Evening star., 1911-06-04

seen steaming up the river. and Far
rag1It maed signal 10 the Mississippi 10 at
tack her. She ran down toward her. hat
the Manassas sh-ered toward the left
hank and ran her nose ashore. When the
Mississippi opened fire upon her the crew
poured out of the little hatch aft ran
along the deck and jumped on shore and
over the levee into the swamp beyond.
The fleet steamed up the river during
the afternoon of the 24th until dark. and
then came 10 anchor. Nothing OF inn
portance occurred during the passage.
Soon after midnight a great blaze Of
light was seen up the river. and. fearing
fire RATS. all the vessels got under way
and remained so until daylight when
they proceeded up the river toward New
Orleans At e O'Clock we passed a large
vessel loaded with cotton on fire. and at
80 passed two more in the same condi-
tion. Arrived at Chalmette. four miles
below the city. twhere Jackson Fought
th,. battle of New orleansA. we found that
batteries had been erected on both banks.
armed with field pieces. y few broadsides
made the troops leave their guns and dis
perse into the country.
The fleet steamed on 10 the city. pass
ing close To the leyees. which were
swarming with people. They were SIM
ply a bowling mob. The Confederate
flags were fying about the city, and we
passed SO cloSe-not more than two num-
dred feet from the. .bank-that the peo-
pie shouted at in derision In the
French quarter there was apparently
some disturbance. and body OF troops
seen firing a Nolley into the crowd.
AS the ship arrived abreast Of the GUS
toms house and anchored off Canal street
a pouring rain came down. bat even
this did not seem to reduce the crowd
Soon after had anchored burning
steamers. barges and other vessels load
ed with cotton came drifting down on
fire Among the burning vessels was the
Confederate iron-clad Mississippi. lt
seemed the purpose Of the mob 10 de-
stroy everything. During the night the
city was set on fire In a dozen differ
ent places. and there was a continual
ringing of fire-alarm bells.
The next day steamed up the river,
as obstructions and batteries had been
reported above the city. All the forti-
fications were deserted, but an immense
raft was found lying along the left bank.
This was made of four logs dashed to-
gether side by side. with a heavy chain
extending their whole length. il had
been the intention of the Confederates
to stretch this boom across the river
to prevent Foote and HIS hotila from
reaching New Orleans The barrier look
ed formidable il lay under the river
bank, but when the Confederates had
finished their work they could not set
the raft across the river account of
the current.
They made the lower end fast to the
bank. and with three steamboats, took
the upper end and endeavorod TO reach
the opposite bank. but the huge structure
was more than they could manage. and
the current swept il down the river with
such force that ii broke, drifted from tie
steamers and swung around against the
bank, and SO proved failure.
on the day after the pa Ssage Of the
forts ii was noticed that the Brooklyn
leaked more than usual. hut not enough
to give any alarm, as the steam pumps
were able to keep her free. and in the
course of a few days the leak dimished.
1t was not until the coal in the star
board bunker had been used up and the
side of the ship WAS uncovered that We
realized what a blow she had received
from the Manassas. on the outside liz.
chain had been driven Its depth into the
planking. and on the inside for a length
of five feet or more, the planking was
splintered and crushed in The only
thing that prevented the prov of tie
Manassas from sinking the fact
that the bunker was full Of coal.
Copyright, 1911. by the Century Company