The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-19
THREE OF SPANS TORPEDO BOATS.

gut from his lofts position under the
futtock shrouds OF The Hartford,
"Torpedoes ahead" came back the
answer.
Damn the torpedoes!" cried Farra-i
gut, ''go ahead! Four bells!"s and he
made signal for close order.
He ran his flagship ahead and took
the position that he hal originally in
tended to take. q position which his or
der shows was changed at the request
OF the commander of the Hartford. The
rest OF the vessels followed, and the line
OF battle was restored. The rest OF the
ships crossed In safety the line of tor.
pedoes, but as they crossed the torpedo
cases could be heard knocking against
the bottoms of some of the vessels, and
the primers swapping, but none OF the
torpedoes exploded. It was the Confed-
crate idea to sink the forward ships of
Farraput's fleet, and thus block the
channel, but this they failed to accom-
plish.
Signals were made to cut the hawsers
holding the vessels In pairs and TO at
tack the escaping Confederate vessels.
The. lashings, were, cut between the
Hartford and the Metacomet, and the
latter Immediately ran up the bay in
chase of the Confederate .gunboat Sell
ma, and after a brief but spirited ac-
ton. captured her. At about 8 o'clock
the Union fleet came to anchor, having
now passed the Confederate works and
being some distance above Fort Nor
gar. AS active hostilIties had ceased
the men were allowed their breakfast.
But hardly had the meal begun when
out from the protection OF Fort Nor
gan steamed the terrible ram Tennes-
see. which boldly venturcd forth to at
tack the entire union ,feet5ot seventeen
ships.
ONE AGAINST MANY.
Then commenced a remarkable and
unique encounter. First the monitors
bore down upon the Tennessee like a
pack of small dogs swapping at the feet
OF a great bloodhound. While the mon
Itors were directed to ram her. the en-
tire fleet closed about the doomed Con-
federnte vessel aud opened a terrific fire
upon her. Bravely the southerner
fought, but the odds against her proved
too strong. The Tennessee's smoke
stack was shot away as were her tiller
chains. and she iioated helplessly down
the bay, followed by the Chickasaw
which got quickly astern of her and
ran her big e!even-inch gun right
against the gable end of the Confeder-
ate, while the rest Of the fleet poured
shot and shell upon her, and the other
monitors lowered about, using every
chance to ram. For about half an hour
the gallant Tennessee endured this
pounding and hammering, and then
finally hauled down her flag. So ended
the battle OF Mobile bay; it had LASTED
but little over three hours. but these
three hours are the most famous In u
naval history.
Meantime. the land forces had moved
down along the shore OF Mobile bay and
under the cover OF rife pits mad ad-
vanced upon Fort Morgan. After the
union fleet had entered the bay and had
destroyed or captured all the C%oufeder-
ate vessels with the exception of the
Modgan that had escaped 10 the city OF
Mobile under cover OF the night, the
heavy guns were taken from the vessels
and transferred to the shOre-guns too
heavy FOR an army to transport V n
sandy soil.
Both Forts Morgan and Gaines were
taken by the land forces and fleet COM
bIned, while the smaller forts fell an
easy prey TO the lighter draft vessels OF
the fleet. Then the city OF Mobile was
taken by the fleet and land forces COM
blncd.