Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-03-31
RENDING THE HEAVENS
The Appalling Thunder of the Great
Gums at the Battle of New
Orleans.

If You are standing in rear of a field
battery of six guns, which is being rap
idly worked, you must shout into your
comrades ear to make him hear you.
The din is that of so empty wagons be-
ing driven over a cobble-stone pave
ment. Your nerves are on edge and
you involuntarily clap your hands over
your ears to get an instant's respite.
But it is no comparison to the position
of the men lying on the sidehill below
the guns. They are only 100 feet be-
low the pieces, and each and every man
not only feels the full force of the con-
cussion as communicated to the earth
from the kick of the gun, but the re-
port itself seems to strike the spinal
column and travel up to the back of the
head. Then, too, there is the fear of
shells exploding prematurely. or of
grape and canister "dribbling" to cause
wounds or death, and it is positive re-
lief to see column of the enemy break
cover for a charge. The roar of the
guns does not linger for hours after,
as is the case with mortars and siege
guns, but you find your nerves on edge
and your temper spoiled for a day or
two. The men who lay in lines with a
battery firing over them probably en-
dured more mental suffering than
the enemy at whom the guns were
pointed.
With the big guns the case is differ
ent. The firing is terribly trying for
the first few minutes, but this feeling
gradually gives way to one of awe and
sublimity. There is something so ter
rifle and appalling-you feel yourself
so atomless in comparison-that you
would speak in whispers if the roar
should suddenly cease. You are an on
locker; if assisting to work a gun
physical activity would take away from
the mental strain. When Admiral Por-
ter got his 20 mortar boats, each armed
with an eight and one-ha1f ton mortar
and 32-pound rifle cannon, at work
against the forts below New Orleans,
and the big guns in both forts had
opened in reply, there was something
akin to the sound of heaven and earth
coming together. The mortar shells
weighed over 200 pounds apiece, and
the rush of them through the air made
ones hair feel as if it crawled. The
venomous hiss of a big skyrocket was
magnified thousands of times, to be fol-
lowed by a crash which seemed to split
the sky open into cracks and crevices.
When. the firing had continued until
all reports had been merged into one
steady roar there was little short of
an earthquake on land and sea for ten
miles around. The earth shook as if
great steam hammer was pounding
1T a few yards away. If standing near
tree one could feel the. roots letting
go of the soil with sound like bugs
crawling over the dry leaves. On the
water great mud spots rose up here
and there to show where the earth 40
feet below had BEEN disturbed. In the
Mississippi river itself huge catfish
leaped above, the surface in. fright and
pain, Or floated on their backs and
were carried along with the current,
gasping for breath. Out on the blue
water air bubbles as large as dinner
plates t1oated to the surface and burst
ed with a snap, and fish of all kinds
exhibited the greatest confusion and
alarm.
Thirty miles away the roar was like
that of gale sweeping over a pine
forest. Horses and cattle sought to
hide away; birds flew about uttering
cries of distress. and dogs pointed their
noses toward the sky and howled dis
mally. Birds and fowls felt the air
and earth waves long before human
beings did, and their actions were so
queer as to become alarming. The
coming of the roar to those afar off
was preceded by Earring of the earth