
chill, and the forms of the men, with their
rifles glinting in the freight, were seen by
all on board the launch The lurid glare of
the fire partially dispelled the darkness, re-
vealing strange and fascinating scene, that
even in that moment of peril and excitement
was not lost upon the imaginative minds of
the seamen. The Southfeld was left astern.
the few struggling lights of the town came
out one by one, and the wharf where the
ram reposed, grim and confident in its
strength, doomed upon the expectant vision
of Cushing, who in q whisper directed the
gear Ol INC torptuo snOulu De ready Tor
prompt action.
DISCOVERED BY THE FOE.
Out flashed from either side broad belt
Of light, lighting up the broad bosom of the
river, in the midst of which the launch,
with its inmates, composed of the fatal num-
Der of thirteen, was revealed to the keen
gaze of the guards on the shore s'Who goes
there! Launch ahoy!" hailed sharp, clear
voice, followed by the rattle of small arms
Gushing, realizing at once that concealment
was no longer possible, allowed his natural
daredevil spirit to gain the ascendency.
Thi1lsting his tawny hair back from his
forehead, he shouted: yankees, d-n your
and laughed recklessly as he fastened his
eyes upon the ram.
\ storm OF bullets whistled around the
ears OF the daring crew, the smooth sides of
the laancE being Instantly pierced through
and through, splintered and torn its entire
length The soldiers on the wharf, aroused
by the alarm, sprang to their arms, the huge
ports of the ram swlAng open, and her bow
gun rang out with tremendous roar
The flash of the piece revealed the exact
position of the iron-clad to Gushing, whose
keen eye Lad also noted the fact of a boom
| of logs surrounding the vessel, The bell of
! the Aibemarle, together with alarm rattles,
were creating fearful din as the launch
| circled about the logs, striving in vain to
force an opening through the obstruction
| Taking sharp sheer, Gushing headed tins
| launch in the opposite diIsction from his
| now thoroughly alarmed antagonist. and
! then turning, the feet little craft came bows
on, intent upon only one result. the destruc-
ton of the ram,
/ The air was now full of bullets, the cloth
| ing of Gushing had sustained numerous
! rents, but he bore q charmed life Leave
| the rnGn! he shouted, Jump for your lives:
I'm going TO send you sky high" and with
the words the howitzer in the bows of the
launch sent dose of canister full into The
! faces of the daze1 rebels With a heavy
thud and sharp shock the launch struck the
boom of logs directly opposite the rams
port quarter, and pressed them down,
| thereby gaining several feet
| EXPLODING THE TORPEDO