Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-24

wooden vessel, piercing her through and
through The Monongahela swung around
poured In broadsde of solid shot from her
heavy battery Including two eleven-inch
guns. The solid shot broke in pieces
against the casemate or bounded back like
balls. Except<f for a slight list to starboard,
nothing happened to the Tennessee, which
kept steadily on toward the Hartford.
Meanwhile from the same side came the
Lackawanna, the fastest vessel in the Union
fleet at a speed of twelve knots an hour,
which was very high for those days. She,
too, was, gallaqtly. hurled upon the Ten
nessee, which she struck fair amidshfps to
port Captain Marchand had no iron cut
water his ship had not, been designed for
ramming and no special provision had been
made to enable her to stand such shock.
He did not hesitate on that account. With
the admirals command to warrant him and
under the eye Of the great captain, he threw
his ship on the enemy.
Such was the force OF the blow that the
bow Of the Lackawanna was stove in from
five feet aboves to three feet. below the
mate Of the irenelad, the shattered bows
Of the Lackawanna, her screws churnlng
the water madly as Marchand strove to
force her to override the ram, actually
along the slanting tron-plated Sides Again
the deadly rifles on the Tennessee rang
out, raking the LackawaIlna from bow to
stern. Al his sship, Slipped of Marchand
swung to pot3 and poured in another futile
broadssde IRON MS heavy battery at close
range upon his brightly and disdainful an
tagonists.Jr sG3 10 lsyQs
The mon8tsrs we're. closing in now, and
the differents yesaels of the feet heading
toward sthetram delivered broadsides or
single shots sassthe. shifting movements Of
the vessels 9aWaithem a clear range. The
Tennessee Was attacked by. ships on both
sides and fore and. aft as well. All Of her
guns were in action at THE same instant.
A mass Of AahfG and smoke and roaring
guns, she ahoab herself free and swept
up the bays and straight at her came the
Both vessels We're under full steam, and
every availableeotlnce of power was churn-
Ing the scrfwss.s They approached each
other bows Qpzaf 1The prolongation Of thei.
keels would have made singular straight
line II the srennessee struck the Hartford
in that wayaShe would tear the whole bow
out Of her. eAOth vessels would be tele-
scoped, the Hartford would infallfbly sink,
but she would overrun the Tennessee and
1t would be impossible for the ironclad to
back away before being carried down by
The officers Of the squadron who could
see through. the smoke the two vessels
rushing at each other fairly held their
breath with anxiety and terror Forward
on the Hartford. leaning over the bows
endeavoring to peer down through the
smoke at his approaching enemy. stood
Drayton. Aft on the port n1izzen rigging,
standing on the. sheer poles, ,clinging to
the forward, swifter, the admiral leaned
Far out watching ahead The vigilant
Watson hadrseen to 1t that another line
had been passed about him as before, re-
monstrattng yaAnly with the admiral for
his exposed position as he did SO. Going at
such speed, the two ships already fearfully
near, the collision would only be matter
Of time. and the results would be fatal to
both vessels unless the helm of one or the
other were shifted.
The flagship, save for the throb of the
engines. was fearfully silent. The officers