The San Francisco call., 1903-12-20

.
on the doomed ship. Lacy had time for
anything! The black railing towering
above his head was swarming with
men. Flashes OF light punctured the
darkness. Bullets pattered like rain on
the iron. One or two tore through the
himsy shell. A Jet OF water struck him
in the face.
The next second there was q terrific
concussion. The torpedo struck the ship
Just forward the mainmast and explod-
ed. tearing a great hole IN the side ex-
tending far below the water line. In
the blaze OF light that followed the
men in the David cheered wildly and
the next moment blackness over
whelmed them.
On the frigate there was the widest
confusion as the sleeping men below
came swarmIng I'D on deck. Some OF
them never succeeded IN reaching the
hatchways and were drowned where
they slept. Some were killed by the
explosion. The officers, however, quickly
restored order, and as a last resort or
oered the surviving men into the rig
g1ng' for the water where she lay was
swallow and there they could ind safe
W The ship was hopelessly lost In
Deed she began to sink so soon as the
torpedo exploded. The water poured
into her vitals ana soon the crash Of
exploding boilers and the hiss Of escap-
ing steam added their quota to the con-
fusion.
Some OF the cooler among the omceru
and men fingered on the decks, small
n
every hand until the decks were awash
They were looking and hoping for a
chance at the boat which had caused
them such terrible disaster, but they
never saw her. She had disappeared.
Signals had been burned instantly on
the shattered ship. Far up and down
the Line the lights Of moving vessels
burning answering signals showed that
they were alert to render assistance.
Boats. ships cutters, dashed alongside
TO render help, and they. too, sought
the torpedo-boat, but IN vain. She wa
not to be found.
At the same time the ships OF the
neet did not move from their appointed
stations, and when the blockade run
nerB came dashing down through the
Gwash channel IN the hope that the
vessels usually stationed there would
b withdrawn IN the excitement they
were met by deadly fire from the
rined guns, which rendered II impossi-
bic for them to proceed. They turned
tail and fed. Two Of them succeeded
In returning to the harbor. One Of them
never came back. She was set on fire
and burned by the shells OF the ships.
The monitors and ironclads Joined IN
the battle, the forts returned the fire
and the quiet night was filed with the
o noise Of roaring cannon and exploding
shells.
Lacys had been . gallant and heroic
attempt. 1t had succeeded as to the
blowing I'D Of a Federal warship, but
1t had failed otherwise. BY a singular
freak OF fortune the blow had not
fallen upon the vessel for which II had
been intended. After dark the ine
new sloop-of-war Housatonic had
replaced the Wabash on the Main
Ship Channel, and she had suffered
instead OF the flagship.
Although when day broke she was
sought for again. nothing more was
seen Of the David. At least not
then. With the explosion Of the tor
PCQO SIG Ald4 NdLl9neQ IEO1u the LACo
of the waters. For a long time General
Beauregard and the people In Charles
ton waited for tidings OF her, but it was
not until the war was over and the
HOusatonic was raised that the mys-
terry was solved. They found the tor
pedo boat with her nose Jammed mex
tricably into the hole she had torn IN
the side OF the ship. Perhaps the In
rush Of the waves had sucked her into
the opening, and the roll OF the ship
had fastened her more securely. At
any rate she was there. She was, OF
course, filed with water, and in her,
at their stations, they found the bodies
Of her devoted crew, Lacy with his
hand IN the wheel.
Nothing in life had so become Lacy al
the ending OF 1t. It II q proverb that
the good men do lies buried with them.
the evil Is long remembered Il was
not so In his case, at any rate, for men
forgot everything but the dauntless
heroism with which he had laid down
his life for his country, and that as
sured his fame.
And, after all. he was not 70 be plt1ed.
for he died the death Of his choieA