Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-21

u timDer, DlOck OF OAK, shattered ana
splintered and with an iron shell lodged
I'll in the rent, yet 1t is an object Of most
u intense interest to every one who sees it
and to many it brings remembrances of stirring
times
This piece Of wood is part Of the stern post
OF the gallant old Kearsarge, the fighting Kear-
sarge that fought and whipped the confederate
cruiser Alabama, and it has history.
The shell, that harmless looking bit Of iron,
has been gazed at with thankful eyes by thou
sands Of people, for it is the shell that sent
on deadly mission, which if fulfilled would
have sent noble ship and hundreds Of men to
the bottom of the sea; it is the shell that failed
to explode.
When the fight between the Kearsarge and
Alabama was at its thickest and before the tide
Of fortune had turned for the victors, shell
was fired from the confederate cruiser that was
intended to blow the Union ship out Of the
water. As 1t came hurting through the air
those on the Kearsarge saw that it was likely to
do damage.
They watched Its fight, saw It dip to the
water line as it neared the ship; then it struck
Men who were there have said that they held
their breath for a moment expecting to hear it
burst, to be followed by the explosion of the
powder magazine aboard ship. Five, ten,
fifteen seconds passed and no report. A little
longer and they knew it was over.
The fuse had gone out
Afterward they found it harmlessly imbedded
in the stern post and lovingly did they fondle
it, this recreant shell that failed to fulfill its
mission Of death. When the shattered stern
post was replaced 1t was brought to Washing
ton and placed in the Naval Museum at the
navy yard along with other relics of the war.
1t has been removed during the encampment
to Reunion place, where 1t Is serving again as
the stern post Of the model Of the Kearsarge
constructed there in honor Of the naval
veterans.
THE MUSEUM BUILDING.
There are many things on exhibition at the
Naval Museum that would interest the veterans.
1t is quaint old place and might be found to
be full Of suggestions and memories to the
naval veterans. 1t is well worth while to visit
the museum if one goes down to the navy yard.
The stranger will find the place by taking the
green cable cars, east bound, and riding to the
end Of the line, which is at the navy yard gate.
The marine on guard will show you the way to
the little two-story brick building wherein are
| stored the relics.
Outside the door are rows Of shells and
mortars that came back from the war. They
are stacked in threatening array along the curb
and many Of the old mortars have Numbered in
battle.
As you step inside the door an odd-looking
figure confronts you. At first sight it looks
like man standing there, but another look
shows 1t to be a wax figure. 1t is a Gfe-size
figure Of a marine of the time of the revolution,
Just such chap as might have tumbled up
from below when the drum beat to quarters on
the old Constitution. He Is a rum-looking
cove, as the Englishman would say-and no
doubt that is just what the Englishman found
him. Nearby is q stack Of boarding pixies,
those long, stout poles with q sharp iron spike
q foot long in the end, with which the lads of
olden times-and Of later days, too-were won't
to use when boarders were called away to
Chamber over an enemy's taffrail, splitting him
through and through they went. Ughl It
makes q peaceful mans flesh creep to look at
the thingsl
The museum itself is regular little arsenal.
The ceiling is covered with cutlasses arranged
in graceful figures and In fan-like shapes on the
walls. Every one Of these bright blades has
done its share Of slicing and carving the human
anatomy of the genus rebel and have probably
dripped gallons Of blood. They are polished
now to an exceeding brightness and the old
veteran can handle and fondle them lovingly
There stands of arms too some of the
| fields and were wrested from enemies hands by
stalwart blue jackets.
SHELLS AND ToRPEDoEs.
| Standing against the wall are all sorts of odd
shaped submarine torpedoes that were sunk in
the channels Of water ways to blow up federal
fleets, but which were ished up by the torpedo
nets and the sting Of the rattlesnake extracted.
They were crude affairs compared with the
modern contrivances in that line, yet they we're
mighty dangerous in their way. There are a
couple of them, great con1cal-shaped tubes Of
copper, which were moored at either end Of a
wire Just below the surface of the water, so that
when a ships bow touched the wire the two
| torpedoes swung under the port and starboard
| bows to explode upon contact.
In one Of the glass cases near the door is an
| iron shell, relic of the Merrimac 1t was
| fred from that ram on the day that she met her
Waterloo and fell in the headquarters Of Gen.
Mansfield on the shore Of Hampton Roads,
| kicking up the sand into the faces Of the
officers who were watching the battle, but it did
not explode. There is another relic Of that
| same day. It is an old pistol taken from the
| wreck Of the Cumberland. 1t had been long in
the water before they got it and looks as if the
sharks had nibbled at 1t but found 1t poor eat
Ing There are any number Of fragments of
bursted shells, Of mimic balls picked up after
| battles, Of round shot, grape and canister, each
with a history or with some little incident
attached that would make them objects of
interest to the men who had participated in the
| scenes in which they had figured.
There are relics of other wars than the REBEL
lion in the museum, for instance there is a
| mortar which CORVALLIS used at Yorktown
during the revolution. 1t is q small affair and
yet ii made things mighty lively for the con-
| tinental troops for Q little while. until some of
| the boys stepped over, spitted few Britishers
| on their pixies and carried the smoking mortar
| off with one hand.
| It Is said the Boston troops baked mess of
beans in 1t that night. Then there is a cannon
that tho gallant Decatur captured from the
pirates Of Tripoi There are several souvenirs
| Of Decatur's little brush with the Corsairs of
| tho Mediterranean on exhibition in various
places in the city, but this is a small gun which
was probably posted in the bow Of q ketch and
used to rake ino6ensive merchantmen.
Al OLD BRExoH-LoADER.
By the side Of the ancient marine, near the
door, Il the first breech-loading cannon in
vented II is an odd looking weapon when
compared with the monster 3o-foot steel breech-
leaders Of the present day, and yet It was Just
a. effective in its time, comparatively, - the
guns Of today, for no one had any better. II
WAS used by Cortez In his conquest Of Mexico.
and was captured when the federal troops In
vadsd Mexico in 1sla It Il Of . size that would
adnta = three q four of thsm beng put -