The Press., 1898-04-07
IN THE NICK OF TIME.
AN INCIDENT OF THE WAR HiTHER-
 TO NOT PUBLISHED.

Story of the First Expedition to Fort Fish
 er-The Sailing Master of the Ella
 Knight Tried to Deliver His Charge to
 the Enemy.
 On the first expedition to Fort Fisher . captured blockade runner called the Ella Knight was used as a government The cargo of this vessel was Light Battery E, Third United States artillery, and the Sixteenth New York Independent Light battery. About l60 horses, I2 fieldpieces, l2 caissons and 12 Timber chests made valuable cargo.
 The sailing masters name was Ad ans, but as we sailed under sealed or ders, to be opened off Cape Henry light house, the ranking military officer aboard, who held these orders, became ranking or commanding officer of the ship. This officer was First Lieutenant J. R. Myrick of Light Battery E, Third United States artillery.
 Adams, Baltimore man having some influence, was appointed sailing master in the United States transport feet He was a genuine Confederate at heart and dad i'll his mind way to help the Con-
  portunity and run the first good cargo in his charge into the Confederates' hands
 As signal the flagship fired a gun over the waters of Hampton Roads, and the transport fleet of the first expedition, without outside lights, sailed out into the darkness of night-iuto the broad Atlantic.
 The Ella Knight was not the last to reach Cape Henry lighthouse, but when she did the sealed orders were opened and Adams was advised of the ships lestinatiun-FortF Fisher
 Soon after turning southward from Cape Henry the wind began to blow strongly from the south. The sea be- came extremely rough, the decks were wet and slippery and the horses stalls gave way. The horses began to slide back and forth on deck. so heavy were the lunges and rolls of the ship. At the same time the guns began to roll on the upper deck Ropes were procured and the guns lashed through the wheels to prevent rolling on deck and knocking a hole through the transports sides. Then ropes were stretched lengthwise and through the center of the deck, and sev- eral times crosswise to help support the horses, but many were killed and many disabled.
 Some time past midnight Adams quietly turned the ship to the north and scudded with the wind. Then at the end of few hours he turned the ship south again. His orders were to keep within sight of the transport fleet, but when daylight came no transport fleet was in sight. He gave as his excuse that the ships engines were weak and that he could not make the speed required of him. We knew that the Ella Knight was fast ship, and from that time on we knew that Adams was a man who would stand watching.
 By the middle of the day the storm had passed over and Adams took reck- oning off Cape Hatteras. North Caro- lima. Then we continued our journey without much of interest until nearly daylight the next morning.
 All was quiet aboard the transport. As she rode through the darkness there
 was B report of cannon, and the next instant a shell burst over the deck of the Ella Knight. From the short inter-
 val between the report of the gun and the shells explosion the battery officers knew that we must be near the shore
 Besides, the sound of the breakers from
 the heavy ocean swells could be heard
 flashing the sandy beach,
 Each commissioned officer quickly
 reached for his side arms, and they were soon on deck J. R. Myrick (now major
 Fifth United States artillery was the first to reach the pilothouse Adams was at the wheel.
 Myrick asked him, "Where are we?'' Adams replied, ''I reckon we are pret-
 ty nigh Fort Fisher-that was the or
 ders. wasn't it?''
 Quick as a flash Myrick's revolver
 swung under Adams ear, and he order
 ed him to turn to sea. Adams turned
 deathly white as he remarked: I've are in the inside channel. If we
 turn to sea, we will have to ride the
 reef If we ride it, we will be caught
 by the pirates outside of it, meaning | the Union fleet. But at the same time he gave several fast turns to the wheel, and the transport swung half way round
 and headed for the reef As we gained it there was roaring and missing sound and the waves shone with phos- | phorescent light. Soon we were ill the | line of sissing. glowing waves One | sudden bump of the vessel, and she had crossed the reef unhurt and was sailing in the old Atlantic.
 Soon we saw the dim outline of 8 | swift steamer approaching us from the | larboard side. A challenge came through | 8 trumpet: ! "Lay to. or we'll send shot through youi'
 Adams rang the engine bell. The shir soon lest it's headway and swung idly | in the seas. few moments later 8 | Union ensign appeared on deck After
 learning the name and character of oul ship be informed Adams that he had l been under the guns of Half Moon bat | tery. one and a half miles above Fort | Fisher Ther he continued ''l am Ensign - of dispatch boat | No of the blockading fleet. The bal ance of the transport fleet is 20 miles | due east at sea.
 Again our engines were started, ano in short time daylight began to creeI over the ocean and we could see ths | transport fl CT steamlng toward land. Nothing was done with Adams, bu | have always believed he intended tl
 beach the Ella Knight under the gum of Fort Fisher. Eugene Scott in New | York Commercial Advertiser. | Old Lady Improving the occasionl- | An. my poor man, you would not be in this position if you had received an early training i'll some trade or callingi
 Tramp-Don't you tork too sudden
 about wot you don't know nothin about,
 missus No trainin. indeed Wy. was in prison afore l wos i4t-London Fun.