Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-07
A C0MM0D0RE'S PERIL.
BLOWN UP BY A TORPEDO BOAT
OFF CHARLESTON.

Confaderates--A Thrilling Escape from
Death--An Incident of the Late Civil
War.
Commodore C, W. Pickering, of the United
States navy, now % years old, was a daring
officer during the civil war, and had one Of
the most thrilling escapes from death re-
corded in the annals Of the navy. In the
winter he lives at st. Augustine, Fla. 1t
was while migrating to his winter quarters
that he was met by a reporter at the Wind
sor hotel The commodore looks like a
Frenchman Of Napoleon's Old Guard His
hair and mustache are snow white and in
strong contrast to his swarthy complexion.
One of his legs is paralyzed and eight or ten
of his ribs have been broken. His escape
from death when he was blown up on the
war vessel Housatonic was little short Of the
miraculous His own account of it is as fol
lows:
The blockade runners during the war would
pass almost under the shadow of a war ship,
with the chances of being SINK by few
shells. had command of the HOusatonic,
armed with 20O-pounders smaller cannon and
howitzers, and was stationed at the mouth of
Charleston harbor One night in February,
1864, We were on the lookout for blockade
runners 1t was a beautiful night at times,
the shifting clouds now and then revealing
the stars and the ocean for miles to seward.
Fort Sumter was near, black and frowning,
and Charleston in the distance, with its dim
lights, made us long to be ashore, When the
hour grew late l gave instructions to the
officers on deck and went below. We were
anchored, but had everything ready to get
under way in few minutes time No
blockade runners We're expected that night,
but they were liable to come at any time,
hence my constant precaution. l was talking
TO my clerk, Charles o. MuZ2ey, of Boston,
when heard the alarm gong sounding on
deck. The gong, instead of bell or a can
non report, was our signal to prepare for
action at night seized my double barreled
gun and rushed on deck, my clerk following
me My idea was to shoot the man at the
wheel on the blockade runner while it was
passing. One of the officers sang out: at is
a torpedo boat"
But did not hear him, and still thinking
a blockade runner was going by looked
around. Then the officer in loud tones sang
out again. Torpedo boatn
DESTRUCTION AWAITED.
gave the order then to slip the chain of
the anchor, that the vessel might swing
@OStN'
To my surprise, did not hear the chains
rattle asked why and the officer replied;
1.-The chain is gomez He had cut it on the
instant, and the vessel was swinging around.
Then / saw the torpedo boat, or rather a
small glass roundhouse large enough for one
man to stick his head in and look over the
surface of the water. knew that destruc-
ton awaited us unless l could stop that little
submarine monster moving swiftly toward
the stem of the Housdtonic.
aimed at the glass above the water and
fired both barrels of my gun. Then l sang
out orders for our vessel to 20 astern faster.
1t was too late. There was a smothered
sound. like howitzer exploding under water,
and felt myself going up into the air For
at least second or two | was conscious and
then everything grew dark. In eight min
utes from the time of the explosion L re-
gained consciousness and found myself i'll the
water, floating on the debris of the vessel. 1
was bleeding from several wounds, but still
resolved to escape drowning if possible A
small boat showed itself above water, and
scrambled to it, but it rolled and | aban-
doned it. l saw that part of the Housatonic
was not gone, and swan for it, catching hold
of some ropes An officer and marine We're
in small boat hanging on the davits. l
managed to get into the boat with them and
gave orders to cut the ropes. The officer had
no knife, and just at that moment the YES
sci, or rather that part of ID left rolled over
and we fell into the sea. The officer never
came up again. | sank twice, and finally
caught an oar from the boat and managed to
reach the wreck again, where the marines in
the fore rigging Of the vessel assisted me.
The list of killed and drowned was only six.
When the Housatonic began to settle the
men in the fore rigging rushed to the stern
30, I,,a sl,,,