The Republican journal., 1898-07-21
Running The Blockade.
How the Tallahassee got out of vii,
mington.

|
mington.
The articles on Confederate Com
MERGE Destroyers' are printed in the july
Century. ''The Tallahassee's Dash Into
New York Waters is written by John
Taylor Wood, her commander. Col. Wood
says of the escape of the vessel from Will
mington:
Ten days sufficed to get things in work
| ing order, and the crew into shape. when
we dropped down the river to wait a
| favorable time for running the gauntlet
which was only when there was no moon
and when the tide served. | determined
to try the eastern or new inlet and on the
! night of August 4th the outlook was
favorable. Everything was secured for
sea. The lights were AL carefully housed,
except the pinnacle, which was shaded
fires were cleaned and freshened, l0okouts
We're stationed, and the men We're at their
quarters. The range lights were placed:
these, in the absence of all buoys and
lights, were necessary in crossing the bar,
and were shown only when vessels were
going in and out. The Mound. huge
earth work, doomed up ahead, looking in
the darkness like black cloud resting on
the horizon. We started ahead slowly.
but brought up on the rip, or inner
shoal. Two hours of hard work with the
engines and with a kedge astern, We're lost
before we got off, and then it was too late
for the tide. We turned up the river a
short distance, and anchored. The next
night we had the same experience. ex-
cept that we grounded so badly that it
required three steamers to tow us off.
Finding that with the state of the tide
and our thirteen and half feet draft the
a. ir,lat f1o+ar
mined to try the western one. Steaming
down to Fort Caswell we waited for
darkness. Only few teeting clouds
We're in the sky. As the moon went down
on the night Of August 9TH, at ten, we
approached the bar, fearful of lepeti
ton Of our previous mishaps; and as the
leaCsman called out the water in a low
tone, our hearts rose in our Threats as it
shoaled: by the mark three.-aud a
quarter less three, and a half two. and
a quarter two" She touched but did not
bring up Then came the joyful words:
And half two
We had grazed the Lump" bad
sh0al in mid channel, and were over the
bar. Chief ENGINEER lyman was by my side
on the bridge. ! turned to him and said:
'Open her out SIT, and let her 90 for all
she is WORTH With a bound he was in
the engine-room, and in a few moments |
knew from the tremor of the vessel that
the order was obeyed, and with a full
head of steam we leaped on, "A sharp
lookout ahead"' was the order passed
forward. We were hardly clear of the
bar when back came the words "a
steamer on the starboard bow "a
steamer ahead.' The two made us out
at the same time, and signalled. | hailed
the forecastle. and asked how the steamer
under our bows was heading. STo the
southwark" was the reply The helm
was accordingly ported, and we passed
between them. so close under the stern
of the one that was ahead that a biscuit
could have been tossed on board. As we
dashed by we heard the sharp, quick
words of command of the officer in charge
of the after pivot: run ont" ''star-
board tackle handsomelyn ''EleVaten
''Steadyn' ''s'tand clear Then the flash
from the muzzle, like a CLEAN of light
ming, illumined the water for a moment,
and a heavy shell flew singing over our
heads, leaving trail like a comet. 1t
was an excellent line shot That order,
''Elevater' had saved us. The steamer
on the starboard side opened and our OPP
ponents, now on our quarter, joined in;
but their practice was wild, and in few
moments they were out of sight | did
not return their fire, for it would only
have shown our position. and | did not
wish our true character to be known,
preferrng that they should suppose us an
ordinary blockade runner.