The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-07-14

dumped. 1t was intended to make the
ketch appear to be a blockade runner
and SO deceitfully to get into the midst
OF the enemy's shipping. She was then
to be fired in the after part and the
blaze there, it was supposed, would be
fierce enough to prevent the Tripoli-
taHs from exiting gushing it. Meantime
a train regulated to burn fifteen min
utes should be running through the
pipe to the magazine. There was
provision of. rowboats placed on the
Ketch, and in these her crew hoped to
escape to the smaller vessels that
would be i'm waiting to pick them up.
Volunteers for the service were called
and plenty showed themselves eager
to- MAN the ketch. OF those who Of
feTed Master Commandment Somers was
chosen to command, while Midshipman
Henry Wadsworth, uncle to the poet
Longfel1ow, was second in command.
Ten seamen constituted the crew.
On the evening of September 4,
dense fog lay on the waters in the har-
boz of Tripolf. There was a fair wind
in prospect and at o'clock the ketch
left the flagship and sailed away. She
Was seen by the American vessels to
glide in among the enemy's gunboats.
After little they saw that the enemy
had taken the alarm and again after a
little they saw lights move rapidly
along the deck of the ketch and then
seem to fall. They had been purposely
dropped into the magazine. Instantly
the Intrepid exploded and a shock fol-
lowed that made the ships beyond the
bar CULVER until the water was agi-
tated for miles around. A great noise
was heard that was long in dying away
in the surrounding hills. Then a pro-
found silence. All night the Americans
cruised up and down in the channel,
hoping to find some survivor. Next
morning they found one Tripo1itan
boat missing and three more badly
shattered ON the beach. The ketch
and all who sailed in her had been
blown to pieces. OF the Tripolitans
themselves it was learned that Somers.
finding that his venture was discovered
and the crew of a Tripolitan gunboat
coming on board, had deliberately fired
the mine and destroyed himself with
the enemy. A number of the bodies
were recovered, but none was recog-
nized, so badly were they mutilated.
The ram Albemarle was the most
dreaded, as it was the most daring and
. best Offered of the confederate fleet.
She was, when Lieut.. w. B. Cushing's
ingenuity was brought to bear upon
her case, lying at Plymouth in the
Roanoke river. He believed that he
could, if allowed to have his way.
make close up to her and destroy her.
His plan was this. He would construct
a picket launch, furnish it with a COM
pact engine, man it with a small num-
Der of men all as brave as himself, and
with it ascend the river stealthily by
night to where the A1bemarle was
noored. Picket boats were not a new
thing, but they had formerly been
rowboats; nothing of the description
that was proposed by Lieut.. Cushing,
propelled by steam and carrying tor,
pedoes, had ever been seen.
This plan was approved of by the,
admiral of the fleet and the navy de-
partment, and young Cushing was de-
tailed to visit New York and procure
whatever he thought might be neces-
sary for the success of the undertake
ing. When he returned he had with
him steam launch, of a size and shape
best calculated to elude the vigilance
of the enemy. It remained, that. he Sc
hic &c r.
manner that crews are invariably OBJ
tanned for extra-dangerous enterprises
by calling for volunteers. These
numbered several times as many as
could be accepted. Indeed, the number
accepted was the same as that had
by Hobson when Oh his perilouS adj
venture of the other day. Seven men
were all the little launch could we'll
take, and in a very short time these
were instructed in their duties, the tor
pedoes were attached, the engine fires
started up, all ready for start on the
night of October 26, 1864. She did start,
but quickly ran aground and was with
much difficulty again set afloat. The
following night all went in better fash
ion; the launch was now of for good.
His arrangements were carefully
made to insure complete success,
should he first succeed in passing the
enemy's pickets and come alongside the
Albemarle. Approaching, there must
be perfect silence. The usual bell sig
nails to the engineer were accordingly
replaced by pulls at a line, one end Of
which was fastened around his leg,
while the other end was in the hand
Of Lieut.. Gushing. Another line would.