The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-04-30
BATTLE.
m, story cfa Confederate iIroneiad-the
Plight With the southnsId amt Miami.
T,smmsd by the s%asiaeas In Pamliieo
- r,niu,,s IIsroirl n.ed.

New York Post: The seizure OF Roa-
,ohc Island b. tie Federnlo ia a SER
,ous blow to the contederates, that Is
,ond being the key TO all tho rear dc.
i.n,cs OF Norfolk. With Roanoke in the
s,nds OF tho enemy. General Huger's
Command was cut OF from tho most ef-
o,,.nt means OF transportation, and
enc Gosport navy yard and Confederate
forces at that point were also endan-
,s,.d. Besides all this, ten rivers flow
"a into Pamllco and Albemarle Sounds,
ooordIng tho Fcderals access far in.
land. and placing two railroads aud
.~.ysr,l canals largely In their power.
ssveral attempts were made from time
20 fine by the Confede:ates 20 regain
rossession OF the sounds. and one of
,.ssse SMILES, q night attack on the
,rnnden gunboats guarding the river
,,So NJ the town, resulted In, Victory for
,be Confederates, the Underwater, one
y, The Federal boats, being overpowered
snd losing many OF her crew.
II vas at this Juncture OF affairs that
-ord reached the Union lines OF the
suIldInc by the enemy ot.a huge IRON
c,,d OF the Mcrrlmnc typc.s a fighter
those construction was undertaken and
ssec,ed under great difficulties, but
which was to prove n troublesome COM
ba,,nt when once put In service. This
Ssssel was the ram Albemarle, destined
~ become q forceful figure In naval an
nails and to give the wise heads OF the
navy department at Washington much
concern and much planning for her
capture, Never did the building OF n
b,ttle.shIp 60 forward under such odds
as did this one. The country was ram
sacked high and low for iron with which
20 armor her. bolts, bars, and bits OF
metal In every form being eagerly ta-
ken for the purpose. The building went
IN M the Roanoke river. u OF reach
Of the Federal guns. Several contracts
were made and broken of. owing to
The vigilance OF the Nationalist, their
influence being ~all-powerful with ca
cable engineers and s%hipbullders. The
teel OF the ram was laid In an open
rorpleld, and Captain Cooke, the officer
who wus to command the ironclad, gain
I'd the sobrlquet OF 1ronmonger Cap
ta,n, because OF his vigilance In hunt
Ing I'D iron for castings. An ordinary
blacksmith outfit constituted the build
INK plant. Even !tae most enthusiastic
supporters hoped little from a vessel
built under such conditions.
On April II and Is. 1865. the Confcder-
nte troops attacked Plymouth. The Fed
,nl gunboats Miami and Southfleld
were In the river, and under the COM
uand OF Observation-Disclosures Flus-
Ger, did much to check the Confederate
onset. Lieutenant Commander Flusser
was aware that The Albemarlc was
nearly completed. and distractions had
beens nut across the river a little above
the town to prevent her coming down
and taking part In the attack. On the
night OF the 18th, however, the newly
completed ship appeared on the scene.
the tide having risen sufficiently to float
her over the distractions In the river.
1t may be imagined that the wooden
gunboats felt no little apprehension at
he. approach, but they resorted to STRAIT
esem as the first step for the encoun-
ter.
Up to the moment OF going into ac-
ton the men on the Albemarle were a.
work completing their ship, and the
ram in this initial voyage down the
river resembled a floating workshop.
Ten portable forges with numerous
sledge-hammers were placed on board,
that the work might o be interrupt
ed. On the big casemate that resem-
bled a turtle back numerous stages
we're suspended. standing upon which
sailors welded their sledge-hammers,
and OF the pilot-house stood the re-
doubtable captain giving orders thick
and fast for the finishing off OF his
craft. As the iron--ibbed ship 1oated
down the river there arose from her a
perfect babel OF sounds. the shouts OF
/ the builder captain being heard above
the din o. the hammering. Nor was the
completion OF the practical work all
that was being done at this last min
Ute. At one OF the big guns some OF the
newly taken-on crew were being eSer-
c!sed Ia loading and unloading. Truly.
4 was a strange situation for q ship
Just going into action. and one not cal
culated TO inspire confidence or hope as
10 the outcome. hut Captain Cooke
knew Whit he was about, as the sequel
proved.
When the companion gun-boats Nj
ami and South:cle discovered that the
ram had got past the Instructions. and
ives heading for them. Lieutenant
FIusSec had the two boats connected by
long srars ard chains, with a view to
entans!e and hold she ironclad between
them, ar artiiice which. Il 1t had u &c
cetded, would perhaps have counter
balanced the superior armor-piatiEE OF
tie enemy. The rescu.cefu! Captain
Cooke Was too alert. however. to be
caught In any such trap as that. and
hussins the southern shore, so as to
avoid running between the gun-soass,
Tnen nearly abreast OF them. pr. on a
1nl head o! steem. and dashing diago-
naHf across the river. passed the MI
amFs bow and rammed the Soutl.he!d
,ihe rams iron bcak struck the star
noa'o Tow OF the gun-boat and entered
the hre-room. The chain plates on the
Forward deck OF the asaailant became
eatans!ed with the Southleld's hull. AS
tae ill-sta.red Southleld settled and
Gradually sank, she carried down with
aer Inc bow OF her attacker, so :hat the
water poured Though tho forward open
potta, n both vessels would have
4 SUNK had not the S%outhleld on touching
oollom rolled over and released her en-
envy.
soth g%un-boats. from the moment
4 oat Inc ram was discovered, had open
gu a heaVy fire with sEella, but these
On striking the iron casematc were
.a"e'cd into a thousand atoms. When
W. ram was only n few feet away
.sulehant Flusser. who stood behind n
gun n the Miami. fred one OF these
-s'yy Shells. With fatal results. Sent
- eucn close range 1t shivcrcd into
Hssmcnts, wh!ch. rebounding from the
.un barrier, killed Flusser, tearing him
en- men besides.
"heh 1t was seen that the S~outhicld
S,"..'a s'HS. the lashings binding her 10
IA IT,. vonsort were cut and many Of the
Sssn s"aeli's crew jumped to the Miamis
II SCk. Cernln OF thn Mtan.n 49,