The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-06
RUNNIN0 Island NO. 10.
A Stirring Incident Of the civil war Narrated
BY One who Had q Part In II.
From the ST. Loufs Globe. Dsmoer

W Oho Wno nSo
From ths ST. Loufs Globe Democrat
Out at the Memorial Home on Grand ave-
nue. and Sidney street. lives Capt. John Demins.
one OF the few surviving men who plotted up
and down the Mississippi when Il was the main
artery OF traffic in the great West. and ,hrobbed
with the wealth OF the young nation
Capt. DemIne has had a life Of more than
ordinary excitement and even now. safe In
snug harbor though he is. his eyes light up
a. he tells OF the days when he stood at the
wheel and conned his boat past rebel bat
,eries that dang shot and shell at him. lie
| was pilot on the Carondelet when she made
! her famous run past Island No. 10. and no
words can tell better the daring Of the trip
than the simple ones Of the white-haired old
gentleman
Early in i,52. he says. I was pilot on the
gunboat CarOndelet, under Commodore tooie,
The COniederates Lad fortified Island No,
10. and We lay IN the river. u few miles above
II. held in check by the terrible, reputation
that the island had acquired Below. a lew
miles, was Gen. Pope. with his army at New
Madrid. surrounded by the food that accom-
panied the spring rise; he fou6d arg neither eF
the enemy. u was vitality important to rea'h
him, and We did it,
Late IN March the ,arondele', under COM
10 run the island, and preparations were at
once begun TO. make the trip, 4 barge was
tE %Sf.'r ana p losde avid Wiih {, cotton tas bales. ''e ecrdwo9d
and baled hay, 10 protect the. upper works
of the gunboat. II was decided to make the
trip on the first dark night, and We lay, inactive
Tor several days. suffering more from the terror
Of anticipation than We did from the reM''y
of the trip.
ION the evening of April 4 clouds gathered
IN the south and a storm blew up far down
the river. The clouds gathered darker and
mounted higher above us The lightning
lessly.. A fierce. wind came w the river ana
the white, tors began 10 blow on the yellow
w y,s.Sasew under we just cast enough Si, and ''e diIited % dS s'ys
Inc river toward the island. The steam ex-
hanst pipes had been cut out OF the smoke
stack and led into the wheel boxes. so that
no sound Of the exhaust would be heard when
We got ny a full head OF steam, and We drlited
down the river looking, like a farm wagon
nay partner. Dan Weaver. and Tip Fl.hback.
a reporter on the 81 LomS D'm0rrdt Weaver
had the wheel and ! watched the river. for,
! was familiar with the shore Of the island
and could direct the steering of the boat.
"Olt-Idr. First Master IIoel wa, OH the star
board iidr Of ne pilot n9u,e ws ,ho Eo the ,io Mlrv
in the teeth. Of the wind, and the roar oil the
,hunder and the splash OF the muddy waves
breaking ngain-t the two boat drowned every
other .ouqd aud With our eyes strained TO see
through the blaokncss of the night. made more
dark by the flashes Of lightning, We drltted
down opposite the head of the island whore the
batteries were ready TO blow us out Of the water.
Ne could see the shore OF the island plainly
when tho tashes came and were fearful Of dlscov-
cry but "" driited on slowly. and Weaver
whispered down the tube 10 the engineer for
more steam. 7 felt the old boat qniver and the
rush Of the water began 10 how up white over
her bow As We went ta.ter; FuIlspeed Has called
FOR. aud ~ We gathered way ] could seethe
island drifting Gast faster ard faster. The,
tension vas terrible. Not o shot had been Aired
At rs and We were beginning To think We would
Sin ra.t safely when all Of a r. inute flames broke
out of both 1moke tacks and down the river
we wont CARRYING two great torches twenty
feet high on each pine, Weaver sang ont down
through the tube 10 the engiree~' Give her hell .
aud she Jumped ahead faster than ever. Fish
bacl; sal down on The h2or and started writing
md the bank OF Number 10 began to roar and
fash.
II will never forget il as long as I lve-the
fashirc NJ the tightening ard cannon from the
rebel b%atterir'' the roar of, the guns and the
strarge color Of tho river where the light from
the burning SCOT in our smokeetacks fell on il.
The river looked a yellow a. saffron and the
wilderness Of the waves ns they broke into
foam against our square bow was Ike snow,
Every now md then n ball would splash In the
ghost-like We swert Town throuGhthe great
curve in the river every nerve AT its greatest
tension. watching the shore ard feeling liz
ducking every time a gun roared on the bark.
The FIRE went ont n the SCOT burned ont of the
chimnevs and through the darkness. made
more than dark by the recent light. We swung
safely nv the lower end Of the island ont into
the main channel safe and sound, after a trip
that ] would not take acain II the rlches Of the
world were offered ne. The relax alton after the
strain was terrible. Wa as weak as n child
In deem water ve could relax our vigilance
md the lights on the boat were soon burning
Over the sound of the thunder that was still
rolling rose the sound Of three guns TINT told
our friends above the Island Of our safety, and
Ms we cam 10 AT the New Madrid levee every
body in town was there and q score ran waist
deem into the river 20 catch the line that we
cast out. We were made fast TO the shore and
n hundred men carried us up over the muddy
hank 10 where Ger, Pope was waiting 10 see
Capt. Wake. In a few DAYS Island No. 10
had fallen ard We were Joined by the rest OF
Commodore Foote'S fotilla, The men ioked
lis q great deal and called MS farmers. skiing
the rrice ~ haled hav and farm produce. but
We did not mind II. We were only too glad to
hive the baggage between us and the ,Iohnnles,
but I believe 10 this day that IL our smokpstacks
had not caught fire We would have slipped BY
without being discovered. We had come
down the Missouri side Of the island. although
the channel was on the Kentucky shore. but
the high water Of the snrinp rise made il pos
sible for us to take the chances with some
hone Of success and by careful watching we
got throuRh without scrapirG the mud. The
Missouri side cf the island was not nearly so
strongly fortified MS the other aide and the
flashing OF the lightning and dash ~ the rain
made II hard 10 hit US. We were not struck at
all. but every time I heard gun fire I ducked
az II II was coming for me"