The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-22
A COMMODORE'S Peril.
BLOWN UP ev A TORPEDO GOAT
OFF CHARLESTON.

The Destruction Of the Housatonfc BIZ t.
Confsderates-A Thrilling Escape from
Desth-An fncidsnt OF the Late Civil
War.
Commodore c. W. Pickering, Of the United
States navy. now 20 years old, was q 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 hc lives at st. Augustine. Fla Il
was while migrating to his winter quarterp
that no was met by reporter Mt the Wind
sor hotel The commodore looks like 4
Frenchmal of Napolcon'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 YES ell tiousatOnic 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 tho shadow Of a war ship,
with the chances of being sunk by few
shells. had command of the Housatonic.
armed with D0-poundcrs, smaller cannon and
howtzers, and was stationed at the mouth of
Charleston harbor. One night in February.
1854, we were on tho lookout for blockade
runners. 1t was 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 tho
hour grew late | gave instructions to tho
officers on deck and went below We vore
anchored, but had everything ready to git
under way in few minutes time. No
blockade runners were expected that night,
but they were liable 20 come at any time.
hence my constant precaution / was talking
TO my clerk, Charles o. Muzzey, 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. lseized my double barreled
gun and rushed on deck, my clerk following
me- Ny idea WAS to shoot tho man at tho
wheel on the blockade runner while ID WAS
passing. One Of the officers sang out: SIT il
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. I
gave the order then to slip the chain Of
the anchor, that the vessel might swing
around aId possibly escape the torpedo boat.
To my surprise. did not hear the chains
rattle asked why and the officer replied:
The chain is gomez He had cut it on tho
.fal h., Il,
Then ! saw the torpedo boat, or rather a
small glass roandhouse, large enough for ono
man to stick hi; head in and look over the
surface Of the water. knew that destruc-
ton awaited us unless | could stop that little
Submarine monster moving swiftly toward
the stem Of tho IIousatonic.
] aimed at the glass above the water and
fired both barrels Of my qua. Then sang
out orders for our vessel to go astern faster
IL was too late. There was a smothered
sound. like n howitzer exploding under water,
and felt myself going up into the air. For
at least a second or two was conscious and
then everything grew dark. In eight min
uteS from the time Of the explosion | re
gained Consciousness and found myself in tho
water, floating ON tho debris of the vessel L
was bleeding from several wounds, but still
| resolved to escape drowning if possible. A
small boat showed itself above water, and |
scrambled to il, but it rolled and aban-
doned it. saw that part Of the HousatOnic
wa, not gone, and swan for it, catching hold
of some ropes An officer and marine were
in n small boat hanging on the davits. |
managed to get into tho boat with them and
gaze orders to cut the ropes. The officer had
no knife, and just at that moment tho YES
sci, or rather that part of it left, rolled over
and we fell into the sea. Tho officer never
came up again | sank twice, and finally
caught an oar from the boat and managed to
reach the wreck again, where tho marines in
tho fore rigging of the vessel assisted me-
The list OF killed and drowned was only six.
When tho Housatonc began to settle the
men in the fore rigging rushed TO the stern
lni managed to save those who wers there
struggling 10 eXtricate themselves. My
clerk, Mr. MuZzey, who came on deck with
me, must hive been blown all 10 pieces, for
We never saw his body think must have
gone at least thirty feet into tho air, and my
impression is that did not lose consciousness
lntil reached the point where | began to
descend. What became OF tho submarine
orpedO boat, / sank il when fred into it,
n very few minutes afterwari. The glass
0okout, you see, WIS water tight, and my
discharge Of buckshot broke it, and the
water rushing in finally sank it. There were
TX in the torpedo boat and all were drowned.
had several ribs broken and was paralyzed.
New York Mail and Express.
The Cigar Mans Trick.