The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-06
ONCE BLEW UP WARSHIP
,pr MAXWELL ohUsBD TIE FA-
voI.S CTR POINT EXPLOSION.

tho ,,o.rrni sanehtne. asun By Clock.
- an n Federal Vessel on the Sausee In
s..,ss Men KILLED and ace
n.u,oSp. Va, March 5.-The recent disas-
Tho Maine recalls a tragic incident In the
w., wsr. when 81, 100000 worth OF prop
ANe 10 Federal Government was destroyed
eT, - uves OF more than half a hundred men
NV w., rhile l26 we're wounded. This event
'",.rsd on Aug. ., 1864, at City Point. The
w. who. acting under instructions from the
rantsd.rate states Government. caused the ter
IN. havoc is Capt. John Maxwell. q we'll
-, machinist, who resides at 31S North
Twcnty.seventh street, in this city. Capt.
maxwell gives the following account OF his ex'
ptricnCes: ,o,.
n onerate with what was known as the 'horo-
,.u,o.I, torpedo against the vessels Of the Fed
- forces navigating the James River. Mr..
= Z billiard, since dead. was with me. He
-. we'll acquainted with the river, and would
" anywhere | led. no matter what the danger
-, he. When we reached Isle Of Wight
."rn,r on Aug. ., we heard that an immense
s~nriv of stores was being landed ut City Point,
.nd at once started for that place. intending, IL
.o.shIe. 10 introduce our machine upon one OF
a.. vessels discharging their cargoes there.
reached City Point before daybreak on
Irr @. having travelled mostly by night and
orsvled upon.our knees to pass the picket lines.
: had with me an ordinary candle box contain.
inc twelve pounds of gunpowder. procured at q
country store. In the box was packed q small
nachine, my own invention, which was ar
ranged by means of a lever to explode q cap at
a time indicated BY n dial.
.whc, We got within half O milo Of City
pon. I told billiard to remain behind while I
want forward with my machiue. I went out
m the wharf cautiously, put my box dow and
,ook n seat on 1t, awaiting an opportune mo
r,,nt to get 1t aboard o vessel. There were
,uo boats at the wharf loaded with ammuni.
,Ion and various stores for tho Federal troops,
vhi,e on the bank were buildings stored with
supplies.
81 sat waiting until 1 saw the Captain Of tho
vessel nearest to me leave bis boat. That was
INV opportunity. l picked up the box Of powder
and started for the boat. AS l reached the
edge of the wharf the sentry hailed me. He
was a German and could not speak a word Of
English. He vociferated something at me in
German. while l rejoined in broad Scotch. FL
pauy by means of signs I induced him to let me
approach the vessel. Just then negro ap-
reared at the side of the ship. I gave him tho
bo, and told him the Captain said put 1t down
DelOW Until lo NhLhiSs VIVA Ashoe
question and carried 1t down while I went Of
q little distance.
In an hours time the explosion occurred. It
was terrific. It's effect was communicated to
the other vessel and also to the large building
on the wharf. filled with stores, and all were
DESTROYED utterly. l myself was terribly
shocked by the explosion. but was not injured
permanently. billiard, my companion, was rem
dered deaf by the explosion and never recov-
The scene, though terrific. was in some re;
spects ludicrous. The air was filed with all
reered through the air as though playing leap.
heads Of the unfortunate crew few in fragments
s snsmy IN ws ssN th sn0s s. mem enc % Sere'f tii fleS0r and q i taS
wounded, but | think that this estimate was too
low. They also reported that property to the
There is one thing only that / regr t and
that is, according to the report of the enemy. q
|RSieSs Cd 's snNtb Mss o ai the / nd y e not Se;in we a neSee
This" said Capt. Maxwell. going to Q trunk
mate TO the::machine which blew up City Point.
Q tcourse, that machine was wrecked in the ex-
plosion, ! had two Of them made"
well was an Arrangement of cog wheels much
resembling the works of a clock. On the top
was a dial. 4 lever controlled BY a strong
a tube. through which the fire was communi.
Gated to tho charge of powder.
From a box on the mantelpiece Capt. Maxwell
look a cap which he has had ever since the war
ed placed 1t on the nipple. He sprung the
ever, and the cap was exploded with q deafen-
Capt; Maxwell was born sixty. five years ago
In the Highlands OF Scotland. He went to Glas-
gov when quite young and spent the early part
Of his life there. When a young man. he came
"a, the United States. At that time he was q
splendid.looking specimen of manhood and
even now wears li9 Npars aaai1y A N ynnnD
man Capt, Maxwell stood full six feet in height,
with broad. square shoulders. black hair. mus
ing % the United States Capt. Maxwell was on
board the steamer Niagara, engaged in laying
petition to Africa.
When the war came he was living in Mar.
saifS onrgfbi a.. and at once enlisted n the army
mt man nSet'p BY Se Gspt .A IL ar9 "' oD A Aprii g 1 eS@.
hewas detached from the artillery branch Of
me service and entered the secret service In
CAPACITY, with the rank of Captain. when no
caused the explosion at City Point.
another daring deed done by Capt. Maxwell
during his connection with the secret service
was his attempt to destroy the Monitor. which
was sent down to check the destructive work of
me MeErimac, He left Richmond with some
Capt; Maxwell had little faith in the torpedoes,
t9r their construction was faulty, but he obeyed
swam out to the Monitor and affixed ono to each
SIDE As he had feared, there was no explo-
s,oI. "hen morning came and the crew of the
Monitor discovered tho torpedoes they were
tress,
sixteen war vessels of the enemy were drawn
up IN line. extending from Newport News to
Tue mouth of the Elizabeth River. Their boats
responded TO the signals of distress and took of
Ine crew of the Monitor. The boats then
,owed around and around the ironclad. fearing
10 approach. Gradually they grew holder and
vaMe close enough to lasso the torpedOes. They
we're dragged ashore. but the men took pains to
give Them plenty Of rope.
d,SSalt. Maxwell also affixed q torpedo of a
inherent make to the warship Minnesota and
bbsaStiC o the same, but although the ship was
10 W! shaken there was not a sufficient charge
v W 40 her any material damage: After his ad-
SSenIure at City Point, Capt. Maxwell went to
~ herne, y. G., and while the Federal forces
meie guarding the bridge there fred 1t in four
p'dges Underneath and made his escape.
rome was the inventor of perhaps the first tor
peuoes used in the civil war. A New York pa
pm OF en-. 20 last printed pictures of some old
,,hhie torpedocs, the same being IDENTICAL with
,nOse invented by Capt. Maxwell, and which
ro : made for him during the war by Mr.. Bar
''tt, now living in this city.
yatter the, war Capt. Maxwell went to New
M ana while there the fact that he had blown
N.Y. the ships at City Point was printed In the
noMhpapers. This created such intense feeling
%saihst MIN that he left the city. He then went
xs,I tno PERUVIAN Navy as a volunteer, but had
PiuIaappM FEVER, and after his recovery came to
'ITrhnohd, where he has lived ever since.
.Nhpt- Maxwell during his connection with