The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-21
IN THE REAL BLOCKADE.
CRUDE, BUT TERRIBLE FIGHTING
APPARATUS At CHARLESTON.

The First Attempt to Destroy the
IrOnsides With Kegs of Powder.
Capt. FickIing's Journey Into the
Jaws of Death-Fate of the HOusa-
tOnic-The Fish Torpedo.
Charleston. S. C.. Feb. 20.-The popular
interest in the visit of the South Atlantic
squadron to Charleston and its patriotic
reception by the people of South Carolina
personally and officially; the failures and
successes of the blockade runner, Vesu-
vius; the successful practice in launching
the Whitehead torpedoes through the
pneumatic tubes-this, taken in connection
with the recent test of the wonderfully
speedy torpedo boat No. 6, and the practic-
cal completion of the yet more terrible
submarine craft invented by j. Z. Holland
and built by the United States navy de-
partment, must wildly recall TO the par
tlcipant of that era, the events of a genera
ton ago when Charleston was first block
AIDED by an American fleet, and when the
demands of self-preservation made upon
southern genius oVercame the paucity of
material, the lack of the workshops and
the disbursement of those who sneered
at innovations, and evolved the first sub
marine boats to do the work of giant
scuttle-fish. First conceptions were crude
and executions clumsy, but the ideas de-
veloped, and certain il is that before the
tail OF Charleston in 1864 the work of tor
pedo boats brought into existence during
that period had made an indelible impress
ion in the navy departments, not only of
the federal government, but of Europe.
And from that seed the latest wonders
have sprung.
There were many experiments and I'M
successful attempts with torpedoes on the
South Carolina coast during the second
year of the war before their value as en-
gines of destruction were demonstrated. 1t
is alleged, however. that one of the first
trials did result in the loss of a federal
ship, but so far as can be ascertained there
is no record of the disaster in the navy
department, but neither is there a printed
blowing up warships. 1t was during the
second year of the war, when several YES
below Port Royal, that Capt. Stephen Ell
lot afterwards brigadier general, and
who, when major, so gallantly defended
dismanted Sumter, conceived the idea of
suddenly lessening their number. Two
kegs of powder were packed into two bar
rclS; two muSkets were loaded and capped
the muzzles inserted into the powder kegs
ana the weapons secured IN the barrels.
On dark night, when the tide was run
ming toward the fleet, Capt. Elliott took the
barrels in a boat, and proceeding directly
above the fleet, after attaching each end
of a stout cord about 200 feet in length 10
the triggers Of the muskets. turned the
barrels adrift, sixty yardssapart and par
ale. The plan was that the barrels
would go on each side Of vessel, the cord
being caught on the bow, then they would
swing around, humping on the ships sides,
the musket triggers, which required a 10
pound pressure 10 discharge, and the kegs
OF powder being thus exploded by the flash
or the guns, would tear great holes in the
vessels sides at the water line.
II was a matter of general report that
during the night In question one of the
federal ships disappeared, and It was he
heved, certainly al that time, that she
had gone TO the bottom.
The next stage in the evolution of the
torpedo boat had a feature which was
maintained TO the end of the war and
On fact so long as the system OF ram
ming the vessel with the explosive was
pressure power. as at present used, for
the discharge of the dynamite-laden tor
podO from above the surface of the
water, as on the war vessels. and below
the water line, as on the Holland sub
marine boat. metallic cylinder con-
tanning from fifty to seventy-five pounds
OF rlhe powder and ftted with percussion
tubes, was attached to one end Of a wood
en- spar working loosely in rings under
the bottom OF an ordinary rowboat. The
spar was prevented from slipping out Of
the rings by lanyard which, however
was expected to be broken by the recor
OF the explosion, permitting the spar to
shoot out from the stern of the boat
thus saving the small craft from a shock
that would demOlish IL. But although a
number OF expeditions were made against
the warships they never succeeded In
accomplishing anything with these boats
IL may be interesting to hear an ac-
participants of the first formidable at
tempt made to explode a torpedo on the
side or man-of-War IN Charleston har-
hor. this being the first occasion on which
steam was used as a motive power for
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