The National tribune., 1898-03-24

through the porthOleS. They dipped their
Gag. The commander ordered Sumter's flag
to be dipped in return, which was done, while
the shells were bursting in every direction.
The flagstaff was located In the parade,
which was about the center of the open space
within the fort.
Serg't Hart saw the flag of Fort Sumter
halfway down, and, surprising it had been
cut by the enemy's shot, rushed out through
the fire to assist in getting it up. Shortly
after it had been reraised shell burst and
cut the halliards, but the rope was so inter
twined around the halliards that the flag
would not fall.
The cartridges were exhausted by about
noon, and party was sent to the magazines
to make more of the blankets and shirts, the
sleeves of the latter being readily converted
to the use desired. Another great misfortune
was that there was not an instrument In the
fort by which they could weigh the powder;
which, of course, destroyed all approach to
accuracy of firing. Nor had they tangent
screws, breech slides, or other instruments
with which to point a gun.
When it became so dark as to render it i'm
possible to see the effect of their shot The port
holes were closed for the night, while the
batteries of the Secessionists continued their
fire increasingly.
During Friday the officers barracks were
three times set on fire by the shells, and
three times put out under the most CALLING
and destructive cannonade. This was the
only occasion on which Maj. Anderson al
lowed the men to expose themselves with
out an absolute necessity. The guns on the
| parapet-whch had been pointed the day
beiore-were fired clandestinely by some of
the men slipping up on top.
ha Hrtnf nf fbn lol h.,
battery on Cummins' Point became extremely
accurate in the afternoon of Friday, cutting
out large quantities of the masonry about
the embrasures at every shot, throwing con-
crete among the cannoneers, and slightly
wounding and stunning others.
One piece struck Serg't Herman, an old
Mexican war veteran, hitting him on the
head and knocking him down. On being
revived, he was asked if he was hurt badly
He replied: No; | was only knocked down
temporarily; " and he went to work again
II
DESPERATE CONDITION IN THE FORT.
For the fourth time. the barracks were SCI
on fire early on Saturday morning, and at
tempts were made to extinguish the flames
but it was soon discovered that red hot sho
were being thrown into the fort with fearful
rapidity, and it became evident that i
would beimpossible to put out the conflagra
| ton. The whole garrison was then set Il
work, or as many as could be spared, to re
move the powder from the magazines, which
was desperate work, rolling barrels of powde
through the fire.
Ninety odd barrels had been rolled on
through the flames when the heat became 81
intense as to make it impossible to get on
any more. The doors were then closed an(
| locked and the fire spread and became gen
eral. The wind SO directed the smoke as Il
fill the fort SO full that the men could not Sc.
each other; and, with the hot sitting air, i
was as much as man could do to breathe
Soon they were obliged to cover their face
with wet cloths in order to get along at all
so dense was the smoke and SO searching thu
heat
But few cartridges were left. and the gum
were fired slowly; nor could more cartridge.
be made, on account Of the sparks falling il
every part of the works. A gun was free
every now and then, only to let the fleet ant
the people IN the town know that the fort haC
not been silenced rThe.cannoneers could NO
see to aim, much less where they hit.
After the barracks were well on fire thu
batteries directed upon Fort Sumter in
creased their cannonading to rapidity
greater than had been attained before
About this time the shells and ammunition
in the upper service magazines exploded
| scattering the tower and upper portions Of
the building in every direction.
The crash of the beams the roar of the
| flames. and the shower Of fragments of the
| fort, with the blackness of the smoke, made
the scene indescribably terrific and grand.
This continued for several hours Mean
while, the main gates were burned down, the
chassis of the barbette guns were burned
/ away on the gorge and the upper portions
| OF the towers had been demolished by shells.
There was not portion of the fort where
q breath of air could be got for hours, except
| through a wet cloth. The fire spread to the
mems quarters on the right hand and on the
left and endangered the powder which had
been taken out OF the magazines. The men
went through the fire and covered the barrels
with wet cloths; but the danger of the forts
| blowing up became SO imminent that they
were obliged to leave the barrels out Of the
| embrasures
While the power was being thrown over
board, all the guns of Moultrie, of the iron
floating battery, of the enfilade battery, and
| of the Dahgren battery, worked with in
| creasingvigor.
All but four barrels were thus disposed
Of and those remaining were wrapped in
many thicknesses of wet wooden blankets
But three cartridges were left and those
were in the guns. About this time the flag
staff of Fort Sumter was shot down, some
50 feet from the truck; this being the ninth
time that it had been struck by shot.
The man cried out, " The flag is down i! it
has been shot way |" In an instant. Lieut.
Hall rushed forward, and brought the flag
away. But the halliards were so inextricably
tangled that it could not he righted il was
therefore nailed to the staff and planted upon
the ramparts, while batteries in ever direction
were playing upon them.
THE FLEET DOES NOTHING.
The fleet from New York, laden with
provisions for the garrison, had appeared
off the bar by noon of the day on which
fire was opened, but made no effort to
fulfill its errand. To have attempted
to supply the fort would have, at best,
involved a heavy cost of life, probably
to no purpose. Its commander COM
municated by signals with Maj. Ander-
son, but remained out of range of the
enemy's fire till after the surrender !;
when he returned as HE came.