The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-25
BLOCKADE RUNNING.
iF1orida's Dash Through the Llnes-A
MILDLY spoils n Celebration.

6htala.l r -- Ia
BLOCKADE RUNNING.
F1orida's Dash Through the Lines-A
MILDLY spells a Celebration.
One OF the boldest and most periious
feats ever accomplished by a blockade
runner was the "neck-o r-nothlng' dash
Of the Confederate cruiser Florida
through the national sqiadron at Mo-
bile Bay in 1862.
She had been. forced toleavGthe rr't-
ish port Of Nassau, In the Bahamas,
with u very Imperfect ou,.it. - -
haste Of departure she sailed away
without hammers; spongers, sights,
locks, elevating screws or quoins. Her
guns, therefore, were useless. She took
refuge on the coast Of Cuba, but the
yellow fever, which in that region Is a
more terrible scourge even than war,
got aboard, and for a time reduced the
effective crew to one fireman and two
seamen! The captain himself was
given up by the Spanish doctor called
from Havana, who declared that he
couldn't possibly survive beyond noon.
You're a. liar. SIR" cried the sick
a II have too much to do. and
can't afford to, de-"
His will force saved him.
1t was now necessary, 5at all hazards.
to run into Mobile and refit, though the
place was blockaded by,a formidable
force, and the Florida w%asIquite unable
to fight. The British nag was run up,
and by this ruse the vessel succeeded In
getting pretty near the gunboats before
her real character was discovered.
-Four minutessof hesitation may save
us" said Captain Maffit.
Then came a warning shot across her
bows. She made no response, either by
gun or signal. The nextinstant u ter
rife broadside burst from the chal-
longing ship (the Oneida). Two more
Federal %gunboats quickly Joined the
melee. The Florida was shot through
and through. One eleven-inch Shell
rent her side only three inches above
the water line. The blast OF missiles
which swept toverJ her decks tore her
spars and sr!gging to- shreds and splin-
tiers. The cries OF the woundedsand tho
helpless, sick r~ose7shrilly above the roar
Of the cannonade.
At this moment an attempt was. made
to hoist the Confederate flag, but the
hand of the man who grasped the ropes
was storm by shrapnel, and he idesisted
in agony. All this while, remember, the
Florida was powerlesS to. reply with
q single gun. The strain Of this passive
conflict was awful. The ship seemed
doomed.
But she was swift-as a successful
blockade runner has needsto be. Her
engines heaved and strained and pant
ed, the steam pressure almost at the
bursting point. 1t was no time for eau
ton. Helpless as she seemed, she was
rushing through the water at q speed
unattainable by her pursuers. Their
shot began to, fall short. They heaped
resin upon their fires untii the black
smoke gushing from their, tunnels was
f'ecked with flame, but 1t Was no use.
Slowly the ship swhichthad seemed their
almost certain prey drew away from
them, and at last made safe anchorage
under the guns Of Fort Morgan.
Scarcely less extraordinary was the
escape Of this vessel through the block
aiding lines some months later. She
started out OF night. close on the heels
Of a tempest. Possibly the bitter cold
1t was mIdwipter--made the watch a
little 5remiss!f anyhow; she: was not
sighted until about 'daybreak- Then
drums sounded, lights flashed, and there
was general commotion.
All day long She was! hotly chased by
no less than afdozens armed ships, but
by evening alt were dlstanced except
two. These were finally thrown Off the
track by a clever though risky strata
gem. Captain Mafit damped his fires
thus subduins the betraydng smoke.
o,s1 ~ npol, @, ~nnSaJt hto ral io' SFThfc In fha
mist and gloomi made his vessel prac-
tically invisible. Her pursuers passed
by at full speed, and. great was their
It was even surmised that she had sunk.
appearance. meanwhile shetwas quiet
ly maldng OF in, a new direction.
The tables, however, were sometimes
turned. A notable Instance was the
unhappy experience OF the Confederate
cruiser Stag, in 1854. This misguided
craft, which had ibeen,long ut. sea, and
Inaccessible to news, sailed confdingly
into port, and was allowed to come to
anchor under the guns Of Fort Fisher
without q hint that the fort had mean
while fallen; into the hands of the ma
tional forces. ,
~ ! Nv toillSCko WIZ Hutui
over their seemingly safe return to
Dixie, and soon atgreat celebration was
In progress in the cabin. Corks were
popping, wine was flowing, and tho
toasts were growing indescribably elo-
quent, when proceedings were inter-
rupted by the unexpected; appearance Of
q mildly" In blue uniform, The an
Houncement which he made was rather
startling:
Gentlemen" he said. ""you are a prize
to Admiral Porter's} squadron. As pa
rolled prisoners you aren't liberty to
finish your repast.""
But the "repast" had lost Its relish.
The eloquent toastmaster stood as II
paralyzod. with, glass upllfted; and the
luckless merry-makers sneaked away to
their quarters with scarcely "a word.
Their Joyous homecoming had proved
MS disastrous as q Spanish victory"
Such are the vlclssltudes OF war.
Bills OF SFnro In Fashlonnbie Restaurants
The question has been mooted over
and over again whethertthe sengraftlng
OF French md German dishes upon the
bills Of fare of the better class of
American restaurants Is or is not IN
Improvement. Many pretend that be-
fore their Introduction, our cooking was