The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-05-01
A TERRIBLE
Graphic Description of a Scene of Unspeak-
able Desolatlon.

Graphic Description OF a Scene OF Unspeak-
able Desolation
Doctor Mowris, surgeon of the One
Hundred and Seventeenth New York
Regiment, went with a brother-surgeon
to inspect Fort Fisher on the morning
after its surrender, They found many
of the Confederate wounded still inside
the fort, together with many mutilated
bodies. Two Federal regiments were
on guard, and some of the men we're ex.
ploring ~curiously the ihnermost rccesses
of the place. Doctor Mowris had passed
through the works, and was on the outer
slope below the level of the undulating
crest of the fort, which externally was
an immense mound Of sand.
My companions were lingering above,
surveying the interior of the work,
when | was startled by a deep explosive
sound, attended by sensible quaking
of the earth. At the same moment
foil, and on looking in the direction OF
the sound, l beheld an immense shaft Of
earth and rubbish, in outline not unlike
a great waterspout rising as it were to
the clouds.
| clearly comprehended the nature OF
the occurrence, hut before l could con-
slider my own situation, | found myself
the victim of the most intense violence.
/ felt myself as an atom amidst the
crash of worlds.
Then came a distressing sense of SUI.
location, with q clear conviction hat
my immediate death was inevitable, I
felt the grave rudely closing around me,
md ran1i1oJ tlA l,,ra, ~ t,,-,, l,.,.l
alive. Then followed the pangs of sew
cring earthly ties.
Then there was a temporary lull In
the descent Of the debris, lnstinctively
! thrust out a hand, and felt tho air
extended hope"
Again was | depressed and over
whelmed by a fresh fall OF sand and
rubbish. Another agony OF suspense,
another struggle for life, and l gained
the atmosphere.
The danger had passed, and I was still
alive. On realizing my delivcrance I
experienced the most pleasurablc, bliss
full emotion of gratitude. That transit
emotion was the highest state of happi-
ness ever attained.
This feeling was succeeded by a moro
sordid but not less natural impulse to
confirm the advantage | had so provi-
dcntially gained. With one shoulder
fractured, the arm hanging useless, /
managed to extricate myself, and in an
extremely bad plight | set out from the
fort with q singleness of purpose which,
under circumstances less serious, might
have been amusing.
l had gone some ten rods, up to which
time had no thought of any person in
the world except myself and the mem
bers of my household. Then recovered
my sense of outer social relations, and
my next thought was my companions,
the doctor and the corporal. To seek
them was the next impulse, which l
would have obeyed irrespective of peril,
and rapidly retraced my steps.
On my right, as approached the spot,
lay a quivering face, all that was visi.
BILE of a victim. All the bodies that had
lain along the descent before The explo.
sion had been suddenly buried in a
namelcss grave, while the surface of that
general graveyard was already dotted
with the mutilated members of scores OF
new victims.
soon found the doctor-his lowe,
limbs both injured, and one thigh badly
fractured. Corporal King was nowhere
to be seen, but his body was found later
in the day.
As | reached the edge of the parape,
which overlooked the interior of the
fort, what a sight presented itself! The
great amount of sand which had been
the magazine had disappeared. A wide
excavation marked the spot where it had
stood. The incredible quantity of sand
which once formed the magazine now
lay spread out over a vast area. 1t had
been distributed so evenly, and had SO
softened the angles of the various OBJ.
jects on which it had fallen, rs to sug.
gcst the idea of a natural phenomenon.
The victims of the terrible casualty
moro than two hundred-were seer
here and there, while over all the black
smoke had descended, rendering the
scene one of unspeakable desolation.-
Youths Companion.