The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-04-23

deck. This shot wounded sixteen men
and knocked down and sturncd7 forty.
or course tho Weehawken's crew were
rot aware OF tho full extent OF this pro-
jectile, but they foit thu: II had struck
home. and took such careful aim .lnt
the next shot struck the Ton OF the
PILOT house, crushing md driving down
the iron bars " the top and sides and
Sounding both pilots and two helms
men. Little OF the Weehhwktn's firing
was wasted: with two exceptions. the
missiles oil lsped swiftly and surely 10
the mark. md worked havoc In the
carefully planned opponent, one OF them
smashing In u port shutter and start
Ing tho Joint OF the casemate where It
united with the deck.
The Atlanta fired In all eight shots.
no n or which struck either monitor,
MI p!ouGhins into the water as u%navail-
ln6 as though fired ut random. After
an action lasting only fifteen minutes,
Lieut.. Commander Webb. OF the At
lanta, hauled down his Hcolors. After
the usual formalities. n prize crew was
placed aboard the defeated cruiser. and
the famous Confederate, with whose
anticipated exploits rumor had been 80
busy for months, and on whose prowcss
the south Ind counted so confidently.
was towed !gnomlpously 10 Port Royal.
which place was already in possession
of the Federals.
In February OF the game year, this
sometime British and Confederate ship.
having undergone thorough repair. was
stationed at Hampton Roads, md the
Urlon Nag Noatcd from her lag.stafr
on the, superstructure.
This defent OF tho Atlanta by tho
Weehnwken occurred In June. On Au-
gust Il the now famous monitor fig
urcd IN an attack on Fort Wagner, dur-
Ing which she with the Cntsk!ll, Ma
hant. Montauk. and New 1ronsides ran
In With the flood tide 10 within oniy14Ic.
yards OF the batteries on Morris Island
and opened FIRE. Seven ~gunboats off in
the background also aided in the as
u Fort MouItrie from the other
side or the harbor occasionally reached
the monitors with her guns, aud It was
not long before the commander of the
Catskil and another officer were killed.
!The!r bodies were simply transferred
to q friendly tug ard the monitor went
on firing, nerved to new endeavor by a
desire for revenge. This attack was
not a decisive victory for the Federals.
u Fort Wagner's guns were silenced
for q time. The Weehawken cana of
urscathed to be one OF the five monI-
tors to attack Fort Sumter two weeks
later. an attack undertaken before day
break OF q dashinG- spirited character,
u which failed to make an impression
on the grim fortress. On the I'd OF Sep
tembcr. however, In a night attack with
the same object in view, the gallant
Weehawken was struck bysa shot which
drove an iron fragment through her,
ramparts and shattered her command
ers leg. This was only an earnest OF
what fate had in store for her.
-Four days later. as a sequel to the
prolonged and relentless attacks upon
them from both land and sea forces,
the Contederates evacuated Norris ISL
and. On the next night the Weehaw-
Kerr again bent on n courageous ex-
plots. In attempting TO pass into har-
Dor between Fort Sumter and Cum
mings point, grounded, and was forced
to remain there helpless all night, a tar
set for the batteries that opened fire
upon her. From Fort Moultrte on the
n side. and fromNthe batteries on
James Island on.the other, shells rained
on h ship. She returned the fire as
we'll as she could. and one OF her shells
caused an explosion in Fort Moultrie
which killed sixteen men and wounded
twelve. The Weehawken's sister mon
itors. as sooE as her plight was discov-
cred. ran in and opened fire on the enc
my until the grounded ironclad could
be floated off.
The Weehawkeu figured In three.or
four other adventurou5 issues before
she plunged 10 the bottom OF Charles
tor harbor three months later. Her
life as a blockade -fighter was short but
%eventfui. and no monitor of these espe-
cialy built irorclads. did more effective
service. She succumbed at last only
to the sea'and untoward circumstances
n was never conquered by a human
enemy. She was built SO that her stern
would be deeper tta;Eh her, bow, by which
means all the water accommodating from
leaks would rua a.: ard he thrown out
by powerful pumps. Or IKE day OF her
sinking she had been taking on board 4
number Of heavy shells, which brought
her bow down 50 mich that the water
die not run aft freely. In She heavy
swells the vessel took IN considerable
water through the hawse holes, which
accommodating il the forward end Of the
vessel gradually brought her down by
the head. Her pumps were unable to
free her. There was no apprehension
OF danger until the few minutes before
she went down, wher the signal AS
%sistancc required was given; five min
utes later she rolled heavily to STAR
board. and. gradually settling, she rose
TO an upright position, then plunged TO
the bottom, carrying down cou. officers
and twepty cnaroa,