Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-11-30

rg which certain NIiteIo nave Dccu
vino 10 create. when literature and
% drama of the daring heroic type re-
live unstinted approval, we may look
br 2 revival of the stories Of sublime
mirage exhibited in the civil war.
Of rhgse tales few will more readily
onnaI 10 the hero orshiper than that
"A Lieut.. Dixon and his comrades who
}: nbarked in a crazy little boat on an
snpditton against big Yankee man
war in the siege of Charleston.
The incident was daring in it's con-
ontion heroic in it's execution and
aric in its termination.
Charleston was chOked off from the
pa by the strong hand OF the Federal
orkadc Ten majestic battleShipS
" in the outer harbor, and by day
MI night the, rained a storm Of shot
hi she'll on the Notifications and de-
pnders of the ancient city.
For each gunshot from Sumter or
Wagner ten or more Numbered back
deadly answer from the fleet of Fed
raj gunboatS.
Of this latter a most aggressive mem
Ipr was the Housatonic, a splendid
ew ship anchored in the north chan
eI She was particularly offensive
rom the advantage of her position.
Fhe frino of her rif1ed cannon on the
Orts was cruelty perfect and persist
nt. She threw PARROT shells into the
ity and her solid shot tore away great
ections of the defensive ramparts. By
e9s0n of the wholesale havoc she Gre
ted and the destruction she dealt, the
motive of the catastrophe which be-
hill her was conceived.
Beaurcgard had accepted from a Mo-
& Bile firm for the torpedo service a
{raDgr craft. 40 feet in length and
Bhaped like Il cigar. She was propelled
" hand and was intended for sub
marine work.
But in each of the half dozen at
empts to submerge her in the Charles
lon harbor she had smothered her crew
b the green waters of the bay, SO she
has tied up to the wharf near the bat
Der, with only her curving back
Rb0ve the water line, where she vacil-
ated like a stranded sea monster, toss
ed by the moving tides.
There the cigar boat (she was I'M
bamedD was observed by George Dixon,
Rn officer of the Twenty-first Alabama
Infantry then engaged in the defense
bf Charleston.
Dixon had been casting about for
BONE plan by which the harbor might
be relieved of one or more of the block
Rders. \ careful inspection Of the
abandoned boat convinced him that
she could be used in a. plan which he
Favored. He was fully cognizant Of,
the grim record she had made for her.
Sef and realized the extreme dangers
which lay in the execution of his plan,
but he determined to try it in the face
of all risks.
likewise with the six men to whom
Dixon unfolded his project They knew
fearful death for themselves was al
most certain in the event of the sue
cess OF the enterprise, yet they readily
agreed 10 accompany him as crew Of
The boat
II was deliberate sacrifice of them
selves Tor the attainment of a desired
OBJECT. The men We're Capt. Carlson
and Rjdgeway, Becker, Wicks, Collins
and Simpkius.
Al clock on the night of Feb. II,
ID lNoi, the party assembled on the
ue'N OF The once-abandOned but now
Important boat. 1t was a picturesque
"eduon. The darkness Of the night
was uISp@IIod by a conf1agration back
- Ue city and by a calcium raft which
'Wned redly over against Fort Sum
W. VYGrhead a perfect network Of
streaming and bursting shells made
@s'o'echhe display, gigantic and fear
~" while he crash of the distant guns
vas continuous.
r, iNe men were perfectly cool and de-
''V"1e III their movements. Dixon
N'e HIS orders in calm manner, and
~, each step of the proceedings
''" lAe keen perception Of an expert.
a., %lof approached the group on the
.NS' win round, black object slung
,' MS shoulders. 1t was a sea tor
ts"" inns was taken rather tenderly
TWO OF the men, who fixed it to the
ra VI a spar which another of the
Nal Drawn out of the water with
ss opt' The free end of the spar was
s n,u nNed to the nose of the boat. The
of "elhS thus adjusted, was a kind
a. IAN L'n' Which pointed straight ahead
,ar ue ooat and lay just under the wa
Onto. WIN The deadly torpedo on the
3o, No" then ordered all aboard and
,brs, descended a ladder into the boat
Tb asN manhole in the top.
Sao NV'er was fastened from the in
ON, ; "lo the queer craft moved slowly
nqrgn l,O 'he harbor, only partly sub
ana u y shell dropped In the water
from =, SO near that the waves
tba ha" e disturbance nearly swamped
Ken, "' out she righted herself and
bar Straight course for the outer
Tie Housatonic +bo+ -.