Year: 1870


-


was closed. the men thus fastened to their


living tomb, inhaled aud exhausted consinu-


ally the atmosphere which was inclosed with


them. The plan of attack proposed by the


inventors was to dive beneath the keel of an


enemy's ship, hauling the torpedo after her.


It's triggers, or sensitive primers, would thus


press against the ships bottom, explode the


torpedo, and inevitably sink the ship.


Not anticipating an early opportunity of


using this dangerous vessel against the fleet


OF FsrFagus, Genl Maury cent her By rail


to Genl. Beauregard at Charleston. belisving


the waters of that harbor better suited 70


hF ocular construction, while in the Iron.
sides, or some other gigantic war ship then


attacking Charleston, might be found an OBJ.


ject worth the great risk to which her own


crew was exposed in any enterprise they


might undertake. Gen. Beaureeard changed


the arrangement of the torpedo by fastening


it to the bow. It's front was terminated by


a sharp and barbod lance head so thatwhen


the boat was driven end on against a chips


side, the lance head would be forced deep


into the ships timbers, below the water line,


and would fasten the torpedo firmly against
the ship Then the torpedo boat would


back of and explode it by lanyard Gen


Beauregard's call upon the Confederate feet
for volunteers to man this dangerous craft


was promptly answered by Lieutenant


Payne, Firginian, and eight sailors They


were soon ready for action, and on the even
ing set for their expedition, the last prepa.
ration had been made. The torpedo boat
was lying alongside the steamer from which
the crew had embarked; she was submurg.
ed till the cOmbiDg Of her hatch alone was
visible above the water. Her commander,
Payne, was standing in the hatchway, in the
act of ordering her to be cast off, when the
swell of a passing steamer rolled over her
and sunk her instantly, with her eight men
in several fathoms of water Lieut.. Payne
sprang out of the hatchway as the boat sank
from under him, and he alone was left alive.
In a few days she was raised and again
made ready for service. Again Payne vol.
unteered and eight men with him


The embarkation for their second attempt
was made from Fort Sumter, and, as before,
all having been made ready, Payne standing
at his post in the hatchway, ordered the
hnwser to be cast off-when the boat ca
reencd and sunk Instantly Payne sprang
out; two of the men followed him: the 9th.
er six went down in the boat and perished.
a gain the boat was raised and made ready
for action, and her owner, Captain Hundly,
took her for an experimental trip into the
Stone river, where, alter going terough her
usual evolutions, she diyed in deep water.
and for hours, and for days, the return of
poor Hundley and his crew was looked for
and watched for in vain. After near q
weeks search she was found inclining at an
angle Of near forty degrees; her nozzle was
driven deep into the soft mud at the bot
standing, sitting or lying about her hold aa.
pbyxiated. Hundley was standing dead at
his post, candle in one hand, while the
other had grown stiff with death in his vain
efforts to unclamp the hatch. Others had
been working at the keys of the ballast, but
1AaC EHOti Hat'Oh ~ "hiCu LhC DOdJ HAu SOu6
down had jammed the keys so that the men
could not cast off the heavy weight which
held them down. Their deaths had been
hard and lingering.


Again the fateful vessel was made ready
for action, and volunteers being called for,
Lieut.. Dixon. of the 2lst Alaba ANA yolun-
teers, native of Mobile, eight men
volunteered to take her against the enemy.
The new and powerful war ship Housatonic
was selected for attack, and on a quiet night.
rs brave crew set out from Charleston in
this terrible, nameless torpedo boat as ever
manned craft before


We all know the fac of the Housatonic.
Brave Dixon guided the torpedo fairly
against her the explosion tore up the hugo
war ships sides, so that she went down
with nearly all her crew in two minutes.
The torpedo boat also disappeared forever
from mortal view Whether she went
iown with her enemy, or whether she drift
ID out to sea to bury her gallant dead, was
never known. and their fate was left to the
great day when the sea shall give up its
lead. But recently, divers in submarine
lrmor, have visited the wreck of the Houss.
onic, and they have found the little vessel
aging by her huge victim, and within her
ire the bones of the most daring and de-
-Oted men who ever went to war So -.r--r