The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-02-02

trees, and it required all the steam
power of the Carondelet, with both an
chOrs down and the most strenuous
exertion of the officers and crew, work
ing day and night, to prevent the boat
from being dragged down stream
This adversely appeared to dampen the
ardor of our crew, but when the next
morning they saw a large number of
! white objects, which, through the fog,
| looked like polar bears, coming down
| the stream and ascertained that they
were the enemy's torpedoes, forced
from their moorings by the powerful
current, they took heart, regarding the
freshet as providential and as a pre-
sage of victory. The overhowing riv-
er which opposed our progress swept
away in broad daylight this hidden
peril, for if the torpedoes had been dis
turbed or had broken loose at night
while we were showing the driftwood
from our bows some Of them would
surely have exploded under or near
our vessels"
The tOrpedoes had been so placed in
the river by the COnfederates that their
own vessels in going down stream
would slide by them and vessels NOV
lug upstream, Federal of course, would
atch on the internal machines and ex.
plode them. They contained seventy
pounds Of powder and were anchored.
On the 4th the fleet was within six
miles of Fort Hanrv
Other Sea Fighters Start For the
Fray.
There were other naval enterprises
set in motion in the early weeks of
1862, On Feb 3 David Glasgow Far
ragut, Z. S. n, sailed from Hampton
Roads for the western gulf in the war
ship Hartford. Many Of the vessels
which were to attack the Confederate
forts at the mouth of the Mississippi
were already at the rendezvous. The
Hartford became Farragut's flagship
at New Orleans. She was one Of the
first class war sloops in existence when
hostilities began, type of~-the twelve
screw wooden vessels which gave Il
good account of themselves before and
after irOnclads appeared.
On the day that Farragut sailed the
brand new United States sloop of waT
Kearsarge sailed from Boston to cruise
for the daring Confederate privateer
Sumter, then off the coast Of Spain.
The Kearsarge was a fourteen screw
vessel, wooden, of course, and destined
to add a new hero to the United States
navy. Later in the war her sides were
protected with chain plating of one
and seven-tenths inch iron, fastened
lmidships to cover the engines. The
for this chain armOr cost only
$50 and waS put on by the sailors
themselves at no cost to the govern
ment. She carried seven guns and
would have made a formidable ship
Tor line of battle fighting had fate not
set her apart for a cruise and to de-
'trOy the renowned Alabama. On the
same date, Feb. 3, the Confederate pri-
yateer Nashville sailed out of the port
# Southampton. England, under the
yery eyes Of the United States steam
loop-of-war Tuscarora. The Nashville
lad been at Southampton for weeks.
laying taken into that port the crew
# a United States merchant ship
which she had captured and burned in
he English channel. The Tuscarora I
watched her meantime, intending to
tack, but the British authorities COM G
elled her to give the Nashville TWEEN.
y-four hours start before attacking,
nd the privateer got away unmolest- q
y