Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1906-08-30
INTREPID GUSHING.
MANY NORRIS or PRAISE rno,,
AN OLD coNTEDERarE ON
cusHINo's HEROIC &C.
TION.

Confederate sailor who was nresant
when the ram Albemarle was blown
up at Plymouth. N. c.. stood ON the
string piece OF a Norfolk wharf last
week. A few yards away the torpe-
do boat Cushing was beating the
placid waters OF tho harbor into n
violently twisting froth as she tore
swiftly ont 10 sea. There" said the
old mariner. goes a boat with The
name OF the bravest man the Yanks
ever had In their navy and one of the
bravest men that over lived. ON
the night on which W. n. Cushmy
blew mp the Albemarle I could pIain-
ly see his face aud actions by the
light OF a bonfire built ON shore. He
went about his work oblivions of ev-
erything using deliberation where
deliberatlon WAS necessary and haste
where he conld
Although a hundred rifles were
trained on him and ne could see the
big Brookes Rife in the bow of tho
Albemarle trained directly on him no
never fiinched How he escaped an
Inhalation is Moro than | can under
stand, The one chance In million
saved him."
Gushing was only twentv-one at
the time OF this brilliant exnloft He
was made Lieutenant Commander
and received $4,000 MS his share
OF prize money for destroying the
Albemnrle. The story OF the destruc-
tion of the Albemarle is too we'll
known to be repeated here After It's
destruction was verified the world
rang with Cushlng's fame. Not only
was his achievement remarkable for
the splendid bravery displayed but
because a Whole feet OF Federal
ships had I'm vain tried to make an
Impression on the rams Invulnera-
BILE sides. Had II not been destroy
cd In a short time the land and wa
ter operations OF the Federal gov
ernment would have been leopard
lied.
j. NJ. Batten, NJ d.. who was a
surgeon In the United States Navy
tells In his book OF Cushing's behav-
Tor In connection with the destr,lc-
ton or the Albemarle DIR. Bntten
was q passenger on the steamer Val
ley City OF the Federal feet on Oc-
tober 20, 1864. Cushing was also
aboard, having just arrived with n
torpedo launch which he had had
constructed at the New York Navy
Yard. The next morning DR.. Batten
found Gushing had disappeared. on
October 2Sth the day after the de
structlon of the AlbemarIe the Val
ley City got under way and pro
ceeded TO the mouth OF the Roanoke.
As she was passing I'm DIR. Batten
says voice hailed him from the
shore and the Valley City sent on n
boat, which much to his surprise, on
it's return brought OFF Lieutenant
Gushing with all his clothes gone
except a pair OF stockings. pantn-
looms and a coarse flannel shirt. He
was wet. cold. tired. hungry and
pTostrated. He had been absent five
days and most OF that time had been
without food His crew had consist
ed OF tweleye volunteers OF whom
two were drowned, one e~raped and
the rest captured
On Cnshing's return to tho feet
he was received with n national sa-
lutte OF twenty-one guns This ~ one
Of the few occasions on which a
lleutenant not In command has been
given salute with big guns. n f.
the only occasion ON which lieut-
enant has been saluted with tho nn-
tianl salute which is reserved for
rulers OF countries.
The Gushing At present forms part
OF the reserve Torpedo squadron
which has lts base al Norfolk under
command Of Lieutenant T. V. Gmis
She will probably be kept in Nor
folk during the life OF the James
town Exposition 10 be held on the
shores Of Hampton Roads near Nor
folk, ia 1907 and visitors can then
see the famous boat.
During the Spanish American
War she acted as despatch boat and
member Of the Cuban blockadine
fleet Sfe Was built at the yard Of
the He rcshoTs at Bristol. Rhode
Island She Is 139 feet. 2 Inches
In length on the water line. OF "a
feet three inches beam. and draws
four feet ten inches of water Her
full laod displacement is 142 tons
She IS twin screw vessel driven by
Thornycroft engines capable or gen
Grating t.72O horsepower The vea-
sci IS armed with three tS-Inch
White head torpedo tubes and 3 one
FOUNDER rapid hre guns The Cush-
ing was the first torpedo boat built
and was given the name Cushing I'm
response 10 popular feeling that the
finest torpedo craft then known
should be given the name Of the man
who gained world wide fame by his
uae Of tOrDedo She was coroptotod