The morning call., 1892-01-24
FORCING AN INLAND PASSAGE,
Feat Of The United States Revenue Cutter Nor
riII in Southern Waters.

iii III pUulEGiU " ClGlpt
On the 9th of March. 1891, the United
States revenue cutter Morrill,, First Lieu
tenant w. ). Baldwin commanding, arrived
at Charleston. 5. c., having performed the
feat of forcing an inland passage through
the waters stretching between the North
EdstO and Ashley rivers of South Carolina.
BY SO doing the Morrill, demonstrated be-
yond question the ability of war vessel
drawing not over ten feet of water to navi-
gate the whole of the inland passages from
Charleston, S. c., on the north, to Fer
nandina, Fla, on the south, distance Of at
least 155 miles.
From a military point Of view the feat Of
the Morrill, cannot be oyersstimated. 1t as
sures complete and certain communication
between vessels of torpedo fOtilla consist
ing of torpedo boats. torpedo gunboab
cruisers and gun5Oats operating on the de-
Tense against a blockading force of the
enemy south Of Philadelphia. 1t further
assures an inland passage all the way from
Philadelphia to Fernandina, with the ex-
ceptiOn of the stretch of South and North
Carolina coast lying midway between More
head City on the north and Charleston on
the south.
Valuable as is the result of the MorrilPs
passage, 1t must be admitted that the at
tempt was made mora from curiosity than
as military experiment The story Of the
run, as related by one of the MOrrilPs Of
fCers. is briefly as follows:
THE Morrill, left Charleston on Tues
day for run 10 the southwark. Tuesday
night found the vessel anchored far up st.
Pierre Greek, branch of the South EdlstO.
Wednesday morning the Morrill, secured
over the waters of the South EdstO, ran ont
to sea, and crossed North EdistO bar later IN
the day, falling off before the first of a
heavy northeast blow Wednesday night
she was at anchor in the WadmalaW River
the extreme headwaters Of the North
EdiSto, the afternoon having been taken
up with Infantry and rife drill by the blue
jackets.
Thursday morning opened with furious
gale blowing from the southeast On North
EdsO bar the breakers were running
twelve and fifteen feet high, leaving in their
intervals as little as three feet of water.
Under such condition, any attempt to cross
the bar meant certain destruction. 1t was
as late as Thursday morning that the idea
of forcing an island passage to Charleston
through New Cut, Church Flats and the
Stone River suggested itself, and Lieutenant
Baldwin at once proceeded to carry it out.
The tide at the time was running flood, lack
ing two hours Of high water
'At 80 o'clock in the morning the Nor
rill was under way and heading toward the
marshes of Wadmalaw River. Hedges and
running lines were gotten up, and kept at
hand fore and aft. Boats were made ready
for lowering, aud careful leadSmen sta
toned In the chains. The Morrill, was
drawing nine feet on a mean draught
Forging slowly ahead under one bell the
vessel wound in and out around bends so
narrow that the land at times was not more
than eight or ten feet from the sides of the
ship. In establishment the whole cOlOred
population along the banks of the Wad-
malaw gathered at the rivers edge to gaze
on the apDaritiOn of steamship blowing
through the creeks and duck ponds.
q" The first touch came not more than six
miles I'D the NadmalAw. There was plenty
Of water to starb0ard, but the sharpness Of
the bend forced the vessel against the port
bank. Added to this, the force of the north
west blow and driving rain from starbOard
was too much fora SlLgie screw to overcome.
Down went the boats, cut came the Hedges,
and the biue-jaCket were soon planting an
anchor well 10 Wtndward in a bunch Of
marsh. The men hauled away with a
hurrah. and soon, by vigorous snub-
bing, the ship was of the bank aud in tho
stream. All such rubbing on the bottom
was Of little consequence. as the lead
showed sticky mud and plenty of it.
Forging ahead again, the Morrill, left
Wadmalaw behind, and entered New Cut.
This cut was dTedGed by the British rs far
some OF their smaller war vessels. Ine
Morrill, found ten feet of water all the way
through the cut but again experienced
difficulty in rounding the sharp bends.
Much Of this difficulty would have been
avoided had the wind not been blowing
hard. At the extreme upper end Of the cut
Hedges had to be run, Ia order to work the
vessel around the last point
From New Cut the Morrill, emerged into
Church Flats, the head waters of the Stone
River This was at 9:15 o'clock in the
morning, and to the call of the leadsman.
singing a quarter less two. sir which cali
suddenly changed to two fathoms,' and
soon to two and a quarter the sturdy
little vessel worked ahead. From the head
of Church Flats to the Stone. and down the
Stone as far as WappO0 Greek, the
Morrill, gradually increased her speed
from a slow forge ahead to six knots. then
eight knots, ten knots, and finally twelve
knots The tide being found running ebb,
the Morrill, anchored for the night abreast
Ellots Cut, an opening into Wap 90 Creek.
Friday morning, al o'clock, the cutter ran
through the creek, came out into Ashley
River and anchored off Charleston. with
the northeast gale still blowing hard out
side"
The performance Of the Morrill, shows
that with a ten-fOOt psssageway existing in
what had heretofore been deemed mere
it is apparent that a Eotilla Of
t0rpedO-b0ats and tOrpedO-cruiSers can be
operated along the Atlantic Coast from Nor
folk to Fernandina, daShlng out from one
passagewaY or another on hostile vessels
and creating alarm in any blockading force.
-HarpeTs Weekly.