The Dickinson press., 1888-07-21

NJ 40 tho first shot was firc, aud strucI,
SO near as to lerv" III in doubt whether tire
barges We're hit. y lull of II few minute,
and then another, followed closely hy Il To-
hound. II kept un in this way as we wcr"
ron ''.i1.: the hn,, the shots all .rpm;na Ia
con,r very near To US, as VIE could perceive
hy tho momcntary throh OF Tho hull when
struck. With the exception "f Capt Ward,
the pilots engineers and lircmnn, the rest of
Us were posted along the barges, on the alert
for al attempt mt boarding.
Owing to the U loop of tho river we had to
run IL portion of the distance by, then turn
and run tn" whole line back again. Thus we
wrrH exposed first toa starloar,l and then 10
low fire, and when in front of the main
batteries to concentrated fire from three
directions AT first we prrrcd from behind
tn" '!aH bales on pcrrriviMg the flash ef tho
Cnnte;lcrate guns, ut soon hn shots wrrr 50
RAPID and from points 50 wi,leli Hi,ari that
that ~Xcitn@ amusement was ,lro5rcd. The
ST illin:s t tho shells MS tilct went over u.s.
th' p!A-li i'll the wt;~r anil the spray ,vcro
suhjcr;E"t ire.ins, anil imitation till an i'm
meas s(,.ll burst hnt three feet or So above
-ur buds wiia II stunning report.
Twenty minute, dong minutes thoscy
un'}''T this fire and nobody hurt Tho bart,cs
still in good '~m an! lie litle propcllcr
making eight iii"; pr hnm Now we ayc
%@lI past tn upper lat cries; lat the main
guns ara four hundred yards from us, an, it
seems i'll the clear air rs il We were lust in
front of t,lrir rillalrs. Several shots strike
th" bararfs, but Oh We sto \ glance ut our
wn'chcs-it Is quarter past we are
almost past tic worst and begin to congratr-
late each other, "licn suddenly we arc hurried
this WAY and that, and all tho roar of tho
Confederate guns is drowned in ono terrific
report, a' il a magazine had burst under us.
My first thought was that the powder had
"nn St"wc'l on tE" hargcs and had ignitcl;
hu. in rlamhering up among smoke and
flames could :"s no;'!ias like a tug \ ten
int'l shell, a; W. uflerward learned, had
struck lrr boilers; slln had exploded and tho
white ll": cin'lcrs We're thrown up in IL spout
ing shower, while steam nnd'smoke cnvclopn,l
t|H liarE'~' like pail Tho little craft had
been literally shattered to atoms.
Almost at tho sauo minute tho batteries
commenced "a venscful, and, ms it seemed to
me, Il savage, fire upon us, faster and faster.
n stunning and binding effect. The coals
The shells aided in the work In vain did we
;raml,le upon tcm and throw them over
board, burning oll hands, feet and clothing
in the effort. No inclrts wcro to ha found
| they Ia'i l,ecn blown away Down between
tl:" har&rs hung the fragments of the tug by
the tow ropes
Tie rebels set upa h!cous yell, rs if in
inorkelJ ut our crippled condition. Tie bat
telics kept ON firing, the blazing hay light
ing up the river. We werc tllon slowly drift
in@ with the current past the front oi tho
city. Oar disaster happened right abreast Of
tlic court house. AS soon as we could SEQ
through the binding smoke we foual Mr.
Browne standing barehea,lel on tho top
l.o1t Dal", as ii he were u defiant target for.
Tie rebel gunners. Capt. Ward had been
blown forward thirty feet from the ting into
Tie river, and two of his mon were engaged
in Il Ling Him up Tie wounded and scacd
lcn "rrc crying for help, answered only by
The s'i"lis and occasional cheers.
We l!r!rcdly consulted and decided to get
| ntr the bargci, as the flames were crow,ling
Ils clos. i;ales of hay wcrn tumbled into
'l!" river and thc wounded placed on them,
The li"at nos !. o.ilo il4tc!4,v. l!r. Brow! .
and myself remained uat,l all s:orc OF, aud
li.cn viii !iit one bale for tie tvs" STRIPPED
ioF III" nuns". Just ~. wo were ready IL
,'h,i svl went tuidcr Mr.. Richardson, over
turning linn into the water nrI raising II
t"Nt::it of spray whore lie had sunk Our