The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-12

1864. forty-four cannon thrust their
| sr IN muzzies over the battlemcnts,
and a thousand Confederate cannonccrs
stood by the guns.
This was tho formidable fertilization
| that Admiral Porter looked upon from
! the deck of his flag ship as he ap-
preached on the goth of December. BE.
hind far out to sea- could be seen near.
~ l50 vessels of the Union--iron-
clads. monitors, wooden walled ships OF
the days of Taul Jones and scores OF
| transports burdened with thousands OF
soldiers. The fleet came TO anchor at
safe distance from the fort, and the
next tire cdays were passed in pre-
pairing for the greatest naval lombard
| mcnt in American history.
Attemp to blow Up Fort With 2I5
| Pounds Gun-Powdcr.
! Late in the evening. an old gun
boat, the Louisiana" With 2i5 tons OF
Gunpowder concealed in its holds. was
| towed from the iieet toward Fort
Fisher. The fo-t was silent; only tho
| scntincls on the ramparts were awake
| Four hundred yards from the fort, the
anchors of the Louisiana" were drop
ped and her tdrcw of eleven mer
| laid the trails of powder and fuses
along the decks. As the crew leapcd
into rowboats alongside. Captain Khind
struck match and applied 1t to n
| pile of oil soaked refuse underneath
| the cabin, and then followed his COM
! rades into the boat. rowing desperate
ly TO get a safe distance away from
| the doomed vessel.
Shortly after midnight. the Louis
| lana" seemed to leap bodily from tho
sea. great lurid blotch appeared for
an instant on the black sky in the
background Timbers, masts and parts
| of engines were pictured In the red
glare as they hurtled heavenward. The
| roar of the explosion biilowod across
! the ocean to the fleet. shattering VIM
dows and glassware. 1t sounded in the
| fort like an earthquake. bringing the
garrison to the battlements scantly clad.
But that was the only effect the huge
| bomb had upon Fort Fisher; its walls
stool stood barring the great armada
| from Cape Fear River.
Early in the morning Of the cath,
Admiral Porter hung his signal flags on
the flag ship. which ordered the fleet
| to close in At IL o'clock. the lombard
ment began. and. when the whole fleet
/ got into action, ll5 shells were pour
] ing from 500 cannon down upon Fort
Fisher every minute, each broadside
F, Weighing $4,000 pounds. 1t seemed as
though Porter was trying to crush the
| fort by sh9er weight of iron. The
| forty-four cannon of the Confederacy
gallantly replied to this furious storm
OF metal. until many of them were dis
! mounted, or until the cannoneers
| found that the Federals had gotten
range. The fleet gradually moderated
| the hurricane of shells. but kept up
the fire until shutdown.
$50 warships Huri 10000 Pounds of
Shell a Minute.
| a la nd oil
and again Porter led his armada into
action. regardless of the Dcvinc pre-
cept, Peace on earth, good VIII to-
ward men, at prcconccrted signal
the vessels opened fire together. The
ships were hidden by the huge cur
| tain OF powder smoke. while the mile
long line seemed to be one sheet Of
flame. Under cover Of this tremendous
bombardment, 5000 soldiers landed two
miles north Of the fort. and advanced
upon the landface. But Fort Fisher
was still defiant.
| Night fell. but the bombardmett
| continued. During the next day, the
! troops were rc-embarked. Porter's $50
| ships weighed anchor and steamed off
below the horizon toward the North
| Though relieved at the suspension OF
| the attack. tho garrison knew that the
old sea-fghter would not relinquish
| the quest.
Three wceks later. mounted pickets
saw the smoke, and later the mast
heads of Portcrs armada again COM
| ing up over the tumbling horizon. The
long roll" beat in the fort, and l.5cO
Southerners sprang to arms. The next
morning, the fleet had again taken its
position along tho land-facc of Fort
| Fisher. Suddenly, the most terrific
/, fire tho world had ever known burst
| from the ships The floating fortresses
| seemed to be mass of flame: storms
of shot and shell plunged into the fort
The sea and cath trembled. Further ny
! the beach, 5000 soldiers landed. and
prepared for desperate charge on the
battlements. Late In the afternoon, the
bomhardment again increased until the
continual roar sounded like a thunder
bolt prolonged for an hour. At sun
down the Are slackened until only the
iron-clads were frim,, which continued
throughout the night.
4 At daylight the terrific bombardmeut