The National tribune., 1901-05-02
THE REBEL RAM
ALBEMARLE.
Experiences of the Engineer Who
Accompanied Lieut.. Cushing.
By GILBERT S. PRIOR.

Having been a participant. under Lieut..
| Gushing. in the exploit of the blowing up
/ of the rebel ram Albemarle. at tine mouth
of the Roanoke River, during the civil
| war, and having seen some accounts of
! that affair which were not altogether
| truthful. the writer has been induced to
relate his own experience and furnish as
| authentic 4 statement as the case seems
! to demand. This | attempt to do, not
! frJm any spirit of cif-glorihcatiOn, but
! at the solicitation of many of my old
comrades and others, who seem earnestly
| dcSirous of having 4 truthful account
written for publication.
! As preliminary to my narrative, it ap,
pears necessary for me to give a brief
| statement concerning my movements pre-
| viouS 10 my connection with the thrilling
! adventure which has furnished no inSig-
niticant chapter in the annals of the war.
How | came to be on duty on the CuSh-
ing was because | had just returned from
New Orleans, where | had been confined
four weeks with yellow fever. | returned
| to Boston, and Mt the end of two weeks
| | reported for duty, and was ordered to
| the New York Navy Yard. to report to
| the Commodore. The following night |
was ordered on a tow-boat to proceed to
! Norfolk Navy Yard. The tow-boat Mar
| tin proved to be very much in need of re-
pairs. The boiler was leaking, and the
steam-pipes were wound up with rags and
! red lead, and so they wished to have her
changed into a tOrpedO-bOat. We broke
down three or four times before we
| reached Newport News. When we ar
rived there we could go no farther, be-
cause our steam-pipes had burst
The next morning the Captain ordered
me to get more steam. | told him that
| would not until | had the boat repaired.
He then ordered his boat to take him to
the flagship, which was at anchor near
by. He was very angry, and sent for the
Chief Engineer of the fleet. The Engin-
Ger came and appeared very polite. He
asked me if | refused duty. | said no,
but that | would take him below and
show him the engine and boiler, that he
might Judge for himself whether | had
good cause for my action or not.
On examining the machinery he was
confident that / could do 10 more, and
attached no blame to me. He told me to
make out list of all the repairs | wished
to have made on my engine, and he would
sign it and send the boat to take me to
the Norfolk Navy Yard. Arriving there
the Captain seemed pleased to have an
opportunity to visit Norfolk, although he
showed displeasure because the Engineer
did not reprimand me more severely for
refusing to DO duty.
Ny donkey-pump needed repairing, and
four men were about three days getting
it on deck, when the work ought to have
been performed in two hours. Too much
card-playing and want of proper super
vision accounted for the slownesS of the
work. When the Engineer of the Yard
came near the vessel the crew made noise
enough to be heard all over the Yard,
but the racket was not occasioned by
hard labor.
The Captain was having the pilot-house
steel-plated to make it bullet-prOof. and
the engine-rOom painted. The Engineer
said we must start by 10 o'clock next
morning. and so | had to go in the shop
and repair the lost motion in the links
myself / finally succeeded in putting the
engine in good running order.
The next day the Engineer of the Yard
came and gave the Captain TWO hours
in which 70 leave the Yard, and the Cap
tain ordered me to have steam up in that
time. Considering that there was no coal
or wood aboard, the prospect of strict
compliance with that order seemed de
cidedIy poor | told the Captain that L
would furnish the steam if he would sup
DIV me with the necessary fuel. He sent
me the coal the next day. but no wood.
A small quantity was finally obtained.
At noon we steamed down the river.
Everything went well until we got off
Cape Hatteras-five miles from the Cape
The point lighthouse was IN sight. Inc
boat then began to leak. We put on the
pump. but it did no good. 1t was hIgh
tide. and we put for the nearest land,
striking the bar n half mile from the
beach. She then filed with water. We
sent up signals of distress, which were
sky-rOckets.
In the morning the gunboat Arkansas
came to our assistance, as near as she
dared venture without getting aground.
She Law about an eighth of Il mile away
She sent a long boat to take us OFF. We
throw mattresses to them to jump on.
The sea was running very heavy at the
time. The Captain. to show his bravery,
was the first to leave the vessel.
/ asked him afterwards why he was the
first TO leave, and he replied that he
wished to see if it was safe for the 9th
ers TO venture We we're lashpd to our
vessel to keep from being washed over
board.
The Arkansas finally accomplished our
rescue. and took us to Roanoke Island. L
was chilled from the effects OF the sea
| breaking over me.
| After reaching Roanoke Island we We're
nut on hoard another boat until our boat
was taken off the bar. The next morn
| ing she was brought in to be repaired.
| Tho Jeok was between the iron and wood.
Her stern was lifted an inch from the
iron. She was really not fit for sea ser
vice, having been designed only for river
and harbor use.
When the Martin was ready we started
for the fleet at the mouth Of the Roanoke
River. We took q steamer, with no sails,
in tow, with two torpedoes on her deck
We left the schooner at anchor mile be-
low the flagship, made fast to the stern
| of the flagship and were then ordered
back to Roanoke Island for the mail. we
performed this duty for period OF two
weeks, then put the 20-foOt pole on the
bow with a torpedo at the end of the pole
Six or seven gunboats were stationed al
the mouth of the Roanoke River, expect
ing the ram to come down. Sometimes
refugee would come and report that the
ram was coming down, and the fleet
would go n mile below and leave our boat
to fight the ram alone, only Is or 20 mel
on board, with common rifles, and the tor
pcdo on the bow. 1t was fortunate fol
us that she did not put lii an appearance
at that time, for il she had she would
probably have blown US out of the water
in short order.
Finally, after several days spent il
getting the mails and provisions for the
fleet, we took two officers for the flag
ship and started again for the fleet. About
eight or 10 miles up the Sound was {
lighthouse. The rebels had killed the
light-keeper, and when we approached th'
lighthouse the Captain rang for more
steam. | then had 20 pounds of steam
The Captain desired more. | told hin
that | would blow her up if he wOulC
bring the officers for witnesses. HI
brought them, and then said to me: "En