The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-09

on the terms which should exist between
civilized nations. On August Ii, Preble be-
gan preparations for another attack and on
the night August "a, hombarded the town
without provoking any return IRE. ON Aug.
% another night attack was opened, with
much damage to the enemy for the Con-
stitution alone fred 700 heavy shot into
the Tripolitan works. More injury was
done 10 the town in this attack than In
either of the others.
On September 3.
PREBLE RAN NEARER THE ROCKS
than formerly, and opened as warm fire
as probably ever came out of the broadside
of a ship. Seventy guns at one time
played upon the object of attack. The Con-
stituton suffered considerably in this fight
her sails and rigging being much cut by the
shot There had been in all five attacks on
the town. when there occurred the most
daring exploit in naval annals. The ketcb
Intrepid, which had been used in he burn
ing of the Philadelphia. was converted into
a floating mine. and significantly called the
Internal. The little craft was filed with
combustibles. and had seereted on board
| large amount of powder and shells. In
barrels of gun powder. and in another 100
nne-inch shells, together with fragments
OF on and pieces of kentlodge. To this
mass train was laid and fuses were at
tached. 1t was intended to carry the craft
as far as possible toward the town and
the ships of the enemy. then the men were
| to escape, after lighting the train. and. as
the ketch advanced. she would run amonl
| t6o boo Hove of he TJIr
ex plode.
! For the dangerous task of taking the In
fernaI toward the enemy the call for yolun
teers was answered by Capt. Somers OF
Preble's staff and Lieut.. Wadsworth, OF
Portland. whose grave in Eastern Cemetery
is marked by stone with this inscription
I"Determined at once they perfer death an,
the destruction of the enemy to captivity
and torturing slavery
| This expedition gave Preble much anx-
iety. for the ketch would be valuable shout,
it fall into the hands of the enemy betor,
ignition and good many risks surrounded
the brave mon who volunteered for the
bold enterprise.
The course of the little boat on September
4. was watched MS faT as possible through
the night. Somers and his little band OF
among the officers and men of the Constitu-
| ton as they went out. There was long
wait All at once a sudden and tremen-
dous eruption, succeeded by absolute dark
ness and dead silence, gave the only in
die a ton to those who watched. The boats
of the Internal never reappeared. Days
afterward mangled bodies were found, un-
distinguishable in their mutilation, some
| a = nd in IF
ment of the Internal itself. It is likely that
| all were killed on the ketch when she blew
| up. Four of the enemy's gunboats were
missing and two others were badly shat
tered. 1t is a question to this day how and
when the Internal blew up-whether by an
accident on board the craft itself. or by ID
shot from this enemy.
SAD AND SOLEMN MYSTERY
surrounded the fate of the volunteers. and
all that they left was the glorious memory
| of daring deed. 1t was the termination
of desperate war. for. after period of
contin ued blockade. negotiations with the
| Bashaw were concluded by treaty which.
after the usual delays, met the effronrery
of the Tripolitan luler by ransom of $4,000
| for the prisoners who remained in confine-
ment.
| P1eble.returned to America, and the squad
ron in the Mediterranean was placed under
Commodore Barron. after he had disposed
of one of the vessels and returned to the
Government at Naples the bomb and gun
boats obtained at that port. Two additional
vessels were purchased and the prizes taken
| from the Tripolitans were retained. The
Constitution was now under command of
Capt. Rodgers. Decatur being transferred
| to the Congress. In May. 1905. Barron
transferred he command of the Mediterra-
mean squadron to Capt. Rodgers. who was
still in commander the Constitution, and
who made that vessel his flagship. Among
| the other vessels of the squadron were the
celebrated President, Constellation. Con-
| gress, and Essex. The war with Tripoli
ended with the treaty of January 10