The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-30
DESTRUCTION OF THE ABLEMARLE.
Lieut.. Cushing'a Wonderful Adven-
ture With a Torpedo.

Lesiies Weekly.
While the work OF torpedo destruction
Was being 80 successfully prosecuted
through the South. the rebel ironciad Abe
marie roughly constructed on the Roanoke
river. came out into Albemarle sound and
terrorized our wooden fleet there. sinking
the SouthiieId by ramming. exploding the
boilers OF the Sassaeus. and raising Cain
generally. Ii was necessary to get rid OF
her. and to Lieut.. w. B. Cushing. a
snooth-faced. fong~haired young officer
who had performed several daring exploits.
was allotted the perilous task of destroy
ing her.
The Aihemarle was nnoorea at Plymouth.
on the Roanoke river. a stream aftosi; go
feet wide. on the night of the 9Th OF Oc-
tober. when Lieut.. Gushing. with seven
picked men. started from out the sound in
hjs steam launch. towing a boat with thir-
teen men. Silently the little boats enter
eli the mouth OF the Roanoke for Plymouth.
eight miles away-an hours run. The
enenly's army numbering thousands occu-
pied the town and forts and the narrow
river was well pIckntess. guard being
stationed on the urSgbmerged deck OF the
sunken steamer SouthneId. u mile below
the town. Fortune favored The ts-ave. and.
successfully RAISING tho river guard With
out discovery. Cushing cast or his tow
opposite the ironeiad while simultaneously
with a large fire which suddenly hlazed
forth from the river bank came hot fussl-
lade from The chip and men upon the shore
BY the fires light Cushing saw a guard of
logs surrounding the snip. doomed out
thirty fee. from her eide. but. undaunted.
he turned so as to hit the boorns at right
angle. and In the face OF the firing ran
square upon ard over the shiny logs. ard
with Roadway nearly gone az the firing
temporarily ceased. answering nonchalaut-
w the captains hall with A joke. he found
himself Just where he wanted 10 Ne. nearly
under the rams quarter port. ten feet
from the ugly nauzztc Of a one-pounder
rIfed gun
Holding In the right hand the ''heel-iig-
GER II the torpedo and in the len the
exploding line he stood calmly near the
bow. the personiffcstion' Of cool. courageous
hernIssn. as he gave the order TO lower the
boom while the slight remaining motion
OF the launch carried the torpedo under the
rams overhang--taen. a strong pull OF the
detsehiue fire a fsaorSut's pause for the
rising torpedo under the hull. slight pull
ty The left hand Just as IL was ent by a
h,,IIes-the explosion, simultaneously with
n discharge Of canister from the hundred
pound rife ten feet from his left ear.
crashing into and spiintering the launch.
minded with the fhfek snlphurons smoke
cloud. arenehed WITH the mas. of water
thrown up his clothing with many bullet
hoIeS-ans the last 81 the Aioeusarie.
There IL not In naval history such mar
yAioas example of GOODNESS and profession
al sskIfi says I. r Solely. as was shown by
Gushing in this exploit. His adventures.
after jumping from his disabled boat under
a volIey Of nrrsketry: chilled while swim
rTalng fer tho opposite shore, wandering
and crawling through sxarnFs and hiding
In the day. swimming az night. avoiding
r4ekets. finally capturing a liss.e nst-hos-
toned boat used ey the Tacsess floating
behind and pushing Is away from him.
finally getting into il and family padding
his way TO the feet Ia the eound--sm ihsrse
| incidents would make a thrilling story OF
themselves. The nation has shown . J1sl