Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-04-07

tic worked the Engine OF the AAhuelOt
After Ills Arm WIS shot on.
John Drummond saved the Ashuelot
The story appeared in the newspapers
at the time but has long since been for
gotten. The Ashuelot was side
wheel wooden steamer OF one thousand
tons burden, armed with twelve rifled
guns in battery and two carronades
Her commander was Adam Barrett,
worthy but somewhat narrow.minded
old seaman. The Ashuclot had been
sent few miles up the James to put n
stop to some Notifications which the
confederates had tegun upon a long,
narrow spit Of land running well out
into the stream and commanding the
channel for considerable distance.
An hours vigorous shclling had accom-
plished the work The enemy were
dislodgrd, the guns spiked, and, the
lookout reporting the smoke Of several
other steamers around the bend of the
river two miles above, the Ashuclot
was headed down stream. At this
point the James is full of dangerous
shoals and the channel is tortuous
Sailing vessels drawing as much water
as the Ashuelot at full speed was task
OF infinite difficulty but Capt" Lee
Jordan who was in charge OF the ship
on this expedition, had been an old
James river pilot Capt" Jordan
knew every sand.bar, spit, snag, rock,
curve and turn in the river and no one
better, except perhaps, John Drum.
mond, likewise james river pilot in
the old DAYS before the war
Drummond however, was also an ex-
perienccd engineer and when the
Ashuelot was put in commission he had
been given charge of her engines
With his two assistants he was now in
the cnginc-room of the ship and when
the bell rang for full speed" he took
the starting-bar In his own stalwart
hands No sooner had the Ashuelot
opened the point above than three YES
sells came stcaming around the curve
in full view They were the three
most powerful members OF the confed-
crate fleet on the james the York.
town. the Potomac and the iron-clad
ram Nirginia-thc latter destined, n
few days later, to work such terrible
hovoc among the federal vessels at
Hampton Roads. The Ashuclot was not
match for the smallest of her pur-
suers in men and metal Her only hope
was In her heels As the pursuers
came sweep ng around the bend two
puffs OF smoke arose from tn, bow guns
of the Yorktown and the Potomac. a
solid shot sang far over the maiumast
OF the A>huclot; then heavy shell
crashed into the port battery, and, cX.
ploding, killed and wounded half the
guns crew The Ashuclot replied with
her stern guns and the forward smoke
stack of the Potomac disappeared
For the next fifteen minutes n rapid
exchange Of iron saluiutions took place
between pursucrs and pursued without
noticeable effect by this time the
slower moving but much more heavily
armed Virginia had rounded the point
and now took hand in the duel by
liScharging both Of her tcninch bow.
guns Both shots took effect One, a
solid shot, struck the pilot-housc, car.
ricd II overheard and killed Capt"
Jordan; the other, a shell, exploded Il
the maumast, fragment severely
wounding Commander Barrett; another
one, entering tho eugiuc-room, took of
John Drummond's left arm and broke
his left leg
The second officer, young man, who
happened to b, in the cngine-room at
the time, Immediately gave orders to
strike the colors. With the pilot killed,
the captain insensible and the chief
engineer apparently dying no one
aboard to carry the ship through the
iutricacies of the channel, what, In.
deed, was left for him to do? But as
the order to strike was about to be
transmitted 20 the deck John Drum.
mond struggled fce0ly to his feet, and
while one of his assistants knotted a
piece OF waste about his bleeding stump
TO check the blood he said:
"No, no Don't give her up, lieuten-
anti can pull her through"
And pull her through he did by an
exhibition Of grit, skill, experience and
fortitude probably never eXcclled in the
history OF our navy. Propped up on his
seat by the valve rods, CHASTITY, sick
and raclsed with agony, he coursed the
ship from the engine room. His FIRE
men, stimulated by his superhuman
courage, worked like demons. Coal,
resin, hams, fat grease, waste were
poured upon the furnaces. The drafts
were wide agape and the blowers
working like cyclones. Clouds of smoke
poured from the chimneys; every pound
OF steam which the boilers would gen
crate was admitted to the valves And
the Ashuelot escaped, albeit badly hurt
in many places and with twenty one Of
| her crew dead or wounded, among the
former her pilot, her commander badly
injured and her chief engineer manned
for life N. i. World