Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-11

a terrific FIRE against the iron sides OF the
hig ironclad. and then the Monongahels
tried 10 turn the tables on Buchanan hs
ramming the Tennessee The blow va,
only glancing one. but IL hurt and III.
tie later the Tennessee took position neal
Fort Morgan 10 make hasty repairs.
y.
Mobile bay was in possession OF Farrs
gut. One OF the three Confederate gun
boats. the Selma, had been captured after
giving a terrific fight TO the Hartford
and the other two had been driven of
but so long as the Tennessee remained
Farragut's feet was endangered. He Dc
termined 10 re-engage Buchanan later 4.
the day. But Buchanan did not wait &c
he attacked. So soon as hasty repair,
were made he came out for a death crap
PIE with FarraEut's three monitors and
twenty-one wooden ships. As guns hac
proved useless. Farragut ordered IN,
i>ackawanna and Monongahela to ram tn,
ironciad. The Monorgahela succeeded IL
striking her full amidship but the oni,
damage TO the Tennessee was the startins
=. a shght leak. while the PROV Of the
Monongahela was torn of Then tia
I.ackawanna struck Buchanan's vessel
This blow hurt. Another blow from IN.
Iackawanna increased the leak in tn.
tennessee. and shot from the Lacka.
Buchanan. although he must have
known that the struggle was hopeless
was not content. Getting clear OF IN.
l.ackswanna. he made 10 ram the Hart.
ford The distance between them va.
short and the flagship seemed doomed
out the faulty steering gear OF the iron,
clad saved the Hartford The TennesSe,
swerved and the vessels grazed each Other
falllng in his attempt to ram the Hart.
ford. Buchanan ordered that a hroadstd.
ne nred at her. Only one gun was dis.
charged The powder on the Tennes<..
was as poor as her steering gear Had
me proadside been delivered. the Hart.
stroyed.
Now the three monitors came up and
began TO hammer the Tennessee with
their big guns. The plates OF the bis
ironclad were loosened, some OF her guns
dfsmounted and the srnokestack shot AWAY
With his rudder chains gone and smoks
from the engine pouring into the gunroom
so that the men were almost stified Bu,
chanan determined to seek safety in flight
He gave orders TO run for Fort Morgan 4
few moments later he fell desperately
wounded. He turned the command over
TO Capt. Johnston. II was no use. There
was no escape for the Tennessee Her
steam was failing most of her guns were
out OF commission and she could only
grope along. Meanwhile the Union ships
hung to her. pounding her with their
heavy shot. Johnston, with Buchanan
sanction. hauled down the stars and bars
and ran up the white nag This ended
one OF the most furious water fights of the
great war.
II was not until the battle closed that
Farragut got the full story OF Craven
and the Tecumseh. Craven had paid M
attention to the fire of the forts. His one
idea was TO grapple with the Tennessee
10 repeat in Mobile bay what had been
done in Hampton roads by the Monitor
10 the Merrimac. The better TO direct
the movements of the Tecumseh he had
gone into the pilot house and stood be
side John Collins, the pilot. The orders
of Farragut to his captains were to pass
to the eastward of a certain red buoy IN
order to avoid the <orpedoes. a move
ment OF the Tennessee led Craven TO be
lieve the big fronclad was retreating. De
termined to force the battle, he went 10
the westward of the buoy directly over
the line OF torpedoes. in order TO engage
her. The Tecumseh had reached but the
first of the chain when an explosion be-
meath her shook her from stem TO stern.
turned her until IL seemed as IL she would
topple over on her port side. and then,
when she partially righted herself. tipped
her until her Prov was submerged and
her stern was high in the air and her
screw was spinning at a furious rate.
X
AS the monitor tipped Commander
Craven and Pilot Collins. realizing the
warship would sink in a few moments, In
stinctively made a dash for the opening
at the top of the little ladder leading
from the pilot house Delay meant death.
Every moment was precious They
reached the opening together. The ladder
was so narrow that only one could pass
down IL at a time. fraction OF a Sec
ond the two men halted at the top OF the
ladder. Then, with knightly chivalry
which will forever clothe his name,
Craven stepped back. After you, pilot.
he said
But there was no after for Tunis
MacDonough Craven BY the margin Of
a second the pilot got clear OF the lad
der. Then the monitor seemed to drop
from under him." IL was only thirty sec
onds from the explosion of the torpedo
to the sinking OF the ship.
A buoy that swings to and fro In the
ebb and flow of the tide marks the spot
where the Tecumseh sank and Craven
died but After you, pilot. Will live a.
long the nation endurcS.