The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-07
HARVEST MOON" WAS MINED
AND BLOWN UP.
March /, 1865.

Flfty years ago today the steamer har-
vest Moon. flagship of Admiral John A
DahlGren. commanding the Federal South
Atlantic blockading squadron. was blown
mp by a mine in Wnydh Bay. near
Georgetown, s. G.. about fifty miles up
the coast from Charleston.
Admiral DahlGren had been to George
town with the expectation of getting in
touch with Gen. Sherman. and was re-
turning to Charleston when tho accident
occurred. His Ship-a shallow -draft side
wheel stcamcr-wcnt down in a few min
Utes. and the admiral had tolerablY
narrow escape from injury or death.
HIS report OF the accident was brief
hut graphic.
1T was nearly : O'clock and ] was
waiting for breakfast in my cabin he
wrote, when instantly a loud noise and
shock occurred. and the bulkhead scpa-
rating tho cabin from the wardroom was
shattered and driven in toward me.
variety Of articles lying about INC were
dispersed IN different directions.
nv first impression Was that the boil
"r had hurst. Tho smell OF Sunpowder
quickly followed. and gave the idea that
the ma Eazine had exploded.
There was naturally some little ron-
fusion. for IT WAS evident that the vessel
was sinking. ana she was not long Ill
reaching bottom.
AS tho " hole incident was tho work
Of a moment. Very little more can be
sand than just related. But one life was
lost. owing to the singularlv fortunate
fact that the action of the torpedo oc-
CURED in the open space between the
Ssngways. occupied by no one"
Tho ono man lost was a mess steward
in the wardroom. who was killed ON the
bar cid ~ he n
ward Admiral Dahlgren.
The admiral stated in his report that
the channel had been reported to him as
swept clear of mines, adding But so
much has been said in ridicule of tor
pedo-s that very little precautions are
deemed necessary"
Effective Use of Mines.
Th,. destruction of the Harvest Noon
Was a final illustration on that part OF
IN" "osst of the effective use made of
mines by the Confederates
While in control of certain parts Of the
coast and Of Charlestos HarhUr. they
had DESTROYED a number Of Federal YES
sells with mines. While IN" destruction
Of tho Harvest Moon took pIac" after
they had lost control Of Charleston
(which was evacuated February 49, and
"C the cntir" coastlln" north and south.
il Was none the lesS due /" their activl-
tics
Tho los Of the snip showed clearly
The. coniinuanc" of danger from mines
ono" planted in nsviaGahl" Waterways
Mess DESTROYED or removed, sub
ma rinc uInc may menace shipping long
after the h"llCcrent who planted It has
lost the power of continuing active war
far. on his enemy.
Naval histories have given insufficient
crcdit to the defenders OF tn" South Al
lanuc coast for their rcsourcCfulHCs> and
prrtinarity in using mines
InventlnC their own mines. They had
manufactured them Al Charleston untIl
shermans march through the Earolinas
nsdc tho lily untenable. and had SoUn
them thickly m the harhor there As
80 prevent tho Federal ironcIad feet IN
dor DahICreu from attempting 4 passage
Of the channel hevo1d Fort Sumter.
The harhor forts ropularly con
ssderad tho prime factor IN keeping tn"
Federal naval ships from reaching
Charleston. but Admiral Dahlgren's gen
oral report on tho character Of tho mines
and Instructions placed in the harbor's
channels leaves no doubt Of tho effect
iveness If this additional method Of de-
Tense.
After the evacuation Of Charleston the
NederaI naval forces were busy for
long time searching the harhor for mines.
Their Iabors were richly rewarded They
blown up every ship in the feet. while on
the shore the commander of searching
party discovered sixty-one more ready
for use.
Ingenious Contrivance..
Tn" mines used were of three kinds In
shallow water heavy frame of timber.
like a grating. was sunk at one end, the
other being allowed to float near the sur
face. On the end of each timber was
csstirou mine. To be exploded by contact.
In deep water. in the lower channel.
Great mines made OF boilers were used.
capable Of holding from 100 TO 300
pounds of powder. IL he ignited from the
shore by an electro current On the occa-
sion of An attack by the irOncladS on
sumter. April l.. 1883. the armored ship
New Ironsides hoated over one of these
mines for several hours. while the cnGi-
nicer in CharG" Of II tried NaIniv to- eN-
pod" il from Fort Moultric. defective
electrical connection Ia the min" saved
the snip
The rommon"st min.. used at Charles
ton and the nearby channels was known
Is III" barrel torpedo This was made
"t a small heavy barrel, susually 4 beer
barrel. and contained about pounds
81 powder. Two fuses were fixed on tn"
barrel IN such Il position that contact
with a vessels bottom would explode
rIthcr. Anchored just heneath the sur
face. in numbers. mines like this this /
were formidable weapons.
Their effectiveness was increased by !
tho rspidity and secrecy with which they !
they could be sown. In January, 1885, I
FOR example. the Federals prepared to |
weep the channel Of Charleston for OBJ !
.truCtions.
The night before tn" work began the /
confederate mne-layInG corps planted |
sixteen OF thesc barrel mines in the chan
mel near Sumter. As the fleet came UP,
on January H.. in water that previous
movements had shown to be unmincd,
the monitor Patapsco ran upon one of
the barrels. which exploded. The ship
sank in a few minutes, with SiNty-two of
her crew.
II was not until some months after the
was had closed. and all the channels of
the South Atlantic coast had been dill
GENTLY swept for mines, that the danger
10 shipping from these hidden agents of
destruction was greatly reduced. Even
then there was chance remaining of
q vessel running on to some old mine
and meeting disaster