Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-07-12

1 50 when she steamed from Norfolk into
| Hampton Roads on March ) she had n fair
/ show to give the public on both sides Of tho
! Inc n sensation
Hampton Roads IL a waterway between
che lower end Of Chesapeake bay and tho
/ mouth Of James river The Couicdoracy
| occunicd 6 o southern shore with battcrirs.
/ the North che northern shores with foris
AMI batteries mud wat vessels ut anchor
I When o.. Mcrrimnc stcnincd into thu
[ Roads 1.-Two Union vessels lay just across
/ the main channel, the aorun sloop Cum
bertrand aud tho 5O-gun ffignic Congress NJ
Nswpur. Nrws, aud six milcs east, of
Fortfcs. Monruc. the t0gun lrigatca Min
hcfutn and Roanoke and the Dgtu frigatr
st. Lawrence. Thuy were w0udrn ships,
/ like nll nayicI In those days. and on March
/ Z. IN anticipation oi the Morrimnc's raid
on oulcr had been dispatched nom Wash
ington Tor these yrspls TO make all hast,
into the Potomac river Tor safety
This order hadn't reached lts destination
~ noon Of thc .th, and on houul the Cum
bcr.tud and Congress the sailor. washed
clothes were drying 10 the rigging and
their boais we're swinging from the booms
when the RAIN hove In sight Thing,
changed In a twinkling. however. when u
pillar u black smoke was seen rising OFT
Of Elizabeth river and Hrnngg craft
steamed from under The Coufcdersio hat
tcri,s nnd headed Tor Newport News a
swift sailing Uuiun picket boat ran out 10
rucuuuuiior. and fired a few shots to warn
friends ilshodr that o., stranger came not
IN pencc hut for war. The Congress anl
Cumberland and the shore batteries, az
gicmtiug 100 guns. opened on the tam ~
thre.fuurths uf O. milo distance Cnnmu
durf buphnurn, an old navy officer was
aboard the Mnlrimnr aud decided to uiukc
short work of II and strkethc Cumberland
90 once. While moving up 20 her Prey The
Nerimnc passed thc Congress and received
from her q full br0alsIdc ~ the same
tlmf che pivot .aiu o the ram was fired ri
her Intended victim. and ono guu'B crow ~
the Cumberland was swept away. Then
the RIM struck with her powerful bank
almost 40 right angles. close to the Cum
bCfland'1 f0rriTg.nV making hole that
horse aud ctrtn might pass through
The forward rifle gun ~ tho ram nc the
instant u collision delivered n shot that
Killed ton men at ono gun on tho Cumbcr
land. Then The Mvtrmnc backed nwny.
lcay'ng her iron boal broken Oh In the
sidts u tho luctlc.a flgatc. aud quickly
turned upgn tho Congress with a raking
stern lire
The Cumberland continued In action
nearly an hour When hailed TO strike
colur her commander, Lieut. Morris.
shouted, Never. IN sink alongsldc" She
was leaking badly all ~ this time and her
crow WIS driven by the rising water to
the upper decks and there continued nring
from the deck guns. 4 sailor ON the roof
Of the ram was cut IN two byn she'll from
the Cumberland Just a. fhc went down
She sank In ffty.tour feet Of water and her
flag iloatcd from her topmnst above the
waves. Tile crew saved themselves By
jumping and swimming ashore.
The Congress tried 10 avoid the fate Of
her conso.i aud cscapc. but Hhc grounded
and the MerrlmHc ran up to within 10
yards and rlddled her with shells Her
commander, Lieut., J. T.. Smith, was Killed,
her scuppurs ran blood. her crew was being
Slaughtered with no chance to rctnllntc,
and her officers displayed the white 1Hg
The Lieutenant Ia charge made formal
surrender aud went on board Confederate
guubont, but the Union troops on shore
continued 20 fro upon tho Confederate
the Congress oolurs were not struck. and
Commodore buchanan directed that hot
shot be poured Into her, While she was
burning her crew jumped into the wntcr
and two southern officers lost their lives In