The National tribune., 1901-10-31


est to recall some of the former expert
ments made by our people in this line of
DEVELOPMENT With but one exception
that of Cushings, the greatest success
was achieved by the Confederates and
was confined to the water around Charles
ton and directed against the Federal ships
operating against that city during the last
two years of the civil war.
When Charleston was occupied by our
feet and army, in February, 1860, we
found that three serviceable torpedo-boats
of the David type had been sunk by
the Confederates in different spots in the
harbor. Two of these were raised and
repaired. and / had the strange pleasure
of riding in one of them at its best speed
five knots an hour.
Six more were found at Goner's Creek,
above the city, under construction or re-
pair. This energy on the part of the en-
envy, had it been permitted TO continue,
would have been Il serious menace not
only to the feet engaged almost daily
with the Confederate forts and batteries,
but to the whole line of blockadIng ships
of-war, from Bulls Bay to Fernandina.
Our warships had become accustomed
to the fixed and floating torpedo-the lat
ter being made in large part from beer
kegs and ale barrels. Those not anchored
would frequently float down among the
monitor and SloOps-of-war in the main
channel between Sumter and Wagner, and
/ have seen men stationed in the main
chains and bOb-StayS, with boarding pixies
pushing off these black and tarry tioaterS,
so that they might go astern and drift
out to sea. The sailors, however, learned
TO respect these Misunderstanding barrels,
and more especially after the Monitor
Patapsco, with nearly all her officers and
crew, had been destroyed by one of them;
Admiral Sampson was among the saved
from the Inflated ship.
In October, 1868, many rumors had
come TO the fleet of the preparation OF
a new engine of destruction TO be hurled
at us, in the darkness of the night. 1t
was TO be a submarine boat, armed with
q torpedo. This was actually built IN
Charleston. She was manned by brave
men; her valves were opened, she sank,
but could not rise. and her crew persisted
In her.
The Confederates then directed their
energy to the first type of the m-dern
torpedo-boat, and though handicapped for
necessary materials by the vigilance of
our blockade, they succeeded to such an
extent that the nights in the feet were
not so comforting and restful as they had
been, and in four months almost sent to
the bottom the greatest fighting ironclad
we then had, and utterly destroyed one
of our best sloops-of-war.
Their first assault was directed against
the New 1ronsideS," whose 16 heavy
guns and invulnerabie armor made it pos
sible for the fleet to anchor under the
fire of some hundreds of Confederate
guns She lay peacefully anchored to her
buoy on the night of Oct. D, 1868. Ihe
writer was attached to the mortar schoon-
er Dan Smith," also anchored with her
consort, the Racer" at swinging dis
tbo of
Both the Smith and the Racer" had
been originally parts of Porter's Mortar
Fleet. and each carried an armament OF
13-inch mortar 'midships, besides some
broadside guns. Their mOrtars had been
used in the reduction of Fort Wagner, and
to make both vessels as small a mark as
possible, as they had to anchor close in to
make their fire effective, all their spars had
been removed On their decks few days
before had been stored some immense load
ed torpedoes, called Ericsson devils,
each containing half a ton of powder.
These devils" were to be, but never were,
used to blow up the Confederate obstruc-
tons in the channel between Sumter and
Moultrie. The presence of these nasty
things, ON which in this sultry climate
bur small crew took their nightly rest,
made our ''loOkouts' particularly yigi-
liant.
On the night mentioned some swell was
on, and it was difficult to distinguish a
boat from a wave. Suddenly q dark OBJ
ject, with a small glow of light from it,
glided between our ship and the Racer"
Ii was early evening" and both watches
were on deck, and the signal TO quar-
ters' was instant, for We thought of our
torpedoladen decks.
The little glow of light paid no atten-
tion TO US, nor to our musketry, but from
the 'Ironsides" came hail, a single shot,
then a mighty column of water; a few
&c NJ uu1a mn
and all was still.
The picket monitors slipped their cables
and carefully steered through the feet
with q queer, humming noise, but could
find nothing hostile.
Ensign Howard, of the "Ironsides," was
portally wounded, and DR.. Adoniram
Judson, now a New York physician, who
was ON the medical staff of the vessel.
was his attendant
The 'Ironsides" people supposed that
the torpedoboat had been destroyed by
the column of water, but they were mis-
taken. In the early morning light hang
Ing to the bob-stays of one of the coal
transports, a much-eXhausted man was
found, who, being conducted to the Ad-
n1iral, reported 10 him that he, with three
others, comprised the officer and crew of
the David" that had raised such a row
the evening before; that the boat was
cigar-shaped, 80 feet long, six feet beam,
and steamed about eight knots.
The torpedo carried 60 pounds Of pow
der, yet it had blown off one of the heavy
port-shutters of the "Ironsides," and, il
was later found, had severely strained the
vessel to her keel. Capt. Glassey-brave
fellow, formerly a Lieutenant in our navy
commanded the little boat, two of whose
crew stuck by her, bailed her out, reight-
ed her fires and through that long strung
put feet escaped safely into Charleston
Harbor.
1t was q heroic piece Of work, though
we did not enjoy or appreciate it al the
time.
This was the first assault Of torpedo
boat upon O. strong, well-manned fighting
ship, anchored in the center of q grea
feet Of consorts, by an insignificant look
Ing engine of war, with room in her fo
four men only, and created profound
sensatiOn among students of naval tactics
The moral effect on the feet was tremen
dous. Sleepless nights followed, and con
tinuous alarms were sounded on severa
dark nights, but in our quarter our small
enemy did not appear again.
Much to our relief, the next day an ord
nance ship came alongside and removed
our great torpedoes, and the humorist o
the forecastle, Peter McGee, said he fel
easier; for now IL he went ito hell sud
denly II wouldn't be in little bits, so tha
his OWE father wouldn't know him.
FATE OF THE HoUsAToNIC.
Four months later our Confcderat