The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1898-08-13
escape to the smaller vessels that
would be in waiting to pick them UP.

" man the htlCH. vi lHOSe WHO OF
fered Master Commandant Somers was
chosen to command, while Midshipman
Henry Wadsworth, uncle to the poet
Longfellow, was second in command.
Ten seamen constituted the crew.
On the evening of September 4, a
dense fog lay On the waters in the har-
Dor of Tripoli. There was a fair wind
in prospect and at s o'clock the ket-l
left the flagship and sailed away. She
was seen by the American vessels to
glide in among the enemy's %gunboats.
After a 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 p~urposely
dropped into the magazine. Instantly
the Intrepid exploded and a shock fol
lowed that made the ships beyond The
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 T~ripolitan
boat missing and three more badly
shattered on the beach. The ke.ch
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 T~ripolitan 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 ran Albemarle was the most
dreaded, as it was the most daring and
best Differed 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 Albemarle was
moored. 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 a steam launch, of a size and shape
best calculated to elude the vigilance
of the enemy. 1t remained, that he Sc
cure his crew, and this he did in the
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 on his p~erilous ad-
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 a start on the
night of October 26, 1864. She did start,
but quickly ran aground and was with
much difficulty again set afoat. The
following night all went in better fash
ion; the launch was now off 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 mus
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 hant
Of Lieut.. Cushing. Another line would
when pulled, detach the torpedo from
the launch, and a third was to enable
him to explode it at the right time
When come within hearing distance O
the Albemarle the engine was to b.
stopped and the oars then used. Thu
night was pitch dark when with muf1et
oars they roWed toward Plymouth, ant
as they passed safely under the wall.
Of the fort, they turned and shot acrosi
the river and on UP the river above
where the Albemarle was. Then the,
descended, still undiscovered, upon tn,
ram which, they found, was moored tt
a wharf and protected by a log boon
against just such attack as was THU
one. They were close upon the ran
when they were discovered and chal
lenged in the words, What boat Il
that?" The answer was a lie, of course,
it was "The Albemarle's boat" A
the same instant the launch struck full
against the logs, which also in the sam
instant drew upon it a shower of bull
lets from the infantry on shore. In an
other second the ports of the Albemarl,
were open and belching shot and shell
upon the daring visitor.
Now Lieut.. Cushing touched off {
howitzer, and pulled the line which ex
ploded the torpedo fair against the sidt
of the ram and so damaged her tina
she soon sank, carrying several live'
with her. But a musket ball had hi
the lieutenant in the right arm and
shell had burst on the launch; he anC
all the men were compelled to juml
into the water. 1t vas icy cold, bu'
al, except the lieutenant, swan to thu
near shores under a rapid fire from tn,