SINKING OK AN IRON-CLAD BEFORE CHARLESTON.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2050, 19 April 1864, Page 5

SINKING OK AN IRON-CLAD BEFORE CHARLESTON.

In a sale on -Sunday afternoon, tbe 6th November, the Weehnwken, one of the iron-clads lying at the entrance of Charleston harbor, went flown at her anchorage, carrying with her four engineers and twenty-six of her crew. The scene is thus described by tbe correspondent of the New York Herald:—" Saturday has been a bright and beautiful day, with scarcely a breatiiofair astir, and with a calm unruffled sea. During the night a breeze sprung up, and the wind, blowing freshly at daylight on Sunday, increased by noon to a violent storm. It was from the north-west. The iron-clad fleet was lying /neamime at its usual anchorage. The frigate New Ironclads was stationed off Morris Island, at a distauce of about one mile due east from Fort Wagner — or, as it is vow called, Fort Strong. North of the Ironclads lay the flagship Philadelphia, distant about 400 yards. The Weehawken was next in line, anchored 200 or 300 yards to the northward of the flagship. The Montau.k was on picket duty, between Fort Surater and Fort Moultrie. Astern of the Ironclads lay the Nahant and Passaic— the latter furthest away from the flagship, and nearer than any other vessel to the Morris Island shore. The South Carolina and the Home were rocking on the restless tide some 500 or 600 yards astern of the Ironclads. The above was the position of the fleet when the first signal of distress was made from the Weehdwken,. at a few minutes before two o'clock. The signal was seen aud answered at once by the flagship, from which four boats were despatched to her assistance, and by tbe South Carolina, which sent two of her boats to the Weehawken's assistance. The tugs Dandelion aud Iris were also at once called up, and with them Commander Duncan of the Weehawken, who chanced to be in the flagship, and in conversation with the admiral when the signal was made, proceeded immediately with the hope of running his vessel on the beach. He had scarcely left the Admiral when tbe officer of the deck made out from the Weehawken a uew signal, and immediately reported her to be sinking-. A moment after she settled swiftly down head first, careened slightly over to starboard and disappeared beneath the waves. It is impossible to convey any idea of the appalling nature of this disaster. It dime with the suddenness of a thunderbolt. When the first signal of distress was made, no one divined bow serious was the danger, and when, at length, the vessel went down, it was difficult for those who saw her disappear to credit the evidence of their own senses. The confusion of the flagship, arising mainly from the difficulty of launching her boats, and the desire of both officers and men to be first in them wus most intense and painful. The wind was vow blowing with great fury, and the boats which hastened from all sides to the scene encountered grout peril in picking up from the waier the few who succeeded iv getting away from the Weehawken before she sank. Almost at the moment she went dowu some twenty or more sprang to the boats, and succeeded in getting away. As many others were rescued from the surging waves by the launches of the flag-ship, the South Carolina, aad the tug-boats Dandelion and Iris. Thirty perished. All the day the Weehawkeu bad labored heavily in the sea, which kept her decks constantly sub-merged, and which frequently swept in huge volumes into her forward hatch. Towards noon the crew commenced paying out chain, to ease her; but accustomed as they were in every gale to the shipping or such seas, it is believed that they had grown confident and careless of danger, and paid no heed to the encroaching waters until it was too late to resist them. They dreamed of no peril till the waves had fairly yawned to swallow them. Then, when it was known for a certainty that the vessel was to be lost, a panic of fright and fear benumbed them, and the terror-stricken crew below bad little power to help themselves. There were men in irons between decks, and the sergeant-al-arms rushed frantically away to release them. Poor fellows, they all went down. There were invalids iv the sick bay, and to their relief the surgeon sent his steward, who never returned. There were firemen at the furnaces, to whom vain shrieks for a helping band at the pumps were made ? A few of the confident were rushing to their quarters to save tbe effects, jostling the timid, on their way to deck, to save themselves. Tt was in the midst of scenes like these that the Weehawken went down. I believe that none of the officers perished save the four assistant engineers, who were overtaken by the flood, before they could make any effort to escape. Commander Duncan had only taken command of the Weehawken on Saturday, having been detached from the Paul Jones to relieve Commander Calboun. Tbe officers' clothing, the paymaster's funds, and tbe papers of the ship sank with her. Tbe yeooun was brought alive on board the flag-ship, and died in spasms a few minutes afterwards. Various parties were picked up and taken to the nearest vessels, where every provision was made for their comfort and restoration. Those of the crew who were saved are now scattered in small squads throughout the fleet. It is impossible to procure at present the names of those who were lust. To Fleet Captain Bradford, Captain Ammen, and in fact to all the officers and men of , the flagship, great credit is due for their heroic exertions in their frail boats for the rescue of the unfortunate crew. They exposed themselves to great danger in their efforts to render assistance to others. Commander Ammen, acting under the orders of Admiral Dahlgren, particularly risked himself in the conveyance of orders and precautionary instructions to the remaining Monitors, performing tbe perilous duty in a small boat. Tbe Weebawkeu is lying in fire fathoms of water, and will soon be raised. Until she has been brought up no one can tell why she sank. It was through no fault of her " overhang," for she apppareutly took in no water except at her forward hatch and hawseholes. It was, to the best of my knowledge, through the inattention, neglect, and bad management of those on board that the vessel has been lost. Had the pumps been set at work when tbe wares first dasbed in, it is probable that the Weekawken would at this moment bare been afloat. Had the bars with which hex compartments were made water-tight been in their proper places, it is quite likely that the dire calamity would never have ocourred.

A Quaker at Bristol was remarkable for never giving a direct answer. A gentleman ono day laid a wager that be would draw a direct one from him. He accordingly went out and meeting the Quaker in the street; said, " Pray, sir, is the post cotne in ?" " Dost thou expect letters ?" asked the Quaker. Fair Criminals.— A lady reading one day that v man had been sentenced to six months' hard labor for dog stealing, observed to a, friend with a shudder, " Gracious ! my love, wbat wuuld certain of our sex have to endure for entrapping puppies." A Yankee horse-tamer, operating recently in the western part of the State of New York, j turned one so well in Rochester tbat lie Urere him out of town, add his owner has not seen since*